Notable Business Leaders of the Year

IIrriiss L, Managing Director, Tempur Singapore
IIrriiss L: Shaping Premium Sleep Experiences across Asia

Asia has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic growth hubs, driven by rapid urbanization, rising consumer aspirations, technological advancement, and expanding middle-class economies. From manufacturing and healthcare to lifestyle and wellness, the region is producing a new generation of leaders who are not only accelerating business growth but also redefining how companies create value for consumers.
These leaders are increasingly focused on innovation, purpose, and building globally competitive brands with strong local relevance. Iris L, Managing Director of Tempur Singapore is one such inspiring figure whose leadership reflects the evolving priorities of Asia’s consumer-driven markets. Her professional journey began with roles that provided a strong grounding in brand building, retail execution, and customer engagement.

Visionary Leaders Navigating Business through Market Uncertainty
By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor
Running a business today isn't about having every contingency mapped out in advance; it's about staying level-headed, making sound calls, and giving people something clear to follow when conditions keep shifting.

The Key to Successful International Joint Ventures: Empathy
By: Yoonjae Shin, CEO, iShopping
In Southeast Asia’s fast-evolving business landscape, international joint ventures (JVs) have become one of the most common strategies for companies seeking growth in new markets.

How Fintech Leaders Balance Innovation, Trust and Scale: CEO Q&A

By: Tee Kean Kang, CEO, Paydibs

As Southeast Asia’s digital economy continues to expand, fintech companies face growing pressure to scale efficiently while meeting the evolving needs of businesses and consumers. For Paydibs, success lies not only in driving innovation.

Why Zero Trust is the Non-Negotiable Standard for Responsible Innovation

By: Goran Risticevic, VP and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Cloudflare

As organizations embrace cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, and hybrid work models, the boundaries of the traditional enterprise have rapidly disappeared.

How to Build Agile, High-Trust Teams in Fast-Moving Industries

By: Bernard Corraya, GM-Indian Subcontinent, Wego.com

Leadership today is shaped by agility, empowerment, trust, adaptability, and customer-centric thinking, especially in fast-moving industries like travel and startups.

Establishing a Data Lake in the Age of GenAI: A Guide

By: Spencer Kimball, Co-founder & CEO, Cockroach Labs

Despite progress in data technology, many organizations continue to face challenges in accessing outdated mainframe information.

Notable Business Leaders of the Year - 2026

What makes an effective leader? Effective leaders don't get fixated on the fire in front of them, they're already thinking about where today's changes will leave the business months or years from now. That means being ready to change direction, take on risk that's been carefully weighed rather than avoided altogether, and occasionally make hard calls before every variable is known.

It's a bit like sailing: a good captain doesn't wait for the storm to fully reveal itself before adjusting the sails. They read the shifting wind and course-correct early, accepting some risk in the moment to avoid a much bigger problem later. But leadership isn't really about strategy in isolation, instead it's about people.

When the ground feels unsteady, employees take their cues from how their leaders communicate. They need honesty, consistency, and a sense that someone steady is at the helm. Leaders who actually listen, stay reachable rather than distant, and challenge their teams to think in new ways end up with organizations that flex and adapt instead of freezing up when change hits.

Notable Business Leaders of the Year - 2026

Company Management	Company Name	Company Description
Ahmed Alashwal, Chief Financial Officer	Alawaly Real Estate	The scale of modern developments, increasingly sophisticated investment structures, evolving regulatory frameworks, and heightened investor expectations demand far more than conventional financial oversight.
IIrriiss L, Managing Director	Tempur Singapore	Asia has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic growth hubs, driven by rapid urbanization, rising consumer aspirations, technological advancement, and expanding middle-class economies.
Meggha Chowdhury, Head of Marketing & Digital Growth Global	NKN Media	Advertising services have evolved far beyond traditional campaigns, becoming a strategic driver of business growth, customer engagement, and brand transformation.
Sherif Darwish, Co-Founder & CEO	Blink	As logistics becomes more digital and demanding, the companies that scale well are rarely the ones chasing speed alone. They are the ones that build strong systems behind the service.
Willy Apriando, Head of Corporate Communication & Marketing	Bank Saqu	The banking and financial services industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven by digital adoption, changing consumer expectations, data-led personalization, and the rapid growth of alternative ways of working.

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