Executive Certificate in Carbon Markets

Daniel is Associate Professor (Practice) in Carbon Markets at the Nanyang Business School. Before transitioning to academia full-time, he spent close to 18 years in industry where he undertook a variety of roles across the Energy and Decarbonization value chains, including Commodity Trading, Acquisitions & Divestments, and Capital Project Delivery. Previous adjunct teaching appointments include Shell's in-house Advanced Negotiation Program; Integrated Gas Agreements Course; and leading the delivery of its Natural Gas Course. He has lived and worked in the UK and Singapore whilst leading negotiations/projects in various jurisdictions such as Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan and Thailand. Within the context of Carbon Markets, he first began work in 2009 by establishing Shell's Carbon Trading desk in Singapore for compliance markets in Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, he moved upstream and led several initiatives to establish nature-based carbon projects in South-East Asia, primarily focused on forest conservation. Subsequently in 2021, as part of the management team, he helped to setup Climate Impact X, a Singapore-based voluntary carbon markets exchange focused on serving corporate clients globally, where he led the successful delivery of a landmark auction program for blue carbon. His current teaching focus areas include both the topics of Climate Risk and Carbon Markets, which he delivers at the Undergraduate, Post-Graduate and Executive Education levels respectively.

Professor “Vish” Viswanathan obtained a Ph.D. in Operations Research with minor in Operations Management from Case Western Reserve University in 1992, MBA (Gold Medalist) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1986, and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1984. He has been a faculty member at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore for 32 years. He has taught previously at Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University in Texas. Currently, he is Professor of Operations & Corporate Sustainability at Nanyang Business School. He also serves as the Director of the Centre for Business Sustainability, and as Cluster Director of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). He has previously served as Associate Dean (Research), Head of the academic Division of Information Technology & Operations Management (ITOM), Director of the PhD Program, Program, Director of MBA specialization in Technology & Operations and Program Director of MDP@Nanyang. Prior to entering academia, Vish worked as an Operations Auditor and as an IT Software Specialist. Vish was a member of the team responsible for the curriculum design and redesign of the full-time MBA into a one-year MBA program. As Head of ITOM, he was involved in developing the initial curriculum for the MSc (Technology Management) segment of the Renaissance Engineering Program. He was the founding Program Director of the NTU-Waseda double MBA program and was involved in developing the curriculum for the NTU-Waseda double MBA and the MBA (Technology & Operations) specialization. He was also involved in developing the curriculum for the Management Development Program @ NTU, as its Founding Program Director. He also recently championed the program design for the MBA (Sustainability & Innovation) Track. In addition, as Program Director, he has been recently involved in designing the curriculum for several in-company executive programs on Climate and Sustainability and for the NTU Executive MSc in Sustainability Management. Vish’s teaching interests are in Corporate Sustainability, Decarbonization, Circular Economy, and Operations. He currently teaches in the EMSc, MBA, EMBA, PMBA, Nanyang Fellows MBA, and in many open and in-company custom Executive Programs. His research interests are in Corporate Sustainability, Energy Modelling, Life Cycle Analysis, Business Model Innovation, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Systems, Urban Mobility, Optimization, and Scheduling. His research has been published in Financial Times and BusinessWeek ranked top tier Business journals such as Management Science, Operations Research, Production & Operations Management, and Journal of Operations Management, and other top journals in the field. He is serving or has served as Senior Editor, Editorial Board Member, or Associate Editor in top journals such as Decision Sciences, Production & Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, IEEE Transactions in Automation Science & Engineering, and International Journal of Production Research. He has made several appearances in Who’s who in the World, Who’s Who in Asia, Who’s Who in Finance and Industry and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering lists. He was selected for the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was awarded the prestigious Nanyang Award for Research Excellence in 2010.

