ASIA’S NO. 1 SHARED SERVICES & GBS EVENT
14 October | Main Conference Day One
WHERE ARE WE HEADED? The Future of Asia’s Shared Services
8:00 am - 8:50 am
Registration Opens
8:50 am - 8:55 am
Welcome Address by SSON
8:55 am - 9:00 am
Opening Remarks by Conference Chairperson
Jonathan Tam -
Head, APAC People Services,
foodpanda
8:55 am - 9:10 am
SSON Research & Analytics Presents the 2025 State of Shared Service Industry Market Data
Naomi Secor -
Global Managing Director,
SSON Research & Analytics
9:10 am - 9:40 am
Big Idea! Opening Keynote | From GCC to Game-Changing Digital Catalyst: Accelerating Transformation in the Digital Era
Dr. Sanjeev Rastogi -
Chief Executive Officer – GCC,
Adani Group
Hear from Dr. Sanjeev Rastogi, who heads Adani Group’s GCC with more 3000 people across 7+ functions on how he transitioned his centre to be a strategic asset to the business and get a seat on the table.
- Moving away from a delivery centre model to a strategic function
- Leveraging cognitive and Gen AI to transition from a traditional GCC to a digital catalyst
- Aligning with the business strategy to enable the business to achieve their targets and revenue
9:40 am - 10:10 am
Fireside Chat: Smarter Work, Greater Impact: Unlocking Enterprise Productivity with AI and Automation
Naomi Hill -
Vice President, Finance and Operations, Chief Financial Officer,
IBM Asia Pacific and Japan
Zen Pin Liow - Senior Partner, Business Operations APAC Leader, Consulting, IBM Asia Pacific
Vikram Krishnamurthy - Director, Unilever Supplier Operations, Asia, Unilever Ltd
Explore the transformative potential of AI and automation to drive enterprise productivity and productivity gains. Hear first-hand how AI and automation technologies are reshaping the future of work, with organisations working smarter, yielding greater impact, and staying competitive.
Sponsored by: IBM
Naomi Hill
Vice President, Finance and Operations, Chief Financial OfficerIBM Asia Pacific and Japan
10:10 am - 10:50 am
THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR | Decoding the Future of GBS: Captive, Hybrid, GCC, or Regional Models?
Naomi Secor -
Global Managing Director,
SSON Research & Analytics
Rajeev Mall - Vice President- Costco Digital Services and Chief Executive Officer, Costco Wholesale India Pvt. Ltd.
Mark Bueltel-Herz - Managing Director, BASF Asia-Pacific Service Centre
Sandeep Poddar - Chief Architect, Kimberly Clark GCC Pune
Vandana Sharma - Head of GBS AMEA, Kellogg Company
As shared services are nearing their maturity stages, we are faced with a critical question: What’s the optimal structure—captive, hybrid, GCC, or regional—for the next five years?
- Evaluating the pros and cons of captive, hybrid, GCC, and regional models in the face of rising costs and inflation, even in traditionally affordable hubs
- Debating the necessity of regional centres in an era where technology reduces the need for language and time zone-specific hubs
- Discussing how to align location strategy with business goals, leveraging the right model to drive efficiency, scalability, and value in the next five years
Rajeev Mall
Vice President- Costco Digital Services and Chief Executive OfficerCostco Wholesale India Pvt. Ltd.
10:50 am - 11:10 am
Speed Networking Session
Join us in this Speed Networking Session where you will be able to meet other participants at the Conference! During this session, you will have the opportunity to engage with serval leaders in a short amount of time and exchange business cards to take the conversation beyond the Conference.
11:10 am - 11:40 am
Morning Break & Refreshments
Our IDGs allow you to zone-in and focus on the topics that matter most to you. Structured to maximise audience interaction and participation, you get a chance to not only learn from your peers first-hand but share your challenges actively as well. There will be 2 rotations at 50-minutes each.
