AI is no longer just an operational tool - it is becoming a board-level instrument for strategic foresight. Directors can now stress-test talent strategies against multiple future scenarios, surface early warning signals, and uncover opportunities in workforce data that traditional analysis often misses. This shifts organisations from reactive workforce management to proactive capability-building.
We are privileged to have with us Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower, to deliver the keynote address. Drawing on Singapore’s national human capital agenda, he will set the strategic context for boards, examining the imperatives organisations face as workforce transformation accelerates - and what it will take to turn human capital into a national and business advantage.
This will be followed by Florian Klein and Chris Wagner, Co-Founders and Managing Partners of ananki.ai, who will share insights from their latest research, The Board’s Challenge: The Future of Human Capital. They will explore why AI-driven workforce transformation is not a technology question but a leadership one. By pairing human judgement with AI to sharpen talent strategy and skill development, leaders can convert potential gaps into strategic opportunities before they escalate.
The session will conclude with a panel discussion featuring distinguished leaders, who will unpack what strategic foresight in human capital management looks like in practice and what boards must do to stay ahead of the AI transformation curve.
Programme
5.00pm:
Registration and Refreshments
5.25pm:
Welcome address: Yinn Ewe, Chair, SID Human Capital Chapter
5.30pm:
Opening Keynote: The Human Capital Imperative by Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower
5.45pm:
Research Insights: The Board's Challenge: The Future of Human Capital by Florian Klein and Chris Wagner
6.00pm:
Panel Session: The Board's New Playbook: Strategic Foresight, AI and the Human Capital Agenda
Panel Speakers:
- Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower
- Kevyn Yong, CEO, HCLI
- Fermin Diez, Council Member, SID
- Deborah Ong, Independent Board Director
Moderator: Emily Poon, CEO-Designate, SID
6.45pm:
Closing by: Ineet Narula, Deputy Chair, SID Human Capital Chapter
6.50pm: Cocktail Reception and Networking
7.30pm: End
CPD Hours : NA.
SID members: Complimentary (Registration is required)
Non-members: S$100.00 (incl. of 9% GST)
No-show fee of $50 applies for registrants who fail to attend without at least 2 working days’ notice.
SPEAKERS
Fermin Diez
Council Member, Singapore Institute of Directors
Dr Fermin Diez has over 40 years of executive experience in human resources and organisational transformation. He served as Deputy CEO of the National Council for Social Service in Singapore and held key appointments in MNCs and consulting firms. He has held board and advisory roles at Latin American Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Human Resources Institute and ASEAN Human Development Organisation. He has served on the boards of the National University Health Systems, Jurong Health Systems, Taylor’s Education, WorldatWork and Institute for Human Resource Professionals. An adjunct professor at National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University, Dr Diez is a recognised author and speaker in the alignment of human capital and business strategy.
Florian Klein
Co-founder, ananki.ai
Dr Florian Klein is an adviser, corporate strategist, futures thinker and AI entrepreneur. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ananki.ai, he helps senior leaders develop resilient strategies in the face of growing market uncertainty. Over the course of more than 200 projects, he has guided decision-makers across the private, public, and civil sectors worldwide. His career spans top-tier strategy consulting, C-level corporate leadership, and entrepreneurship in AI. He has authored several books on megatrends and designing AI-based strategic decision systems. Previously, he led Deloitte’s global strategic foresight practice and founded the Center for the Long View, the firm’s center of excellence for trend research, scenario-based strategy development, and AI-enabled decision-making.
Stanley Loh
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower
Mr Stanley Loh is Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Manpower. He previously served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Permanent Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Second Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and Second Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) in the Prime Minister’s Office. He has also served as Singapore's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, Singapore’s Trade Representative in Taipei, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Singapore Embassy to the USA. He is a Board member of the Human Capital Leadership Institute. He was formerly Chairman of the SG Eco Fund Board of Trustees, Member of the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel and Senior Advisor on the Temasek Sustainability Advisory Panel, Patron of SingCham and Member of Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship Council.
Deborah Ong
Independent Board Director
Mrs Deborah Ong is an independent non-executive director of SATS, StarHub, CapitaLand India Trust and chairs the audit committee. She is also a board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore. In addition, Mrs Ong also chairs the Institute of Human Resource Professional (IHRP). She is a member of the Judicial Service Commission. She was previously a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Emily Poon
CEO-Designate, Singapore Institute of Directors
Ms Emily Poon is CEO-Designate of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID). An accredited director, she serves on the Industry Advisory Board of the Department of Communications & New Media at National University of Singapore, the Families for Life Council, and the executive committee of Singapore Management University’s LEAD Alumni Group. She has over 20 years of experience across the region in corporate leadership, reputation strategy and regional transformation. Prior to her appointment at SID, she served as Asia-Pacific President of Ogilvy Public Relations, where she led a 26-office regional network, oversaw digital and strategic transformation, and advised boards and senior management on stakeholder engagement, crisis management and geopolitical risk.
Chris Wagner
Co-Founder, ananki.ai
Dr Chris Wagner works at the intersection of strategy, foresight and artificial intelligence (AI). As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ananki.ai, he helps executives prepare for uncertain futures. Before founding ananki.ai, he led strategic foresight at a German high-tech multinational and was a strategy adviser with Monitor Deloitte and IBM, developing scenario-based strategies for clients navigating structural market shifts. While his work has taken him across major industries and geographies, the underlying challenge remains consistent: translating complexity into strategic choices that senior leaders can make with confidence. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and occasionally lectures at universities on strategic foresight and scenario planning.
Kevyn Yong
CEO, Human Capital Leadership Institute
Dr Kevyn Yong is Chief Executive Officer at the Human Capital Leadership Institute. He previously held senior leadership and faculty positions at the Singapore Institute of Management, ESSEC Business School and HEC Paris. His area of focus is in innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership, with a focus on design thinking, agility, systems thinking, human capital and strategy. He has designed, developed and delivered customised leadership and innovation programmes, with clients including Amazon and ATOS in France; eBay and Nike in China; the Hitachi Group and Keio University in Japan; and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Singtel, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Danone and United Overseas Bank in Singapore.
Registration
Please login to register by 24 April 2026.
Event Enquiries
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (65) 6422 1188
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