Datuk Beatrice
Maria Nirmala
www.ibrasiagroup.com
Founder and CEO, VOICE OF ASIA
www.voiceofasean.com
Honorary Consul for Nicaragua in South East Asia
Managing Director, ASIA
Chair woman Driving Entrepreneurship for Women of Indian origin (The National Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia)
Member, University of Malaya’s Advisory Committee for Student Industrial Training
Author, Through The Looking Glass
My Network
Conferment of the title of Dato’ from His Majesty Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
Sultan of Pahang – 1974 – 2019
King of Malaysia – 1979 – 1984
YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister of Malaysia
1981 – 2003, 2018 – 2021
YB Tuan Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Minister of Transport of Malaysia
YB Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Minister of Home Affairs of Malaysia
The Hon. Eng Charles Lubasi Milupi
Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development of Zambia
H.E Denis Moncada Colindreas
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua
Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia -
2018 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
Minister of Communications and Multimedia of Malaysia - 2020 – 2021
YB Puan Yeo Bee Yin
Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
YB Tuan Baru Bian
Minister of Works of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
Dr Xavier Jayakumar
Minister of Land, Water and Natural Resources of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
YB Tuan M. Kula Segaran
Minister of Human Resources of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
YB Datuk Seri M. Saravanan
Minister of Human Resources of Malaysia – 2020 - 2022
Khalid Abdul Samad
Minister of Federal Territories of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub
Minister of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living of Malaysia – 2022 – 2023
Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry of Malaysia – 2018 – 2020
YB Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Malaysia – 2020 – 2021
Tan Sri Noh Omar
Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative of Malaysia – 2021 – 2022
Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government of Malaysia – 2016 – 2018
Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamed
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) – 2020 – 2022
Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia – 2009 – 2018
YB Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia – 2015 – 2018
YB Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali
Minister of International Trade & Industry – 2020 - 2022
Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman
YB Dato' Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan
YB Tuan Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Chairman of Alpine Integrated Solution, Minister of Foreign Affairs Malaysia and Minister of Transport Malaysia
YAB Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Abang Haji Openg
Premier of Sarawak, Malaysia
YAB Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari
Menteri Besar of Selangor, Malaysia
YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow
Chief Minister of Penang, Malaysia
YAB Dato’ Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
Menteri Besar of Kedah, Malaysia
YAM Tunku Dara Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah
Member of the Negeri Sembilan Royal Family
Chairman of the English Speaking Union Malaysia
YB Tuan Ng Sze Han
Selangor State Executive Councillor for Investment, Trade and Mobility
YB Datuk Len Talif Salleh
Deputy Minister for Urban Planning Land Administration and Environment of Sarawak
Dato' Dr. Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek
Negeri Sembilan State Executive Councillor for Investment, Industry, Entrepreneurships, Education & Human Capital – 2018 – 2023
H.E. B.N. Reddy
High Commissioner of India to Malaysia
H.E Ouyang Yujing
Ambassador of China to Malaysia
HE Peter Blomeyer
Ambassador of Germany to Malaysia
H.E. Naiyl M. Latypov
Ambassador of Russia to Malaysia
H.E. Dave Malcomson
High Commissioner of South Africa to Malaysia
H.E. Dinh Ngoc Linh
Ambassador of Vietnam to Malaysia