Interactive Discussion Groups (9 Topics & 2 Rotations @ 50-minutes each)
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION
11:40 am - 1:20 pm How Automating Accounts Payable Can Drive Growth & Efficiency Gavin Lam - Vice President, Global Business Services Operations, NTT DATA Inc
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION
11:40 am - 1:20 pm Accelerating Finance Transformation – Lessons from a Global Closing & Reconciliation Journey Anirban Kumar Ghosh - Global Director Controllership Operations and Global Controller, JLL Technologies
Anirban Kumar Ghosh
Global Director Controllership Operations and Global ControllerJLL Technologies
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION
11:40 am - 1:20 pm Data-Driven Finance: Leveraging for Cash Flow Optimization and Beyond Piamporn Pongnoppa - Head of Business Strategy, Corporate Accounting Office, Siam Cement Public Company Limited
Piamporn Pongnoppa
Head of Business Strategy, Corporate Accounting OfficeSiam Cement Public Company Limited
FINANCE TRANSFORMATION
11:40 am - 1:20 pm Hybrid Human-AI Workflows in Shared Services: From Pilot to Profit Nipun Mehra - Founder & CEO, Neoflo.aiReady to cut costs and grow your business without adding headcount? Join this interactive roundtable to explore how blending AI agents with human expertise can unlock 30–50% cost savings, triple your processing capacity, and maintain near-perfect accuracy. Tailored for shared services, finance, and operations leaders, we’ll dive into real-world strategies to scale workflows efficiently while preserving quality. Bring your experiences and questions as we discuss how hybrid human-AI workflows can turbo-charge your organization.Ready to cut costs and grow your business without adding headcount? Join this interactive roundtable to explore how blending AI agents with human expertise can unlock 30–50% cost savings, triple your processing capacity, and maintain near-perfect accuracy. Tailored for shared services, finance, and operations leaders, we’ll dive into real-world strategies to scale workflows efficiently while preserving quality. Bring your experiences and questions as we discuss how hybrid human-AI workflows can turbo-charge your organization.
Sponsored by: Neoflo.ai
PROCESS EXCELLENCE
11:40 am - 1:20 pm Embed Continuous Improvement Excellence in Shared Services Patricia Francis - Head - Business Operations EDPR APAC, EDP Renewables APAC
PROCESS EXCELLENCE
11:40 am - 1:20 pm The Evolving GPO Role Vandana Sharma - Head of GBS AMEA, Kellogg CompanyPROCESS EXCELLENCE
11:40 am - 1:20 pm The Power of Process Intelligence in GBS Transformation
1:20 pm - 2:20 pm
Networking Lunch Break
2:20 pm - 3:00 pm
Panel Discussion: Beyond the Core: Expanding Horizons, Being Truly Multifunctional and Delivering Business Impact
Sankar Narayan S -
GBS APAC Head,
Smith and Nephew
Sharmini Krishnan - Head of PMI Business Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Philip Morris International
Azlan Sani Bin Md Morshid - Head (Business Strategy & Innovation Management), TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD
- What is everyone bringing in or planning to bring into their GBS?
- Assessing the capabilities and skill sets required for GBS success in new areas and expanding the location short-list to newer markets
- Overcoming organisational resistance and building effective partnerships
- Measuring and demonstrating the business impact of expanded GBS services
Sharmini Krishnan
Head of PMI Business Solutions (Philippines) Inc.Philip Morris International
Azlan Sani Bin Md Morshid
Head (Business Strategy & Innovation Management)TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
The Transformation and Evolution of GBS China
Cindy Shi -
Head of Amway Global Business Services,
Amway China
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Afternoon Break & Refreshments
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Laying a Robust Foundation with Process Standardisation
- How to effectively untangle the complexities of business process and data with a simplified organisational architecture
- Step-by-step guide to creating uniform processes across regions and functions
- Leveraging RPA, AI, and ERP systems to drive standardization and reduce inefficiencies
- Overcoming cultural and operational resistance to standardization
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
SSON Research & Analytics Insights | The 2025 Top 20 Most Admired SSO/GBS in the World Uncovered! Find Out What Sets Them Apart & How Benchmarking is Key to Continuous Improvement
Syazana Lim -
Senior Analyst & Head of Product,
SSON Research & Analytics
Dijo Davies - Data and Analytics Digital Cell Manager of Service Delivery, Schlumberger
Piamporn Pongnoppa - Head of Business Strategy, Corporate Accounting Office, Siam Cement Public Company Limited
SSON Research & Analytics has just published its Top 20 Most Admired SSOs/GBS 2025 list. SSON will discuss key performance metrics from the “Top 20 Most Admired SSO/GBS Benchmarks” and share some of the strategies that are improving performance in key metrics.
Piamporn Pongnoppa
Head of Business Strategy, Corporate Accounting OfficeSiam Cement Public Company Limited
5:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Chairperson’s Closing Remarks and End of Conference Day 1
Jonathan Tam -
Head, APAC People Services,
foodpanda
6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
SSON Impact Awards Asia 2025 – Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner (Tickets Sold Separately)
SSON's Shared Services & Outsourcing Impact Awards is a globally recognised, annual industry awards ceremony, which honours and celebrates SSOs and service delivery teams who have exceeded industry standards in their SS&O initiatives. This is the chance for you and your Shared Services peers to celebrate your achievements together as a team.
The SSON Impact Awards Gala Dinner is the best way for you to unwind and celebrate the successes of your peers making headway in Asia’s SSO market! Get more information here: https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-ssowasia/impact-awards
