The Team

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    Ian Gibbons OBE

    Chief Executive Officer

    Ian was appointed CEO of the UK-ASEAN Business Council in September 2020. Before taking up this position, he had held a variety of roles across government including British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Deputy Consul General and Director of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in Dubai, Deputy Director of UKTI India, Senior Private Secretary to the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) Secretaries of State (Alistair Darling, Alan Johnson and Patricia Hewitt) and Director of Business Development with the MWW Group in New York working in public relations. Before this, he spent 4.5 years in New York as head of Invest UK’s Regional Inward Investment Team (the British Government’s agency responsible for attracting inward investment from the United States to the UK).

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    Ben Raby

    Chief Operating Officer

    Ben was appointed COO of the UK-ASEAN Business Council in October 2023. He joined UKABC following a 23-year career with the Department for Business and Trade. This period included roles as Regional Director for Exports and Investment in the South East of England, overseas postings as Deputy Director for Trade & Investment in Thailand and Deputy Head of China Financial Services based in Shanghai, as well as export promotion and export policy roles in the UK.

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    Allen Lai

    Director - ASEAN & Corporate Affairs

    Based in Brunei, Allen drives the UKABC’s engagement with the region. He also curates the council’s corporate programmes, both in the UK and in Southeast Asia.

    Allen has almost 20 years of experience working on geopolitical trade-related platforms in Asia. Before joining UKABC, he was involved in the planning, development, and execution of the APEC CEO Summit, Asia Pacific’s largest business event.

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    Clarissa Winata

    Associate Director for ASEAN

    Clarissa is UKABC's Associate Director for ASEAN. Appointed in June 2026 after joining the Council in 2024, she is based in Asia while retaining her London responsibilities — leading UKABC's flagship programmes, including the UK-ASEAN Business Forum, and the Council's partner engagement across London and Southeast Asia.

    She engages senior business executives, ASEAN government officials and ministers, the UK Mission to ASEAN, and British Embassies and High Commissions across the region — including around the ASEAN Economic Ministers' meetings.

    Born in Indonesia, she graduated from Newcastle University and previously worked with the Indonesian Embassy in London.

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    Daniel Walder

    Manager - Marketing

    Daniel is a marketing professional with a background in international marketing and economics, and a particular interest in the fast-growing economies of Southeast Asia. He is especially interested in the digital transformation of industries across ASEAN markets and how businesses can harness emerging technologies to support growth and engagement.

    Daniel brings hands-on experience in planning and delivering digital marketing campaigns across a range of sectors, gained through both agency and in-house roles. His work combines strategic thinking with practical execution, helping organisations strengthen their brand presence and connect more effectively with their audiences.

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Group of five people in business attire standing in front of a sign that reads "UK-ASEAN Business Forum 2026" at a conference or event.