Human Resources Working Group
Neil Carmichael has over thirty years' experience in the energy industry. Starting in Shell as a petroleum engineer, he migrated to business development and country chair roles. After positions in Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan, he left the IOC in 2010 & became CEO of Pacific Green Technologies group, an emissions controls & environmental engineering company; in 2019 he moved from CEO to a board director position. He is also involved in several other startups, including a charity, the Fair Trade Software Foundation. His academic background is in mathematics, BSc (Edinburgh) and PhD (Warwick). He is married with two children, and is an increasingly keen cyclist.
Contact: [email protected]
Chief Representative
Standard Chartered Bank (Myanmar Representative Office)
Patrick became the Chief Representative of Standard Chartered Bank (Myanmar Representative office) effective 23 October 2017. He has been in Banking & Finance career since 2008; joined the Standard Chartered Bank in 2011, and has since held positions in Group Risk Information and Retail Banking credit risk in regional headquarter office of Singapore.
Previously, he oversees the Credit Risk and Operational Risk management for both Corporate & Institution and Retail Banking segments. His experience in both Corporate and Retail Banking brings innovative solutions and great value adds to the clients in Emerging markets.
A Burmese national, Patrick was a member of the project team which supported Standard Chartered Bank -Myanmar Representative Office opening in 2013, and has keen interest in the developments of Myanmar.
In 2014, he received an ‘exceptional outstanding award’ of Retail Banking Risk in Standard Chartered Bank.
A self-motivated individual, he started his own businesses before joining the Bank. We believe that his entrepreneurial spirit and drive to contribute to the long-term growth of Myanmar would help in the building of the Bank’s business in the country.
On22 December 2021, Patrick joined the British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar (BCCM)board.
Patrick holds a Bachelor degree in Finance from the Edith Cowan University (Perth, Australia), and a Master degree in International Political Economy (IPE) from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), which is currently the QS world ranking #13 university.
Contact: [email protected]
Kenneth is the Group General Counsel of Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd. since July 2022 and leads the Yoma group’s legal and compliance functions. He first joined the Yoma group in September 2014 before leaving in April 2020 to join global law firm Baker McKenzie‘s Myanmar practice as its resident partner, where he advised on M&A, general corporate law and Myanmar related regulatory and compliance matters. Kenneth also spent some time in Baker McKenzie’s Singapore office where he worked on various cross-border transactions in emerging markets.
Kenneth graduated from the University of Manchester, UK with a Bachelor of Laws in 2004. He attained a barrister-at-law qualification from Lincoln’s Inn and was admitted to practise as an advocate & solicitor in West Malaysia and Singapore. Kenneth recently obtained an executive Master of Laws (Financial Law & Regulation) with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
Catherine Smith is Chair of the Professional Women’s Network (under the Chamber) and has been an active board member of the Chamber for more than 4 years. She has lived in Myanmar for more than 7 years, where she has established several successful startups, in business services and tourism, acted as advisor on market entry to overseas companies, and consulted to foreign and local businesses on tourism, marketing, property and consumer services.
Catherine is currently running her own business – Pragma Ventures – which is focused on reviving sericulture in Myanmar. Pragma works with, and trains farmers in Chin State to support mulberry planting for silk production, and then develops hand-woven product for local sale and export (www.pochisilk.com). Catherine is passionate about female empowerment in her business - Pragma runs regular training programs with farmers and weavers to encourage farming communities to amplify the voice of women in daily life, and elevate them to leadership roles.
She has 25 plus years working in Hong Kong, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Scandinavia and Russia working for, among others, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros; and has experience across a range of business sectors. She holds a degree in French & Italian from studies at the universities of Leicester, Bordeaux and Pisa, and a business diploma from London Business School.
Contact: [email protected]
Ralph’s background is in Finance and Project Development. He worked for Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Investment Banks in London before joining Energize Myanmar, a Singapore registered IPP developing Hydro and Natural Gas fired power stations. His role at Energize Myanmar focuses on funding, partner selection, negotiations and commercial contracting. Ralph has been based in Yangon since 2014.
Contact: [email protected]
Josh Set Paing Htet is a senior associate at Allen & Overy. After studying and qualifying as a lawyer in the UK, he joined Allen & Overy London to work in their project financing team for four years. He then moved back to Myanmar with Allen & Overy in 2016 to advise the firm’s global clients in their M&A and financing transactions in Myanmar.
Contact - [email protected]
Energy Working Group
The Energy Working Group aims to share best practice and drive standards in the industry, bringing in expertise from the UK to support the industry. The Working Group also represents a mix of environmental and natural resources interests. The Group works with the Myanmar Business Forum and other Chambers to share practical solutions to challenges facing the industry and improve the business environment in Myanmar.
The Group meets a minimum of quarterly and discusses Myanmar, regional and global trends and issues. Members are a mix of IPPs, PSA owners, and service providers to the industry (geological, legal, finance, technical). Members of the group include BG Group, Ophir, Energize Myanmar and Parami Energy.
If you are interested in joining the Energy Working Group, please register your interest here and you will be added to the mailing list, to be notified of upcoming meetings and events.