H.E. Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Sumangala Dias
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia
H.E. Francis Muhoro
High Commissioner of Kenya to Malaysia
H.E. Ouk Chandara
Ambassador of Cambodia to Malaysia
H.E. Michalis Rokas
Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia
H.E. Valeria Csukasil
Ambassador of Uruguay to Malaysia
HE Bulat Sugurbayev
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Malaysia
H.E Sheikh Al-Abbas Ibrahim Hamed Al Harthi
Ambassador of Oman to Malaysia
H.E. Ali Hussain Didi
High Commissioner of Maldives to Malaysia
H.E. Dr Ivan Velimir Starcevic
Ambassador of Croatia to Malaysia
H.E. Irfan Davudova
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Malaysia
H.E. Dr Petra Ponevács-Pana
Ambassador of Hungary to Malaysia
H.E. Jagdiswar Goburdhun, G.O.S.K
High Commissioner of Mauritius to Malaysia
H.E Rashed Mohammad Al-Saleh
Ambassador of Kuwait to Malaysia
H.E Betty Oyella Bigombe
High Commissioner of the Republic of Uganda to Malaysia
H.E Florence Buerki Akonor
High Commissioner of Ghana to Malaysia
H.E Pascal Gregoire
Former Ambassador of Belgium to Malaysia
H.E Petri Puhakka
Ambassador of Finland to Malaysia
H.E Dr Basim Hattab Habash Al-Tumma
Ambassador of Iraq to Malaysia
Dr Michael Postl
Ambassador of Austria to Malaysia
Kreso Glavac
Ambassador of Croatia to Malaysia
Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt
Ambassador of Sweden to Malaysia
Shalva Datiashvili
Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Georgia in Malaysia
Sakalima Yoyo & Muzoka Hichilema
First Secretary (Economic) & Deputy High Commissioner of Zambia to Malaysia
Sanja Kuljanin
Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Malaysia
Anni Stahle
Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Finland in Malaysia
Luis Enrique
Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Mexico in Malaysia
Denys Mykhailiuk
Charge d’ Affaires / Head of Mission of the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia
Rashad Farooq Al-Shaik & Abdullah Amiruddin
Counsellor at the Embassy of Bahrain in Malaysia & Media Affairs Liaison at the Embassy of Bahrain in Malaysia
Colonel Norbert Johannes Moerkens
Netherlands’ Defence Attaché to Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand
Dato’ Suriani Dato’ Ahmad
Secretary General of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, Malaysia
Datuk Seri Hasnol Zam Zam Ahmad
Secretary General of the Ministry of Works, Malaysia
General Tan Sri Affendi Buang
Chief of Defence Force, Malaysia
Dato’ Mustapha Mohammad
Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)
Shaharul Sadri Alwi
Director General of the Department of Standards Malaysia
Nur Fadhilah Muhammad, Dato’ Indera Ir. Dr. Ahmad Sabirin Arshad & Datuk Ir. (Dr.) Khairol Anuar Mohamad Tawi
CEO of SIRIM QAS International, President and Group CEO of SIRIM Berhad & Chairman of SIRIM Berhad
Iskandar Ismail
CEO of the Malaysia Competition Commission
Azlikamil Napiah
Director General of the Malaysian Space Agency
YB Dr Ahmad Fadzli Ahmad Tajuddin
Selangor State Finance Officer
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Datuk Hussain
Chairman of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation
Datin Paduka Dr. Noraida Mohd. Yusof
Board Member of the Selangor State Public Service Commission (SPN Selangor)
Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid
Chief Executive Officer of the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)
Datuk Mahmud Abbas
CEO, Selangor State Economic Development Corporation (PKNS)
Azrul Shah Mohamad
CEO of Tourism Selangor
Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob
Then Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia
Datuk Ravi Muthayah
Then Secretary General of the Ministry of Plantations Industries and Commodities, Malaysia
Dato’ Abdul Latif Abu Seman
Then Director General of the Malaysia Productivity Corporation
YM Raja Dato’ Idris Raja Kamarudin
Former Chairman of the Malaysian Rubber Council
Dato’ Azmi Zulkifli
Chief Executive Officer of InvestKL
Tan Sri Ling Chiong Ho
Chairman of Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad
Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman
Chairman of Alpine Integrated Solution
Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee Chai
Founder and Executive Chairman of Top Glove
Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing
Founder of Limkokwing University
Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor
Chief Executive of IOI Corporation
Dato’ Nazrul Mansor
Group CEO of FGV Holdings
Dato’ Seri Dr. Irmohizam Ibrahim
Executive Director of World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL)
Dato' Ramli Mohd Tahir
Managing Director of KDEB Waste Management
Dato’ Dr. Jeniri Amir
CEO of Tribune Press Holdings
Chon Sewhan
Country President of PT AstraZeneca Indonesia
Syed Feizal Syed Mohammad
Group Chief Executive Officer of MSM Malaysia Holdings Berhad
Dato’ Muzaffar Hisham
Group CEO of Global Banking at Maybank
Datuk Shamsul Kamar Samsudin
Managing Director of Galaxy Aerospace
Dr Salhin Abang
Group Managing Partner of SALIHIN
May Lim
Managing Director of The Arnott’s Group Asia
Narayanan Ranganathan
Country Manager of ABB Malaysia
Dr Mohamed Elwakil
Country Manager of Novartis Malaysia and Brunei
Amy Chua
Asia President of SLB
Ernest Wong
General Manager of Pickles Asia
Fabian Selva
Country Lead of Isentia Malaysia
Murugan Veloo
Managing Director of Kings University College
Mala Doraisamy
CEO of the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC)
Datuk Wira (Dr) Ameer Ali Mydin
Managing Director of Mydin
Kamarul A Muhamed
Chief Executive Officer of Aerodyne Group
Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Abdul Rahman
Director and Principal Architect of Eco Bumi Arkitek
Chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 2021 – 2022
Vach Pillutla, Ali Hassan Mohammed Hassan & Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir
CEO of Al Ikhsan Sport, Founder and Chairman of Al Ikhsan Sport & CEO of Ekuiti National Berhad (Ekuinas)
Abdul Aziz Othman
CEO of Petronas Gas
Dr Lawrence Abeln
Professor and Associate Dean at The Asia School of Business
Roberto Guiati
Chief Executive of Petra Cucina
Vejaiyan Gunasagran & Kanan Packrisamy
Founding Director of Herbal Pharm & Chief Operation and Finance Officer of Herbal Pharm
Rae Kwon Chung
2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar
Former Chief Editor of Utusan Melayu,
Former Chairman of Media Prima,
Former Chairman of Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka
Agustin Garcia Rechy
Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Comercio Exterior, Inversión y Tecnología, A.C (Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology, A.C - COMCE)
Bernard Chia
President of the Australia Malaysia Business Chamber
Hambali Mukhlas
Head of the International Business Council at the National Chamber of Commerce & Industry Malaysia
Muhammad Izuan Abdul Samat
Syamsul Baharin Putra Ahmad Shibi
Chairman of Yayasan Pemaju Lestari and Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Pemaju Lestari
As a Moderator
Selangor. Regional Powerhouse Forum - Policy Makers and
Industry Leaders: Prospering the
Economy Together
Datuk Beatrice moderated the Plenary Session of the inaugural Selangor. Regional Powerhouse which brought mtogether top industry decision makers and policy makers in Selangor to discuss the strategies the State needs to adopt to become ASEAN’s premier Smart State. Panellists were :
Selangor. Regional Powerhouse Forum - Smart Cities for
Sustainable Living
In the First Breakaway Session of the inaugural Selangor. Regional Powerhouse Forum, Datuk Beatrice moderated the session on how Selangor can build smart and sustainable cities that will help it fulfil its Smart State mission. Panellists were :
Dr. Fahmi Ngah – Managing Director, Smart Selangor Delivery Unit
Datuk Sivanathan Shanmugam – Managing Director, Nokia Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives
Adnan Gopal Menon – Chief Technical Officer of Siemens Malaysia and Siemens Head of Engineering in ASEAN
Lim Chi Haur – Managing Director, BSL Eco Energy
Norliza Hashim – CEO, Urbanice
Selangor. Regional Powerhouse Forum - Selangor as an Aerospace and Aviation Hub
Moderated by Datuk Beatrice, industry leaders and policy makers discuss how Selangor can become a regional leader in the aviation and aerospace industry during the Second Breakaway Session at the inaugural Selangor. Regional Powerhouse forum.
