CompTIA Community - ASEAN

Shane Han

MSP Senior Channel Sales APJ, Sophos

Shane Han is a recognized expert in product internationalisation and routes-to-market in the APJ region. With close to a decade of regional IT channel experience, Han has worked with some of the top telcos, ISVs, MSPs and GSIs in the world, carrying and exceeding targets of over USD 100 million. Serving as the executive council leader of CompTIA ASEAN Community allows Han to dedicate his strength to empowering and enabling more IT partners within the ASEAN community.

Michael Tea

Asia Regional Snr Partnership Manager, Microsoft

Michael Tea facilitates the seamless expansion of global vendors into new APAC markets. With over a decade of expertise in regional distribution and channel partnerships, he serves as a trusted advisor for cloud distribution channels, B2B e-commerce and strategic partnerships, consistently steering successful strategies for distribution. Specializing in guiding global cloud, ISV and cybersecurity vendors, Tea has helped several companies launch operations into diverse APAC markets.

Alex Anketell

Sales Engineer, Barracuda

Alexander Anketell is a seasoned IT and cybersecurity professional with over a decade of working with and supporting MSPs. He has had diverse roles and responsibilities, including systems engineering, data centre operations, secure network design, project management, process optimisation and leadership.

Anketell currently works with Barracuda as a sales engineer, helping MSPs achieve cybersecurity outcomes for their customers, and he is excited to bring his knowledge and experiences to help form an inclusive, open, supportive and secure CompTIA Community in the ASEAN region.

Jin Chong

Founder and Managing Director, 7-Network Pte Ltd.

Jin Chong has 30 years of experience in the Asian IT ecosystem and has worked with some of the largest companies in the world, including Murex, Philip Morris, Fuji Xerox, Aspen Insurance UK, Euromonitor International and McDonald’s Asia Pacific. Chong’s accomplishments include:

• Founding JET Workflow, a codeless app-based solution for enterprise workflow processes that places in-house development within the reach of SMEs and helps MNCs who are looking to develop beta-tested proof-of-concept solutions prior to farming them out to developers.
• Pioneering the concept of marrying Design Thinking, Fail Fast and DevOps with the aim of helping organisations shorten their software development life cycle. This reduces the cost of digital transformation and gets them to market faster.
• Being recognized as an acknowledged figure in the Singapore IT landscape. Along with representatives from Network Associates, Symantec and Trend Micro, he has contributed research on spyware to Computer World and has commented publicly on mobile app issues to local publications, such as The Business Times and Lianhe Zaobao.

Keith Choy

Partner & Alliance Director, ASEANGC, Couchbase

With over 20 years of experience in the ICT industry, Keith Choy champions teamwork and believes that people define success. His daily responsibilities include providing guidance, enabling and empowering his colleagues to drive value to his distributors, partners and customers while maintaining the focus on executing the strategies, accountability and visions of the organisation.

Choy loves technology, and his known forte lies in strategic and analytical business thinking, as well as execution.

Lawrence Chua

Associate Director, FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore

Lawrence Chua currently serves as the associate director at FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore. He is responsible for leading and managing the FUJIFILM Business Innovation suite of services and solutions portfolio, which includes orchestrating a compelling go-to-market strategy and positioning of new solutions and services. As part of his functional role as the business unit head, Chua is also responsible for the tactical activities required for product growth and management, achieving a win-win relationship with stakeholders.

With a BSc in computing from the University of Portsmouth and a diploma in electronics, computer and communications engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, Chua also holds certifications such as ITIL V3 Foundation, MCSE, CCNA, CompTIA A+ and more.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Chua actively contributes to industry associations and receives accolades such as EXSA Silver Award for Business Service Excellence. Chua is an active co-op member of the Singapore Enterprise Chapter (SEC) within SGTech and holds an executive council position in the CompTIA ASEAN Community, emphasizing his commitment to collaborative industry efforts and technological advancements. Additionally, he is an Associate Member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID).

Lee Eng Hai

CEO, Smarter Computer SDN BhD

Lee Eng Hai is the CEO of Smarter Computer SDN BhD. In addition, he is chairman of Gravitas Business Park, a member of Vistage Malaysia, and a Penang Achievers member of Business Network International (BNI). He has been recognized by several organizations for his achievements, including: Asia Pacific Keris Award 2016, Honesty Enterprise Award; FMA Award 2017 Golden Globe Rising Star Award; and International Entrepreneurs Business Conference 2018, Excellent Enterprise Award, and has been conferred by Britishpedia and published in the 'Successful People in Malaysia' encyclopedia. He is the former director of Penange Green Council; former national vice president of Persatuan Usahawan Maju Malaysia (PUMM); former Penang State chairman of PUMM; and former Penang Achievers chapter president of BNI; and former organizing chairman of ASEAN Retail Chain & Franchise Federation.