Neil Carmichael has over thirty years' experience in the energy industry. Starting in Shell as a petroleum engineer, he migrated to business development and country chair roles. After positions in Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan, he left the IOC in 2010 & became CEO of Pacific Green Technologies group, an emissions controls & environmental engineering company; in 2019 he moved from CEO to a board director position. He is also involved in several other startups, including a charity, the Fair Trade Software Foundation. His academic background is in mathematics, BSc (Edinburgh) and PhD (Warwick). He is married with two children, and is an increasingly keen cyclist.
Contact: [email protected]
Ralph’s background is in Finance and Project Development. He worked for Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Investment Banks in London before joining Energize Myanmar, a Singapore registered IPP developing Hydro and Natural Gas fired power stations. His role at Energize Myanmar focuses on funding, partner selection, negotiations and commercial contracting. Ralph has been based in Yangon since 2014.
Contact: [email protected]
Financial Services Working Group
The Financial Services Working Group (FSWG) aims to play an active role in the growth and development of Myanmar by connecting the policy makers, regulators and investors in all areas of Financial Services. The FSWG comprises of senior executives working in the financial sector, who come together to share their experiences and analysis, to recommend positive changes and to deliver informative and insightful events to all Members.
If you are interested in joining the Financial Services Working Group, please register your interest here and you will be added to the mailing list, to be notified of upcoming meetings and events.
Chief Representative
Standard Chartered Bank (Myanmar Representative Office)
Patrick became the Chief Representative of Standard Chartered Bank (Myanmar Representative office) effective 23 October 2017. He has been in Banking & Finance career since 2008; joined the Standard Chartered Bank in 2011, and has since held positions in Group Risk Information and Retail Banking credit risk in regional headquarter office of Singapore.
Previously, he oversees the Credit Risk and Operational Risk management for both Corporate & Institution and Retail Banking segments. His experience in both Corporate and Retail Banking brings innovative solutions and great value adds to the clients in Emerging markets.
A Burmese national, Patrick was a member of the project team which supported Standard Chartered Bank -Myanmar Representative Office opening in 2013, and has keen interest in the developments of Myanmar.
In 2014, he received an ‘exceptional outstanding award’ of Retail Banking Risk in Standard Chartered Bank.
A self-motivated individual, he started his own businesses before joining the Bank. We believe that his entrepreneurial spirit and drive to contribute to the long-term growth of Myanmar would help in the building of the Bank’s business in the country.
On22 December 2021, Patrick joined the British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar (BCCM)board.
Patrick holds a Bachelor degree in Finance from the Edith Cowan University (Perth, Australia), and a Master degree in International Political Economy (IPE) from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), which is currently the QS world ranking #13 university.
Contact: [email protected]
Legal Working Group
The Legal Working Group brings together local and international law firms and in-house counsel practicing in Myanmar to discuss topical legal issues and share information. Membership is open to interested law firms that are members of the Chamber and in-house counsel at member companies.
If you are interested in joining the Legal Working Group, please register your interest here and you will be added to the mailing list, to be notified of upcoming meetings and events.
Kenneth is the Group General Counsel of Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd. since July 2022 and leads the Yoma group’s legal and compliance functions. He first joined the Yoma group in September 2014 before leaving in April 2020 to join global law firm Baker McKenzie‘s Myanmar practice as its resident partner, where he advised on M&A, general corporate law and Myanmar related regulatory and compliance matters. Kenneth also spent some time in Baker McKenzie’s Singapore office where he worked on various cross-border transactions in emerging markets.
Kenneth graduated from the University of Manchester, UK with a Bachelor of Laws in 2004. He attained a barrister-at-law qualification from Lincoln’s Inn and was admitted to practise as an advocate & solicitor in West Malaysia and Singapore. Kenneth recently obtained an executive Master of Laws (Financial Law & Regulation) with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
Josh Set Paing Htet is a senior associate at Allen & Overy. After studying and qualifying as a lawyer in the UK, he joined Allen & Overy London to work in their project financing team for four years. He then moved back to Myanmar with Allen & Overy in 2016 to advise the firm’s global clients in their M&A and financing transactions in Myanmar.
Contact - [email protected]
Professional Women's Network
The Professional Women's Network provides a platform for Women’s Voices in the Myanmar Business Community. Our objectives focus on:
- Building effective and supportive business networks
- Professional skill and personal development
- Exchanging ideas, knowledge and experience
PWN events are designed for senior management female executives working in professional environments.
PWN was first launched in March 2014 through an initiative of the British Embassy; it is now managed by the Secretariat of the British Chamber of Commerce.
Catherine Smith is Chair of the Professional Women’s Network (under the Chamber) and has been an active board member of the Chamber for more than 4 years. She has lived in Myanmar for more than 7 years, where she has established several successful startups, in business services and tourism, acted as advisor on market entry to overseas companies, and consulted to foreign and local businesses on tourism, marketing, property and consumer services.
Catherine is currently running her own business – Pragma Ventures – which is focused on reviving sericulture in Myanmar. Pragma works with, and trains farmers in Chin State to support mulberry planting for silk production, and then develops hand-woven product for local sale and export (www.pochisilk.com). Catherine is passionate about female empowerment in her business - Pragma runs regular training programs with farmers and weavers to encourage farming communities to amplify the voice of women in daily life, and elevate them to leadership roles.
She has 25 plus years working in Hong Kong, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Scandinavia and Russia working for, among others, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros; and has experience across a range of business sectors. She holds a degree in French & Italian from studies at the universities of Leicester, Bordeaux and Pisa, and a business diploma from London Business School.
Contact: [email protected]