YB Tuan M. Kulasegaran – Minister of Human Resources
Datuk Mark Rozario – CEO, General Electrics Malaysia
Ali Ahmad – Director of Group Business Development for Malaysia and Thailand, BAE Systems International
Datuk Hasan Azhari – CEO, InvestSelangor
Randhill Singh – General Manager of Land Development, Malaysia Airports
Naguib Mohd Nor – CEO, Strand Aerospace
International Business Review Summit 2016 – ASEAN –
The Next Profit Hub
Datuk Beatrice moderated the plenary session at the International Business Review Summit 2016 which discussed opportunities for business in an integrated ASEAN market, with panellists :
Tan Sri Rainer Althoff – CEO of ALC International
Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud – CEO of MATRADE
Isham Ishak – Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Megane Soo – National President of the SME International Trade Association of Malaysia
Economic Opportunities in Selangor
As part of the Selangor Synergies series of forums organised by Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) Selangor, Datuk Beatrice moderated the forum Economic Opportunities in Selangor, which saw a panel of public and private sector leaders discuss how the plan to turn Selangor – Malaysia’s leading State with a contribution of 25 percent to the GDP – into a Smart State, will enhance businesses there. Panellists included :
Tan Sri Dr. Yahya Awang – Founder of IJN and
Chairman of Cardiac Vascular Sentral KL
Tan Sri Ravindran Menon – Founder and Executive Director of Subang SkyPark
Raja Shahreen – CEO of MBI Selangor
Dr. Rezal Khairi Ahmad – CEO of NanoMalaysia
Dr. Muaz Omar – CEO of Selgate Healthcare
Emerging Technologies in Selangor
In this forum, which was moderated by Datuk Beatrice, the panel comprising :
Dr. Fahmi Ngah – Deputy Programme
Director, SMART Selangor Delivery Unit
Prof. Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim –
Professor of Environmental Engineering,
UCSI University
Mohammed Ridza Abdullah –
Managing Partner of Mohd Ridza & Co
Ajman Kassim – Chief Operating
Officer, SIRIM Technology Venture, discussed how Selangor State can be a hub for emerging technologies. This was the second forum under the Selangor Synergies banner.
Sustainable Synergies in Selangor
In the third Selangor Synergies forum, Datuk Beatrice moderated a panel comprising :
Faizal Othman – Chief Executive Officer, Indah Water Konsortium
Ramli Mohd Tahir – Managing Director, KDEB Waste Management
Lee Ming Enn – Head of Physical Landscape & Sustainability System Analytics, Sime Darby Plantations
Zamri Abdul Rahman – General Manager of Environment, Worldwide Holdings, in which opportunities for Selangor to be a smart and sustainable state were discussed.
Smart Living for Smart People
In the fourth Selangor Synergies forum, Datuk Beatrice moderated a discussion by :
Zannifa Azura Ahmad – Chief Financial Officer of MBI Selangor
Stuart J. V. Pack – Chief Executive Officer of Medical Opinion Asia
Dr. Mohd. Syaifudin Abdul Rahman – Deputy Director of Engineering at MARDI
Dr. Elizabeth Lee – Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group, on how smart technology will help enhance living standards in Selangor thus enhancing its attractiveness to investors.
Connecting the Dots
The creation of infrastructure that will help enhance physical and digital connectivity in Selangor, thus making it more viable for investors, was the topic under discussion in the fifth Selangor Synergies forum which Datuk Beatrice moderated. Panellists were :
Dato’ Mahmud Abbas – Managing Director of Central Spectrum
Dato’ Azman Shah Mohd Yusof – Chief Executive Officer of Northport
Dato’ Mohammad Azlan Abdullah – Group Chief Executive Officer of Prolintas
Puteri Mariana Abdul Majid – Chief Executive Officer of Mutiara Teknologi.
Digital Infrastructure
In the sixth Selangor Synergies forum, Datuk Beatrice moderated a discussion on how Selangor is building a strong ICT foundation which will ensure ultra-highspeed connectivity, boost digital security and create an IT-savvy population. Panellists included :
Mohd Suhaimi Mohd Tahir – Managing Director of SmartSel
Ir. Megat Jalaluddin – the Chief Retail Officer of Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Alan Fung – the Chief Executive Officer of PIKOM Malaysia
Dinesh Nair – the Executive Director of Alphaque Inc.
Selangor Maritime Gateway
Datuk Beatrice moderated a panel discussion on how the Selangor Maritime Gateway project will revitalise the Klang River and its surrounding areas in line with Selangor’s aspirations to be a premier Smart State. Panellists were :
Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam – Group Managing Director of Westports Holdings
Datuk Mahmud Abbas – CEO of Knowledge Economic City in Madinah
Syaiful Azmen – Managing Director of Landasan Lumayan
Sara Hedin – the Trade Commissioner of Sweden and the CEO of Business Sweden.