Adam Switzer holds concurrent positions as Professor of Coastal Science at the Asian School of the Environment; Assistant Dean (Development) at the College of Science; Director of CIFAL Singapore and Principal Investigator at the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS). He is a broadly trained coastal geoscientist and the overarching driver of his research is to apply interdisciplinary geoscience to solve contemporary coastal problems at local, regional and international scales. His main research areas investigate catastrophic marine inundation events (tsunami or large storms), sea level changes, the evolution of coral reefs and tropical coastal systems. After obtaining a BSc and PhD in Geosciences from the University of Wollongong, Australia he accepted an Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong fellowship to study at The University of Hong Kong where he held positions as Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Assistant Professor. Adam is an internationally recognised expert in coastal science. In the field of coastal hazards Adam has pioneered the study of storm and tsunami deposits with studies in Australia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia. Here, he focuses on the use of geophysical techniques like Ground Penetrating Radar and the sedimentary study of sand and boulders deposited by extreme events. His Quaternary geology work focuses on the coastal evolution of tropical coastal systems in Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and China where he uses geological techniques to reconstruct past environmental change and investigate the role of sea level change, climate variability and human influence on the evolution of tropical and sub-tropical coastal systems. His work on coral reefs and tropical coasts focuses on coral records of environmental change including the study of past ocean changes, pollutants, storm and tsunami events and heavy metal sedimentation. His research program at the Earth Observatory of Singapore aims to facilitate the development of safer and more sustainable communities in Asia. His research currently involves collaborations with people from ten Asian nations. In 2022 he was awarded the Wing Ip medal by the Asia Oceania Geoscience Society for unselfish co-operation and leadership in Geoscience in the Asia Oceania region. Adam he has been PI or Co-I on 20 grants in Singapore (worth >$18M) and he has authorship on >120 peer-review publications. He was a founding editorial board member of the journal Communications Earth and Environment from Nature. Adam is also passionate about science communication and has appeared in documentaries for Mediacorp (Singapore), Curiosity Channel (Discovery) and BBC (UK) and delivered invited talks a numerous international venues including the World Economic Forum.

Perrine is an Assistant Professor at NTU’s Asian School of the Environment. Her research group examines how green infrastructure can contribute to creating resilient and inclusive cities in Southeast Asia. Prior to joining NTU, Perrine was a senior scientist at Stanford University with the Natural Capital Project, a global partnership aiming to integrate the benefits provided by nature into major societal decisions. There, she led the Livable Cities program, an initiative aiming to understand and elevate the role of nature in urban environments. Prior to her research on natural capital, Perrine has worked as an environmental engineer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and conducted her PhD research in the field of integrated urban water management. She holds a PhD from Monash University, Australia, and a Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering from Ecole Centrale Nantes, France.

Alvin Lee Regional Head, APAC, Puro.earth Alvin Lee is Regional Head for APAC at Puro.earth, the world’s leading crediting platform for engineered carbon removal. He is responsible for leading the company’s regional engagement with developers of negative emissions technology projects which are aligned to methodologies within Puro Standard, as well as engaging with corporations which are active in voluntary carbon markets and stakeholders including financial institutions, exchanges, and regulators. Prior to joining Puro.earth, Mr. Lee served as Head of Southeast Asia Coverage at MSCI, and at IHS Markit, now part of S&P Global, where he worked with governments and exchanges on their ESG disclosure regimes and carbon credit registries. He started his career in JPMorgan’s Risk Management Advisory team and is the author of the CorporateMetrics Technical Document. Mr. Lee received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Engineering from Stanford University. He is now based in Singapore with Puro.earth, a partner company of Nasdaq, and is a member of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

Alvin Lim is a carbon markets specialist and former Head of Asia Environmental Products at Morgan Stanley where he leads the development of the environmental products franchise. Prior to this, he was the Vice President in the Enterprise Strategy team at GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund), where he supported GIC’s Sustainable Investing initiatives, developed frameworks to integrate sustainability practices in the investment process, and authored several white papers on the role of carbon markets for asset owners. Alvin is a member of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) Expert Advisory Group. He also contributed to the Singapore Government Emerging Stronger Taskforce Sustainability working group that recommended the establishment of a carbon trading and services hub in Singapore. He holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the National University of Singapore. Alvin is a CFA and CMT charter holder, and a SASB FSA credential holder.

