Fintech Association of Malaysia appoints Karen Puah as president for 2021/22 term

• First woman to hold president post among fintech associations in SEA
• Aggressive future plans, with initiatives anchoring on five core elements

The Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM), a key enabler and national platform for the facilitation of Malaysia’s journey to becoming a leading hub for Financial Technology (Fintech) innovation and investment in the region, hosted its fourth Annual Grand Meeting (AGM) which was held virtually on 30 April 2021.

The AGM was attended by its outgoing committee members from the 2019/2020 term and representatives from esteemed member organisations. The AGM was convened with the purpose of reviewing the progress achieved by the Association thus far, the Covid-19 related challenges faced by the industry, strategising the way forward for the further development of Malaysia’s fintech industry and most importantly, announcing the new line-up of committee members who will be helming FAOM for the 2020/2021 term.

In a decision that shattered glass ceilings, Karen S. Puah, the outgoing Vice-President of FAOM for the 2019/2020 term has been elected as the new president of the Association. Karen, who ran uncontested, will be the first woman to helm the position of president among the national fintech associations throughout ASEAN.

The newly minted president will be joined by an experienced executive committee of fintech experts namely:

• Wilson Beh, representative of Polisea Sdn Bhd as Vice President
• Jonathan Lim, representative of Zaid Ibrahim & Co as Secretary
• Calvin Foo of Peoplelender Sdn Bhd as Treasurer; and six committee members, namely:
• Teoh Ze Han, representative of FWD Technology and Innovation Malaysia Sdn Bhd
• Aminnurllah Mustapa, representative of AAM Commodities Sdn Bhd
• Henry Chong, representative of Fusang Malaysia Sdn Bhd
• Wong Sue Wan, representative of Wong & Partners
• Naoto Nomura, representative of AEON Credit Service (M) Bhd
• Matthew Fernandez, representative of microLEAP Sdn Bhd

The AGM unveiled the Association’s ambitious growth plans for the future, with its initiatives anchoring on the five core-elements of FAOM, namely; Talent, which involves the reskilling and upskilling Malaysians as well as introducing new skills which satisfy fintech’s future needs; Technology, which focuses on improving the relevance of FAOM and strengthening Intellectual Property practices; Narrative, to improve the marketing and branding efforts of FOAM; Funding, and FAOM’s Governance, Risk and Compliance pillar.

Puah, said after the meeting: “We have come a long way since our inception in 2017, and that’s owed to the dedication of the past presidents and committees. I’m honoured to receive the torch from our outgoing president, Ridzuan Aziz and hope to carry the vision that he, and the committee holds for FAOM.” Puah also shared her mission to see more women participation in the fintech sector. “I hope that with my appointment, and through FAOM’s future initiatives, we get to see more women stepping up and increasing participation in the fintech startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

FAOM can be reached here.