PRESIDENT
Choo Pin ANG is Expedia Group’s Senior Director for Government and Corporate Affairs for Asia. In this role, he spearheads the Group’s Asia governmental affairs and public policy strategy across its portfolio of brands such as Expedia, Hotels.com, and Homeaway. Through the engagement of public and quasi-public stakeholders in the region, Choo Pin helps the Group manage regulatory and business risks, forge partnerships with governments, and identify business opportunities.
Choo Pin has also helped shape the debate surrounding travel, tech and e-commerce in Asia. He is chairperson of both the Asia Internet Coalition (https://www.aicasia.org) and the US-ASEAN Business Council Travel and Tourism Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Asia Travel Tech Industry Association. He has also provided regular training to senior Southeast Asian government officials on e-commerce under the Third Country Training Program jointly organized by the US and Singapore governments.
Choo Pin has extensive experience in political and economic issues across Asia. He previously headed the China operations of a New-York based investment advisory firm conducting political and reputational risk analysis for a clientele of PE funds and SWFs, before joining Standard Chartered Bank as its Head of Public Affairs. Before that, he served as a diplomat in Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs covering International Organizations, Middle East, and Northeast Asia, where he was Singapore’s Deputy Consul-General to Shanghai. Choo Pin has a BA degree from Tufts University and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, both obtained through the Government of Singapore’s prestigious Overseas Merit Scholarship. He speaks English, Chinese, German, and Spanish.
VICE PRESIDENT
Mike is veteran of Airbnb’s Asia Pacific leadership team, and is currently responsible for engagement with government and community leaders across the region. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as General Manager for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan where he led Airbnb’s business and operations.
Before joining Airbnb, Mike led Google’s public policy efforts for emerging markets in Asia. He was previously at the US-ASEAN Business Council in Washington D.C, and he represented leading US investors in Southeast Asia on complex trade and investment issues across a variety of industries. Mike grew up in Kuala Lumpur and is a graduate of Stanford University.
TREASURER
Daniel Gelfer is Director of Global Government Affairs at Agoda, one of the world’s fastest growing online travel companies. Daniel is passionate about the intersection of technology and public policy in Asia-Pacific. Based in Bangkok, Daniel and his team oversee Government Affairs across the world. Agoda is deeply committed to working with governments and communities to foster expansive and sustainable growth in the tourism and technology sectors.
Prior to Agoda, Daniel was Vice President, International Public Policy & Government Relations for Go-Jek. Previously, Daniel was Head of Strategic Relations, Public Policy APAC with Google, based in Hong Kong. Before that, he was Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Southeast Asia for Visa. Daniel holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University.
SECRETARY
Kees Jan joined Booking.com in September 2018 and heads-up the Public Affairs efforts in Asia-Pacific from the regional headquarters in Singapore.
Prior to joining Booking.com, Kees Jan worked with FTI Consulting from 2014 to 2018 in Singapore, executing communications and engagement strategies for clients managing regulatory and reputational challenges.
Before moving to Asia, Kees Jan worked in Brussels at a Public Affairs agency where he advised multinational corporations from various sectors.