Shaun Lee

Director Infrastructure & Managed Services, Nanyang Tech Pte Ltd

Shaun Lee is a seasoned professional specializing in IT infrastructure consultancy and managed services, with over two decades of experience in information systems. Throughout his career, Lee has demonstrated exceptional leadership by establishing and overseeing entire IT managed services business units, architecting IT service offerings, and providing strategic guidance to his teams. Lee’s day-to-day responsibilities include shaping the strategic direction of his team and managing a cadre of highly skilled IT managers and specialists. Leveraging his extensive experience and technical proficiency, Lee ensures the seamless implementation and management of his clients’ IT systems guaranteeing optimal functionality at all times.

Lee’s expertise extends to IT infrastructure design and deployment, where he has made significant contributions to numerous organizations, aiding them in establishing and optimizing their IT environments for proactive asset management. With an intuitive understanding of the intersection between IT and unique business requirements, Lee identifies tailored IT solutions that align with clients' needs and contribute to their overall IT roadmap for business expansion.

In addition, Lee has demonstrated proficiency in vendor management and fostering collaborative partnerships. Recognizing the importance of a robust vendor ecosystem, Shaun has actively overseen and optimized relationships with key technology vendors and strategic partners. He has a proven track record of negotiating favourable terms, ensuring cost-effectiveness, and enhancing service delivery through strategic collaborations. Furthermore, Shaun places a premium on collaboration with technology partners. He understands the value of synergistic relationships and actively engages with partners to explore innovative solutions that can be integrated into profitable service offerings.

Hitan Mehta

Co-Founder (Asia), Acuutech

Hitan Mehta is an information technology professional with over 20 years of experience in the Asia Pacific, Europe and America—with both client and vendor sides. Mehta has experience in both business and technology and is focused on delivering service and value to his clients globally through the use of technology—be it on-premises, cloud or hybrid. He has worked with companies in their early stages of start-ups, educational institutions and globally spread-out multinational companies.

Hari Tharmakumar

Director – Head of ASEAN Channel Partners APAC, Global Partner Solutions, Microsoft Asia Pacific

Hari Tharmakumar is the head of channel partners for ASEAN covering both distribution and local device maker channels. Tharmakumar joined Microsoft APAC in April 2020. Previously, he was the head of channel for Toshiba Australia and New Zealand leading both the solutions and managed services business. With more than 20 years of sales and IT channel management experience, Tharmakumar works hand-in-hand with channel partners ranging in defining, developing and executing the partner Sales for Southeast Asia. In his current role at Microsoft, he is responsible for sales and growth of Microsoft’s edge-to-cloud adoption including the hybrid growth strategy within Southeast Asia. He does this by driving growth through the partner ecosystem to delight every customer through vibrant local partner solutions and enabling both partners and resellers to transform their business models with solutions. By bringing simplicity to the channel, Tharmakumar’s commitment to Microsoft partners is to effectively leverage Microsoft’s innovation to help solve their clients’ challenges across lines of business and industry.

Jim Wagstaff

Co-Founder, Noodle Factory

Dr. Jim Wagstaff lives in Singapore and is the co-founder of Noodle Factory, an AI-powered teaching and learning platform. He is also the co-founder of Jam Factory and a founding board member of Up 2 Speed–companies that focus on corporate training.

Dr. Wagstaff began his career at Dell Technologies, Brocade Communications and Hewlett Packard Enterprise in various customer-facing, general management and executive roles. Most recently, he was the vice president and general manager of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s data storage business unit in the APJ region.

Over the years, Dr. Wagstaff has had the opportunity to live, work and manage businesses in various parts of the world, including North America, Europe, China, India and Southeast Asia.

Dr. Wagstaff earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Liverpool. His ongoing research focuses on how organisations harness the power of digital capabilities to better serve customers, students and users. He has also earned his post-doctoral diploma in academic practice from the University of Liverpool in coordination with the Fellowship for Higher Education in the UK, where his ongoing work includes action research concerning the use of generative AI in teaching and learning.