Vice President
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.
Management Committee Member
Steven Liew joined Airbnb in September 2021 as its Director of Public Policy for APAC.
He has close to 3 decades of experience in technology and intellectual property rights laws and policies working at Baker & McKenzie, Nokia, Louis Vuitton, eBay and APCO Worldwide.
In 2016, Steven co-founded a startup investment and advisory firm, Cosmic Cafe. Steven is a graduate of National University of Singapore Law Faculty. In his spare time, Steven is an avid yogi and enjoys reading.
Treasurer
Tony has worked for Amadeus for over 13 years, based variously in Bangkok, Madrid, and Boston. He is now Vice President and Head of Legal, Asia Pacific, based in Bangkok, and his role includes leading Amadeus’s industry affairs efforts in the region. In addition to his regional responsibilities, Tony leads a global legal team supporting Amadeus’s airline distribution business unit.
Previous to Amadeus Tony worked in Japan for several years in private practice primarily with clients in the manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors, and he has several years of experience in his native California working in general civil litigation.
He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.) and the University of San Francisco (J.D.)
Secretary
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.
PRESIDENT
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.
Management Committee Member
Kelly Kolb joined Travelport as Vice President for Government Affairs and Industry Affairs in May 2016. In this role, she is responsible for leading Travelport’s global government affairs activities, while working closely with the company’s business units on developing strategic initiatives.
Prior to her tenure at Travelport, Kolb was Vice President of Government Affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). At RILA, she was the lead lobbyist and media spokesperson on issues related to labor and employment, supply chain security, customs, and transportation. She was also active in various advocacy coalitions, including chairing the lobbying committee of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.
Kolb also served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, a position she held after working as the Deputy Assistant Secretary within the same office. In this position, she served as the secretary’s primary advisor for all governmental matters and was responsible for developing and advancing the department’s governmental affairs strategy.
Before joining the Department of Transportation in 2005, Kolb worked on Capitol Hill. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
