Implications of the Coronavirus for Myanmar - What is the likely economic impact?

Hans Anand Beck is a macro-economist with 20 years of experience working on Economic Development issues. He is currently the World Bank Lead economist for Myanmar. Before this he held several positions at the World Bank, including Senior Country Economist for Indonesia and advisor to the United Kingdom Executive Director to the World bank and IMF, through the Global Financial Crisis. He has also worked as a country economist for the UK Department for International Development, in countries such as Vietnam, Pakistan and the Congo (DRC).

Hans started his career as a Fellow with the UK’s Overseas Development Institute and took his under- and post graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Cyrus Pun started his career working in the export industry in China and worked for Hutchison Port Holdings’ South China Commercial Division before joining Yoma Group. Cyrus joined the Group in 2007 to develop a mixed-used real estate project in Dalian, China.

Prior to Cyrus’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Memories Group Limited, he was an Executive Director of Yoma Strategic and headed its Real Estate business from 2012 to 2018. During this time, he led the Group’s several developments including some of Myanmar’s largest and most prominent projects. Cyrus was also responsible for bringing in international partners and investors for these projects. His last venture at Yoma Strategic was to initiate the Company’s expansion into the affordable housing segment. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Yoma Strategic. Cyrus was educated in the UK and received a degree in Economics in 2003 from the London School of Economics.

Thompson Chau has been with The Myanmar Times since 2016 and is currently its digital editor and deputy business editor. He is responsible for the paper’s economic and business coverage and assumes overall responsibility for the digital department. He has written extensively on the policy reforms under Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as the changes in the investment landscape, corporate governance and economic institutions. His bylines have also appeared in the Nikkei Asian Review and Asia Times.

Thompson is a director of the Myanmar-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has an MA in Modern History and Philosophy from Scotland’s University of St Andrews.