Sustainability & Innovation in Agritech & Biotech for Food Security

SPEAKERS’ PROFILENAZRIN HASSAN is the Chief Executive Officer of the Cradle Fund Sdn. Bhd. which was formed to manage CradleInvestment Programme. Cradle Investment Programme (CIP) was formed with RM100million allocated by the Ministryof Finance (MOF) in June 2003 to fill up the pre-seed and seed funding gap for high technology ventures. His previousworking experiences include Executive Director of TeAM (March – October 2007); Deputy CEO and Director of SmartConvergence Sdn Bhd, a company that specialised in set top box technologies; Head of the Structuring team and laterActing Head and Strategy and Policy Advisor for Cradle Investment Programme (CIP); Zamet DotCom Sdn. Bhd; ZARGroup and the CIMB.DR GURMIT SINGH is an Agricultural Scientist and Agronomist by training. He obtained his Ph.D. in Agriculture fromMassey University, New Zealand in 1977 and started his career with the United Plantations Berhad as Assistant ResearchOfficer and served the company in numerous positions before being appointed Director of Research in 1997, a positionthat he held until his retirement in December 2009. Dr Gurmit has published many scientific papers and technicalreports on oil palm, coconuts, cocoa and bananas, and has, over the years, served as a Member of several technicalcommittees related to agriculture. His professional affiliations include being Member of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board(MPOB) Programme Advisory Committee which reviews and advises on MPOB’s R&D activities. From November 2000to October 2002, he served as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology at the UniversitiPutra Malaysia (UPM). Dr Gurmit is currently the Agronomical Services Consultant with the IBG Bio Ventures Berhad.In 2008, he was bestowed with the Fellowship of the Incorporated Society of Planters (FISP).ZAM BINTI AB. KARIM is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Melaka Biotechnology Corporation, a Melaka stategovernment-linked agency responsible for the development of Biotechnology sector for Melaka since June of 2009. Sheobtained her B. Agriculture Science degree from the University of Malaya (1976) majoring in Botany and traditionalherbs and her M. Sc. in Entomology from the University of Idaho, USA. (1984). She had served as an AgricultureOfficer with the Department of Agriculture (1976-1994), where she had made major contributions to the agriculturesector both in the food crop production as well as the oil palm sub-sector in the field of plant protection and cropmanagement. In her capacity as the CEO of Melaka Biotechnology Cor[poration, she is also appointed as the ManagingDirector of Melaka Biotech Holdings Sdn. Bhd., the business arm of the Corporation and the Director of MelakaInstitute of Biotechnology which is involved in research activities in biotechnology covering agrobiotechnology, food,microbiology, Chemistry/phytochemistry, aquaculture, tissue culture and toxicology. The agency is also involved inBiotechnopreneur development programme through commercialisation of research outputs. Through this program, twospin–off companies had been established and other potential projects are being nurtured besides formation of jointventuresand partnerships with other companies.MAHDI MOHD ARIFFIN is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Coordination & Development), SME Corporation Berhad.After serving the Accountant-General’s Department in 1986, he began his career with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) inApril 1987 and has held numerous key appointments in various departments within BNM and external organisationsincluding Cagamas Berhad and ERF Sdn. Bhd. Prior to his secondment to SMIDEC, Encik Mahdi served as Director,DFI Supervision Department, BNM overseeing the supervision of development financial institutions and informationsystems of institutions under the purview of BNM. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Accountancy from theSouth Australian Institute of Technology, Adelaide (now known as University of South Australia. He is a CharteredAccountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants since November 1989 and has represented BNM on the MalaysianAccounting Standards Board from 2006 to 2008; Financial Reporting Foundation in 2009 and Small Debt ResolutionCommittee since 2004.