Czarif Chai Abdullah

Senior Director, Business Advisory & Support Division

SME Corp. Malaysia

Chai obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Putra Business School, UPM Malaysia specialisation in Corporate Governance with MAICSA Graduateship (The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators). He is also qualified with a Mechanical Engineering bachelor's degree (Hons) from Universiti Putra Malaysia and gained operating experience while working for private companies involved in metal products manufacturing, construction, engineering projects, and building facilities maintenance.

At SME Corp since 2006, he is directly involved in diverse financial and technological support development programmes for Malaysian SMEs from various levels. He is also the winner of the Chairman's Award that led to admission at the prestigious Stanford Business School to complete the Leading Change and Organisational Renewal Program (LCOR). Awarded the Best Business Counsellor and Best Business Counsellor Trainer by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also enable Chai to be appointed as the Head Business Counsellor providing effective advisory to help nurture competitive, innovative and resilient SMEs in Malaysia.

Previously in Business Development & Entrepreneurship Division, Chai oversees the business linkages between SMEs and large corporations in targeted sectors such as Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Medical Devices, Rail System. Human Capital Development, Business Matching, Market Access and Internationalisation are being performed to enhanced Malaysian businesses.

Currently, as the Senior Director of Business Advisory & Support Division, Chai is responsible for the business improvement activities such as Capability & Capacity Building, Technology Collaboration/Transfer and Alternative Financing and Investment Capitalisation. Operation efficiency and administration processes are some of the key deliverables performed routinely with integrity and the best business ethics.

Ko Chuan Zhen

Group Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

Plus Xnergy Holding Sdn Bhd

As Group CEO and co-founder, Ko Chuan Zhen sets the group's direction and strategy, ensuring that they are executed with a focus on satisfactory results. Combined with leadership, passion and in-depth knowledge in clean energy, his contributions have driven Plus Xnergy Group to become an industry leader and motivate a passionate and reliable team determined to achieve the company's mission and vision. Ko was awarded Ernst and Young's Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2019, recognised in 2021 Prestige Malaysia's 40 Under 40 and listed in 2021 Asia's Most Influential and Gen. T List 2020 for the category of "Engineering, Manufacturing and Energy," both lists by Tatler Asia that recognises 400 young entrepreneur leaders who are shaping Asia's future.

Masliza Zainal Abidin

Head of Marketing

Syarikat Jaminan Pembiayaan Perniagaan (SJPP)

Masliza is leading the market collaboration and awareness activities for the government guarantee schemes managed by SJPP. She has 20 years of working experience in multinational companies and the government sector in roles such as strategic consulting, financial analysis, and project management. Currently, Masliza and her team work closely with SJPP's partnering financial institutions to bring awareness of the government guarantee schemes to the SME community. 

Raj Tatavarty

Managing Director, Head of Business Banking

Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad

Raj Tatavarty (Raj) has more than 20 years of work experience spanning across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa regions. As an SME expert, for the most part of his career, Raj has been involved with the Small and Medium enterprises segment in various capacities ranging from designing strategy, overseeing the business, launching new products, managing credit & the operational risk to heading the overall SME business. 

He has been with Standard Chartered Bank for more than 15 years and has worked with SMEs across continents in India, Bahrain, Africa, and Singapore. He currently heads the Business Banking division at Standard Chartered Malaysia Berhad. 

A Chartered Accountant from India and Management Graduate from INSEAD, Raj closely follows the latest developments in the fast-changing banking and fintech landscape. Especially in the small business space, he is leading some of the initiatives that make banking for SMEs simple and accessible. He also participates in financial literacy sessions with SMEs from time to time.