Aruna Pradipta Chief Commercial and Operating Officer, Fairatmos Aruna Pradipta is part of the Founding Team at Fairatmos, where he currently serves as the Chief Commercial and Operating Officer, overseeing the company's business and operational activities across Southeast Asia. Aruna previously spent 5 years with Systemiq, working with private companies and governments to incubate nature-positive business in the tropical belt. He has successfully grown Fairatmos' carbon project portfolio, assessing more than 25 million Ha of forest areas across Southeast Asia and developing carbon projects that will generate over 4 million carbon credits per annum. Aruna is also part of the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Market (AACM), supporting stakeholders across Southeast Asia to develop a framework for high quality and high integrity carbon markets.

Björn Fondén International Policy Advisor, IETA Björn is the International Policy Advisor at IETA, based in Singapore. Bringing a wealth of experience from previous positions as a Climate Change Specialist at the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok; as a Climate Strategy Consultant at Grant Thornton, and a Climate Finance Advisor at the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Björn has lived and worked across six countries, with a particular focus on Asia. He holds a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and Business Administration, and a Master’s Degree in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs. His research focused on the role of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in raising NDC ambition. At IETA, Björn is leading work on policy development across Asia and the Pacific, as well as the advancement of international markets under Article 6. He is a focal point for the Private Sector WG of the Article 6 Implementation Partnership and participates closely in the international UNFCCC negotiations. He is also supporting the Business Partnership for Market Implementation (B-PMI) which aims to build capacity on carbon markets and design considerations in emerging economies.

Duncan van Bergen Co-founder, Calyx Global Duncan co-founded carbon credit ratings company Calyx Global with his business partner Donna Lee in 2021. They help businesses find and choose higher quality carbon credits, avoid risk and generate more impact for the planet and people. The Calyx Global Platform provides rigorous, independent, and evidence-based carbon credit ratings, research, and insights. Before this, Duncan started up a nature-based solutions business in 2017 and led its growth into one of the top players in the global voluntary carbon markets. He has over 20 years of experience in business development, executive leadership, strategy, and policy in energy and policy. Duncan holds an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Leuven (Belgium), as well as an MBA from Solvay Business School (Belgium) and Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar.

Edmund is a Vice President in the Strategy and Development Group (Policy & Analytics) at GenZero where he drives market analysis and strategy formulation for the company’s activities in carbon markets, energy transition, and industrial decarbonisation. Before GenZero, he was Head of Asia Fundamentals (Gas/LNG) at FGE, an energy consultancy firm. Edmund led the natural gas and LNG research coverage and was primarily responsible for supply, demand, and price forecasting. He also supported commercial consulting engagements on contracting strategies, portfolio optimisation, and market entry. Edmund graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics). He is a CFA charterholder and a certified ERP.

Kevin Milla Senior Manager, Zevero Kevin Milla specialises in business growth through climate and carbon management. With a career in environmental research and consulting, he has expertise in life-cycle assessment (LCA), greenhouse gas accounting, reporting, and target-setting for diverse sustainability projects. His clients include NGOs, educational institutions, MNCs, and SMEs, particularly in maritime, retail, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries. Kevin’s strategic advice has helped these organisations implement effective decarbonisation strategies. He currently leads product carbon footprint and life cycle assessment services at Zevero. Kevin has enhanced his skills through practical application of benchmarks like the ISO 14000-series, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the SBTi, and the GRI. He holds a master’s in environmental engineering, having researched waste management and air emissions in Asia. Previously, he worked on sanitation, water-saving, public health campaigns, and community development in South Asia and Africa.