Malaysian Urban Forum – W2W From Waste to Wealth
Datuk Beatrice moderated the session From Waste to Wealth, which discussed the issues on how to best manage waste in Malaysia and turn it into things of value, at the Malaysian Urban Forum 2019. Panellists included :
H.E Karin Mossenlechner – Ambassador of the Netherlands to Malaysia
Prof. Mahendhiran Nair – CEO of Monash
Malaysia R&D
Era Natasha – Impact Manager of Impact Hub
Kuala Lumpur
Tracey Wardhaugh – Social Media Campaign Manager at Malaysian Food Bank The Lost
Food Project
Rashvin Pal Singh – Co-Founder of the
Biji-Biji Initiative
Lee Lih Shyan – Director of Solid
Waste Management
The Art of Retailing
With Datuk Beatrice Nirmala in the moderator’s chair, a panel comprising :
Yvonne Khoo – Business Director of ObTech Asia Pacific
Nelson Kwok – Secretary-General of the Malaysian Retailer Chain Association
Thomas Halliday – Head of Consumer Products & Retail for SAP Asia Pacific
Andrew Ma – Regional Brand Manager for IBM Asia Pacific
Andrew Brien – CEO of Suria KLCC
Niels Strokirch – CFO of Valiram Group, discussed the challenges faced by the retail industry and the solutions to those issues.
As a Speaker
Women in Leadership Forum, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 2012
As a woman business leader, Datuk Beatrice was invited to the give a keynote address on
the topic “Women Inspire Other Women” at the Women in Leadership Forum which was held on February 2012 in Kuala Lumpur.
Datuk Beatrice’s speech was eagerly listened to by an audience of her fellow women leaders in the Asia-Pacific including :
Tan Sri Siti Sa’diah – Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare Berhad
Sung Joo Kim – Chairperson and Founder of Sung Joo D&D
Eva Cheng – Chairperson of Amway (China)
Fiona Gordon – Group Chairperson of Ogilvy
& Mather Singapore
Umran Beba – President of PepsiCo Asia-Pacific, among others.
The Road To Self-Empowerment
Tapping into her experience as an entrepreneur and employer, Datuk Beatrice gave a talk on self-empowerment to over 600 employees of The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in an online talk on Webex. During the talk, which was divided into two sessions, she spoke on topics such as:
• Finding one’s authenticity
• Understanding and removing self limiting beliefs
• How to perform at one’s optimal best
• Trusting instincts to always get ahead in life
• Getting out of comfort zones to ask for and get what you seek
• Overcoming fear to be free and so much more
Keladi Kanmaani – The Role of Mothers in Shaping Successful and Inspiring Women Achievers
As a successful Malaysian Indian woman entrepreneur, Datuk Beatrice is seen as a role model in her community, and she is often called to give talks aimed at inspiring other Malaysian Indian women to venture into business. One such event was Keladi Kanmaani, organised by the Socio-Economic Transformation and Innovation Association (SETIA, in which Datuk Beatrice shared her experiences in juggling being an entrepreneur, a business owner and a mother to an audience of 1,000 Malaysian Indian women.
Asia Pacific University – Managing Millennials in Today’s Workplace
One of the most common complaints by
employers today is that the attitude and
aspirations of Millennials joining the workforce
are seemingly out of line with the expectations of employers. Being a company owner and employer with more than 20 years of experience, Datuk Beatrice was invited by Asia Pacific University to give a talk to their graduating students so that they can be better prepared for the working world.
Communications Make-Over
Drawing on her years of experience in the communications field and driven by her passion for teaching and mentoring, Datuk Beatrice created a course that taught the importance of making a good impression in the working world through proper presentation and grooming, and delivered it to students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
PR Newswire – Media Coffee Event
The Malaysia office of world leading press release distributor PR Newswire invited Datuk Beatrice to speak at their annual Media Coffee event in Kuala Lumpur where she shared insights on how organisations can best maximise positive publicity to an audience comprising senior managers of corporations and business owners.
