Business, Human Rights and Environment [In-Person Workshop]

Roberto is the Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Malaysia, a Global Network partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Roberto strives is to assist businesses accelerate the transition to a sustainable world by offering tools, methodologies and training to support the embedment of sustainability into corporate strategy and operations. With over twenty years’ experience, Roberto’s career includes several senior general management positions with both fortune-500 companies and start-ups, in countries such as Italy, UK, Spain. His main skills include international relations and business facilitation, strategic business planning, general management, marketing and business development. Roberto holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Italy and an MA in Marketing from Lincoln University, UK. Roberto is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Malaya, Asia Europe Institute Malaysia working on a research project on business sustainability.

Savita is a Master’s graduate in the field of International Relations from the University of Nottingham and she received her Bachelor’s in Communications from Taylor’s University, Malaysia. She has worked as a research assistant at the University of Nottingham on a project entitled ‘Enhancement of Manufacturing and Oil Palm Third-Party Audits Compliance and Due Diligence with Certification Bodies and Industry Players in Malaysia.’ Combining her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Savita uses videos, narratives, and essays to create awareness about human rights issues such as migration & forced labour, refugee protection, and HIV/AIDS. She also works with lawmakers, civil society organisations, and human rights activists to lobby for policy changes.

Edmund has been in legal practice for more than 23 years and is the co-founder of AmerBON, Advocates. He is a specialist counsel who regularly appears in the superior courts in Malaysia to represent individuals and companies on a wide range of commercial, civil and human rights cases. Appointed by the Malaysian Government in 2016, he was formerly the Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Then, one aspect of his work was to promote the adoption and operationalisation of the ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework’ by States and corporations. He has been advising clients specifically on business and human rights matters for more than ten years now. His clients include global and regional trade associations, non-profits, labour rights organisations, trade unions and multinational companies. Edmund was previously a six-time elected member of the Malaysian Bar Council and taught ‘Business and Human Rights’ to Masters students at the University of Malaya. He is currently working on a book publication on human rights compliance for SMEs in the environment and labour areas.

Edmund has been in legal practice for more than 23 years and is the co-founder of AmerBON, Advocates. He is a specialist counsel who regularly appears in the superior courts in Malaysia to represent individuals and companies on a wide range of commercial, civil and human rights cases. Appointed by the Malaysian Government in 2016, he was formerly the Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Then, one aspect of his work was to promote the adoption and operationalisation of the ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework’ by States and corporations. He has been advising clients specifically on business and human rights matters for more than ten years now. His clients include global and regional trade associations, non-profits, labour rights organisations, trade unions and multinational companies. Edmund was previously a six-time elected member of the Malaysian Bar Council and taught ‘Business and Human Rights’ to Masters students at the University of Malaya. He is currently working on a book publication on human rights compliance for SMEs in the environment and labour areas.

Arulkumar Singaraveloo comes with over 21 years of progressive HR experience in a world-leading semiconductor organisation, world biggest nitrile glove manufacturer, oil & gas, education & training and transportation technology. He graduated with a bachelor’s in engineering (UTM) and subsequently obtained an MBA from Strathclyde University, Scotland. Arul has taken on roles as HR General Manager at Hartalega Holdings Berhad and Human Resources Director (Business Consulting Services) at Infineon prior to this. A Business HR Leader who is well acquainted to achieving business goals by ensuring all HR deliverables are aligned and delivered. Arul is familiar with business operations including regulatory works of general business operations in Malaysia. In HR, he has deep experience in business partnering, recruitment, training and development and employee relations (IR/ER), talent management, and performance management with good exposure in compensation & benefits Management. Arul has had experience setting up an HR team from the ground up. He has led the labour and social compliance framework and has development developed management systematics on social compliance. He has led large HR teams and a workforce exceeding 9,000 employees during his career. Arul has had his share of experience in turning around an ailing college as well as advising small and medium businesses in overcoming business challenges from a human resource point of view. Apart from that, Arul has had his hands in two tech startups in the transport and human resource field. He has developed numerous HR tools and processes aimed at achieving highest level of productivity and efficiency. Arul is a speaker, trainer and facilitator and has delivered numerous trainings in human resource areas namely industrial relations, HR operations, recruitment strategies, operational excellence and others. He is known for his practicality in managing human resources and industrial relations issues at workplace by employing reasonable and logical yet practical solutions to today’s business needs and introduced numerous tactical strategies to build a high-performance HR team. Arul is also the co-founder of Malaysia HR Forum, a fast-growing HR platform in Malaysia that has over 13,000 members that provides learning opportunities to HR practitioners and business leaders. Together with industry peers, Arul has also co-founded the Social Compliance Malaysia chapter with some 450 industry practitioners.

Roberto is the Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Malaysia, a Global Network partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Roberto strives is to assist businesses accelerate the transition to a sustainable world by offering tools, methodologies and training to support the embedment of sustainability into corporate strategy and operations. With over twenty years’ experience, Roberto’s career includes several senior general management positions with both fortune-500 companies and start-ups, in countries such as Italy, UK, Spain. His main skills include international relations and business facilitation, strategic business planning, general management, marketing and business development. Roberto holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Italy and an MA in Marketing from Lincoln University, UK. Roberto is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Malaya, Asia Europe Institute Malaysia working on a research project on business sustainability.