Nicholas Tan Group Head of Markets & Investor Services, Clifford Capital Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, Bayfront Infrastructure Management Nicholas is responsible for managing all bank and institutional client relationships across the Clifford Capital Group and the overall performance of the Bayfront platform. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Structuring & Distribution of Bayfront, who was responsible for structuring and distribution activities, as well as operational oversight across a wide range of activities, including financial and management reporting, budgeting, liquidity management, stakeholders’ management, development and execution of strategic initiatives. Prior to that, he was a Senior Director in Corporate Strategy at Clifford Capital, where he led the structuring, execution and management of the inaugural project and infrastructure loans take-out facility and issuance by BIC I in July 2018, as well as the Clifford Capital Group reorganisation and capital raise. Before joining Clifford Capital in December 2016, he was with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, covering the energy, infrastructure, power and utilities sectors for the investment banking division, where he led in origination and execution of debt and equity capital markets and M&A transactions for South East Asia. He was previously in investment banking with Standard Chartered Bank, covering the Asia mining and metals sector. He holds a Bachelor of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Management (Summa Cum Laude) from the Singapore Management University.

Rene Velasquez Managing Partner, Valitera Rene is a distinguished expert in carbon markets, renowned for his ability to deliver incisive insights and guidance within the complex environmental commodities sector. His extensive international experience includes leadership roles at First Climate and Xpansiv, giving him a global perspective from his work across Sydney, New York, Berlin, and Singapore. This background has afforded Rene a deep understanding of the intricacies of the carbon market worldwide. Currently, as Managing Partner at Valitera, Rene leads a firm that specializes in bespokeadvisory services and trading solutions, to support clients on their journey to net zero. Before founding Valitera, he was instrumental in shaping the market infrastructure as Head of Global Carbon Markets at CBL, part of Xpansiv. There, he initiated the first standardized carbon contracts—GEO, N-GEO, and C-GEO—on CBL's spot market and CME Futures and played a crucial role in forming the Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) in partnership with IATA to centralize airline compliance with CORSIA. Rene continues to influence the industry through the Carbon Exposure Project podcast, engaging with pioneers who are defining the future of carbon markets.

Rueban Manokara Global Lead, Carbon Finance and Markets Taskforce, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Rueban Manokara oversees the policy development and implementation efforts related to carbon finance within WWF’s networks. Rueban also serves as a Technical Advisory Body member of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, the carbon reduction programme administered by the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation. Rueban previously served in the National Climate Change Secretariat in the Strategy Group, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore as Singapore’s lead negotiator for Article 6 at the UNFCCC and coordinated the development of Singapore’s carbon market policy. Rueban has a Master in Law from the University of Oxford

Sandeep Roy Choudhury Co-Founder & Director, Value Network Ventures (VNV) Sandeep leads Value Network Ventures (VNV), a social enterprise working in carbon finance and adaptation with frontline communities for the last 17 years. He oversees VNVs programs on coastal restoration, sustainable agriculture, waste management, social forestry and rural energy access. VNV’s work encompasses over 7 million rural households and 5 million hectares of smallholder held land in 18+ countries, across Asia, Middle East, and Africa. With over 20 years of industry experience, he advises both the private and public sectors on numerous aspects of decarbonization, value chain based interventions, and climate adaptation at scale. Sandeep is also the co-founder at ‘Carbon Initiative Forum’, a non- profit working on climate policy awareness for the youth, in addition to being the co-founder of a Blue Carbon revolving fund called "Mangroves. Now". Under VNV’s banner, he has pioneered a joint venture based in the Central Asian landscape called "The Silk Road Project" ,and more recently launched a climate change impact fund to invest in start?ups related to climate solutions. He serves on the board of various organizations such as IETA (International Emissions Trading Association), BBF (Bangladesh Bondhu Foundation), POD (Planting on Demand), EPC (Environment Protection Centre), and Spring Health Water Pvt. Ltd along with being on the executive board of the Centre for Governance and Ethics (CEGET) of the UN global compact. He also serves on the expert advisory group for VCМІ and as a working group member with ICVCM. He holds a degree in Electronics and is a Salzburg global fellow.