Anggun Residences Talk
Datuk Beatrice gave a talk entitled Daring to Do Anything at an event organised by UDA Holdings for owners and would be buyers of their Anggun Residences project in Kuala Lumpur.
V’Buzz Interview
Datuk Beatrice Nirmala was interviewed for
V’Buzz – an evening talk show on ASTRO
Vinmeen HD channel – about her success
as an entrepreneur who created a leading
media and communications powerhouse.
International Women’s Day
High-Tea Talk
In line with International Women’s Day,
Datuk Beatrice was invited to speak on entrepreneurship at an event organised by
the Indian High Commission in Malaysia.
BERNAMA Tamil News Interview
Datuk Beatrice was interviewed by BERNAMA Tamil News about how Malaysia is best positioned to be the Gateway to ASEAN. BERNAMA is the Malaysian national news agency
Entrepreneurial Talk at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
In recognition of her achievements as an entrepreneur, Datuk Beatrice was invited to give a talk on entrepreneurship to students of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). UMK is the leading public university with a focus on entrepreneurship in Malaysia. During her talk, Datuk Beatrice highlighted her journey as a business founder and leader, the challenges she faced and how she overcame them.
Talk to MBA Students from Staffordshire University
Datuk Beatrice Nirmala gave a talk to Staffordshire University MBA students from Sri Lanka in a session organised by the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), where she spoke on her journey as an entrepreneur. The talk was also covered by Sunday Times of Sri Lanka – the country’s leading weekly newspaper.
As a Panelist
APEC Women Entrepreneurship Summit, Gifu, Japan
Datuk Beatrice participated in a panel discussion on Engendering Entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific Region at the APEC Women Entrepreneurship Summit in Gifu, Japan in October 2010, along with :
Amanda Ellis – Deputy Secretary, International Development Group, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ginger Lew – Senior Counselor, U.S. White House National Economic Council
Noriko Tojo – Managing Director, Corporate Development, Otsuka Holdings, Datuk Beatrice was the only Southeast Asian woman invited to be a panellist at the Forum, and her experience in business explored ways to encourage more women in the region to be entrepreneurial.
Publicis One Forum,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Under Datuk Beatrice’s leadership, The IBR Asia Group has developed into a highly respected media and communications organisation. As such, Publicis Groupe – the third largest communications group in the world – invited her to share her views on how media can deal with disruptive trends and technologies to an audience comprising Publicis decision makers in the Asia Pacific. Also in the
panel were :
Tai Kam Leong – Head of Marketing at Maxis Malaysia
Andrew Gnananantham – Chief Marketing Officer of Lazada Malaysia
Javed Jafri – Head of Media at Unilever Malaysia.
Southeast Asia Business Summit 2018
Organised by 2iB Partners and I-Deals Network, the Southeast Asia Business Summit gathered distinguished ASEAN business leaders in Singapore to discuss strategies of doing business in the region. Datuk Beatrice was the only woman and Malaysian invited to be a panellist at the summit, where she spoke at the session on Scaling Up and Internationalisation in Southeast Asia. Also in the panel were:
Richard Eu – Chairman of Eu Yan Sang International
Arthur Tay – CEO of SUTL Enterprise
Lawrence Yip – Chief Marketing Officer of Sembcorp.
Promoting Work-life Balance for Women’s Economic Empowerment
in the Context of ASEAN
Integration 2016
Datuk Beatrice participated as a panellist in a breakout session titled “Of Women, Entrepreneurs and Communities” at the forum on Promoting Work-Life Balance for Women’s Economic Empowerment. In her talk, Datuk Beatrice shared her experience of balancing the demands of both home and work, and her secrets of success, which are to have a positive attitude and confidence as well as being willing to work hard and having a high personal standard of work.
Siemens Malaysia – Breaking the Mould : Challenging Typical Gender Stereotypes, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
In line with International Women’s Day, Siemens Malaysia invited Datuk Beatrice to take part in a panel discussion on Challenging Typical Gender Stereotypes. Recalling her own experiences, Datuk Beatrice spoke passionately about the importance of women rising up and finding success without having to resort to quotas or other forms of aid, so as to break the stereotype that women need extra privileges to be successful.
