Chavalit Tsao, also known as Fred in his network, is the fourth generation steward of a family conglomerate which started in The Shanghai Bund before 1906. Fred joined his family business at the age of twenty after he graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Science in Engineering. Fred’s early business successes include starting up a highly profitable palm oil business in Thailand and turning around a bankrupt Thai national shipping line and successfully listing it. In 1995, at the age of thirty-seven, Fred took over as Chairman of IMC Group. Under his stewardship, the traditional shipping company transformed into a multi-national conglomerate with diverse business interests.

Today, IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group has interests in four strategic business areas:
1. IMC Industrial, an integrated industrial supply chain group which covers resources, ports, logistics, shipping, offshore engineering, shipyards and other services;
2. Octave, a sustainable living lifestyle and real estate group; a platform of curated well-being to help people find clarity, harmony and a new level of consciousness and freedom;
3. Aitia Institute, a learning institute dedicated to shifting consciousness of leadership and organizations in pursuit of sustainability. It is focused on mindfulness as a sustainable process to build harmonious society;
4. Heritas Capital Management, an investment and fund management group.

Octave’s concept is the manifestation of numerous years of Fred’s research and contemplation. Octave is a unique blend of eastern wisdom and western sciences. It is a place that responds to our societal need for healing in all relationships and the fostering of a harmonious community. Octave is a platform and an opportunity for anyone seeking to expand their possibilities.

As one of the originators of the concept of sustainable value, Chris Laszlo, PhD, reframes sustainability as a business opportunity, turning environmental and social risks into drivers of innovation, greater employee engagement, and a new, inimitable source of competitive advantage. Laszlo is the author of five books, including Flourishing Enterprise: The New Spirit of Business (2014), Embedded Sustainability: The Next Big Competitive Advantage (2011), and Sustainable Value: How the World's Leading Companies are Doing Well by Doing Good (2008), all from Stanford University Press. An earlier book, The Sustainable Company (2003), was published by Island Press. He has numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the general editor of The Business of Sustainability, the second volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability (2010). Professionally, Laszlo was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Management. His book Flourishing Enterprise was chosen as one of the top sustainability books by Sustainable Brands. In 2012 he was selected by his peers to be a “Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior” by Trust Across America™.

Laszlo received his doctorate with distinction in economics and management science from the University of Paris. He holds Masters Degrees in economics and international affairs from Columbia University and a BA in economics with honors from Swarthmore College.

Sook Yee Tai has been with the IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group since 2007, heading up various functions and business groups. Since qualifying as a professional certified accountant, Sook Yee has spent more than 30 years in practice, consulting, corporate, governance and business leadership, including serving as director on Australian listed entities. In the IMC Group, she was the Group Managing Director of the Industrial Business Group, which employs more than 10,000 employees with offices across 16 countries. Prior to joining the IMC Group, Sook Yee spent more than 15 years in the heavy building materials industry, her last position being Country Director for CEMEX Malaysia.

Having served two family businesses and operated in multi-cultural, male dominated, large businesses, Sook Yee understands and appreciates the relational dynamics and the need to be true, respectful, inclusive and engaging. She believes that to be a true leader in her life, there is no cookie cutter and she needs to lead by serving from her heart and to keep learning. Sook Yee is now part of a larger team, under the flagship Aitia Institute, working to journey with family businesses and enterprises to support and transform their leadership and practices, so they can evolve to support sustainability.