Fourth National Export Conference
In recognition of her role as an entrepreneur and successful small business owner, Datuk Beatrice was invited to be a panelist at the Fourth National Export Conference, which was held at Hotel Istana Kuala, and which discussed opportunities in an integrated ASEAN market.
Nordic Day Delegates Meeting
Dato’ Beatrice Nirmala, CEO of The IBR Asia Group, speaking on green growth and sustainability during the Nordic Day Seminar Panel Discussion at JW Marriott Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 11 April. Also in the discussion were (from left to right) :
Mr Imran Ahmad – Director of Khazanah Nasional (moderator)
Mr Brian May – Managing Director of Tetra Pak for Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines
Ms Minna Vilkuna – Vice President, APAC Market Development at BMH Technology
Dr. Isabelle Louis – Deputy Regional Director at the UN Environment Asia Pacific Office
Dato’ Dr. Ooi Kee Beng – Executive Director of Penang Institute.
Malaysian Urban Forum 2021
Datuk Beatrice spoke on the need to enhance liveability in cities through reducing pollution by encouraging electric vehicles, creating walking and cycling paths, building waste-to-energy facilities, and developing affordable homes in satellite cities, as well as forming an ASEAN-wide dialogue to tackle the issues of urbanisation. She said this as a panellist at the High-Level Dialogue on Pathway for Inclusive Growth and Resilient Economy Recovery during the Malaysian Urban Forum (MUF) 2021,
which also included:
Dato’ Suriani Dato’ Ahmad – Secretary General, Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC)
Datuk Seri Hj. Hasnol Zam Zam Bin Hj. Ahmad
– Secretary General, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Girish Ramachandran – Executive Director, 27 Advisory Sdn Bhd
Distinguished Professor Pervaiz K Ahmed – Director, Institute for Global Strategy and Competitiveness, Sunway University
Marc Forni – World Bank Urban Specialist (Moderator)
LIVE TALK SHOW
LIMA 2023 | Malaysia Minister of Transport Welcomes the World to LIMA 2023
YB Tuan Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Minister of Transport
LIMA 2023 | Randy Wright – Managing Director of RW Events | Message to Visitors at LIMA 2023
Randy Wright
Managing Director of RW Events
H.E. Dave Malcomson
High Commissioner of South African to Malaysia
H.E. Dave Malcomson, High Commissioner of South African to Malaysia | The Diplomat
International Business Review ASEAN Awards – Meet the Winner Sunview Group Berhad
Charlie Chow
CEO of Sunview Group Berhad
Strengthening the Capacity of Malaysian Businesses
Dato’ Low Kian Chuan
President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM)
Other Accomplishments
Media Appreciation from CyberSecurity Malaysia
Datuk Beatrice received an award from Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Panglima Mohamed Azumi Mohamed – Chairman of CyberSecurity Malaysia – in recognition of International Business Review
dedicated coverage of IT security matters.
Astana Finance Days
Datuk Beatrice was invited by the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Malaysia, to attend the Astana Finance Days conference where she interviewed
various dignitaries from the Kazakh government as well as international delegates.
Mrs Malaysia World 2007
Datuk Beatrice also won the Mrs Malaysia World 2007 pageant and went on to compete at the Mrs World Pageant in Sochi, Russia along with 30 other international participants from Russia to the US to Israel to South America.
Keeping Fit and Fab
An avid sportsperson, Datuk Beatrice knows that being in the peak of her health is important for both her professional and personal life. She has hiked Mt Rinjani, one of the most difficult volcanic mountains in Indonesia with a height of 4000m, competes in Spartan races, and does regular strength training to keep fit.
The PASSIONS Royal Charity Ball
A firm believer in giving back to society and building on the relationships she formed at the Mrs World Pageant, Datuk Beatrice brought
12 fellow beauty queens back to Malaysia to participate in the PASSIONS Royal Charity Ball which she organised
for the IJN Foundation with The Sultanah of Pahang as the patron.
