Site Visit to Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone

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TEAM EUROPE EVENT
Exclusive for EuroCham Members and NBG Members

Synopsis

The Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is rapidly emerging as a strategic platform for companies seeking to expand manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain operations across the region. By combining Singapore’s role as a global business and financial hub with Johor’s growing industrial capacity, the corridor presents new opportunities for businesses to build more resilient and cost-efficient cross-border operations.

This session will move beyond high-level narratives to focus on execution: how businesses are structuring investments, managing cross-border operations, and navigating regulatory and logistical considerations in Johor. Bringing together key stakeholders across the ecosystem, the panel will offer practical insights into what it takes to operationalise a Singapore–Johor strategy—and where the real opportunities and challenges lie.

The discussion will set the stage for the afternoon site visits to leading facilities in Johor, offering participants a firsthand look at how global companies are already leveraging the Johor–Singapore corridor to strengthen their manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.

Programme

07:00 am Depart from meet-up point at carpark near Newtown Food Centre
09:30 am Site Visit 1: Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)

• Presentation by Mr Mark Hardiman, Chief Executive Officer at The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)
• Tour of the Port

10:25 am Welcome Address by Mr Jens Rübbert, President, EuroCham Singapore
10:30 am Moderated Panel discussion with live Q&A

• Mr Adny Ahmad, Senior Vice President, Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J)
• Mr Mark Hardiman, Chief Executive Officer at The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)
• Mr Lee Shyong, Group Head/Managing Director – Public Sector and Services, Global Corporate Banking, OCBC Bank
• Ms Maike Rohwer, Head of Tax, Luther Corporate Services, Malaysia

11:15 am Live Q&A
11:25 am Networking Lunch Reception
12:30 pm Depart Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)

12:45 pm Site Visit 2: Kuehne+Nagel@PTP
01:15 pm Depart from Kuehne+Nagel@PTP

02:00 pm Site Visit 3: BMW Distribution Centre@Senai Airport Free Zone
02:45 pm Depart from BMW Distribution Centre

03:00 pm Site Visit 4: Senai Airport City Free Zone & Non-Free Zone

04:00 pm Site Visit 5: i-Park@Senai Airport City

• Presentation by Ms Debbie Choy, Director of Real Estate, AME Development
• Sharing by Mr Zygimantas Dirse, VP Asia, Kitron Electronics
• Presentation by Ms Esther Teo, Director, JS-SEZ, Economic Development Board (EDB) Singapore
• Q&A

05:00 pm Site Tour i-Park@Senai Airport City (Participants to remain seated for in-bus tour experience – 15 mins) 

05:15 pm Networking (light refreshments provided)

06:00 pm Depart i-Park@Senai Airport City to Singapore

08:00 pm Estimated arrival to Singapore drop-off point at carpark near Newtown Food Centre

Speakers & Panellists – Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)

Mr Mark Hardiman
Chief Executive Officer
Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)

Mark Hardiman joined PTP as Chief Executive Officer on 2nd January 2024. He brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the shipping and ports industry, having held various leadership positions in eight different countries across three continents, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Belgium, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and now Malaysia. Notably, he has more than 10 years of experience serving as CEO in multiple companies.

Mark is well-known for his passion for people, purpose and results, and has a proven track record of success in port management. He has demonstrated strong dedication to safety and has successfully navigated complex situations, including working with governments and engaging at the ministerial level on issues such as concession negotiations.

With his diverse background and an excellent track record in the global port, maritime and logistics sectors, Mark is eager to realise the full potential of PTP as one of the leading regional transshipment hubs in the Straits of Malacca, delivering long-term growth and value to all its stakeholders.

Panelists

Adny Jaffedon Bin Ahmad
Senior Vice President
Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J)

Adny Jaffedon Bin Ahmad, currently holding a position as Senior Vice President at Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) a one solution centre responsible in facilitating investment into Johor Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS SEZ). He has played a key role in Invest Johor, IRDA and previous organizations to develop strategies and project implementation in the space of domestic
and international businesses.

Graduated from Drexel University, Philadelphia USA in the field of Business Administration (Finance) and currently pursuing various online courses to further enhance his knowledge and keep up with the latest trend. Accomplished corporate professional with more than 28 years’
experience in various corporate and public sectors including Economic, Investment, Business Development, Marketing and Corporate Planning. He had the opportunity to serve in various challenging industry namely Aviation, Automotive, Financial and Logistics.

Mr Lee Shyong
Group Head/Managing Director – Public Sector and Services, Global Corporate Banking
OCBC Bank

Shyong has more than 30 years of work experience spanning across corporate and investment banking, transaction banking and business development. He has spent 10 years of his banking career based overseas in Japan and Korea before returning to Singapore in 2016. 

Shyong began his career with Keppel Corporation in 1994 where he joined Keppel Bank. In 1999, he moved to ABN AMRO Bank and was transferred to the Tokyo office in 2006. ABN AMRO Bank was subsequently acquired by RBS in 2007. He later moved to the RBS Seoul office in 2014.

Upon his return to Singapore in 2016, Shyong worked briefly for The Warranty Group and SMBC. In 2018, he joined OCBC Global Corporate Banking and presently leads the Public Sector and Services coverage teams. Shyong holds an Honours degree in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) holder. He is married with two children and enjoys outdoor activities.

Ms Maike Rohwer
Head of Tax
Luther Corporate Services, Malaysia

Maike Rohwer primarily provides international tax advisory services to companies, institutional investors and individuals. She has worked on numerous transactions, M&A and restructuring projects. She has a broad knowledge of Malaysia taxation, including corporate tax, individual tax, capital gains tax, sales tax and service tax.

Moderator

Mr Jens Rübbert
President
European Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

Jens has been a senior banker for 33 years and has 20 years of experience in the Asian financial market. Currently, he is the Managing Director & Regional Head for Asia/Pacific of LBBW, one of Germany’s largest banks. Previously, Jens was with Deutsche Bank for 27 years in several senior positions across various regions including Germany, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Vietnam.

He has also held positions as Vice Chairman of EuroCham China (2011 – 2014), Chairman of GBA Vietnam, (2015 – 2017), Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam (2017), and President of the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (2020 – 2023). Jens is the current Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council. He holds a degree in business administration and was awarded Germany’s Federal Order of Merit in 2021.

Speakers & Presenters – i-Park@Senai Airport City

Ms Debbie Choy
Director of Real Estate
AME Development

Debbie is the Director of Real Estate here at AME Development, with over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. Debbie has built a strong track record across investment, development, capital markets, and advisory. Her experience spans multiple asset classes, including industrial, logistics, commercial, and mixed developments, with regional exposure across Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining AME, she was with Cainiao the logistic arm under the Alibaba Group, where she focused on strategic land and warehouse acquisitions across the region, while coordinating complex development and investment projects. She also oversaw asset performance and worked closely with cross-border teams.

Earlier in her career at Knight Frank Malaysia, Debbie led the southern branch as Director, where she managed multidisciplinary teams and drove business growth across valuation, research, and agency services. With advisory work amounting to over RM1billion in a single transaction.

She is a member of the Royal Institute of Surveyors Malaysia, holds a Master’s in Corporate Governance and brings both strategic insight and practical, on-the-ground experience to her work.

Mr Zygimantas Dirse
VP Asia,
Kitron Electronics

Zygimantas Dirse is a seasoned operations leader in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, with over two decades of international experience spanning Europe and Asia, including China and Malaysia. As Vice President Asia at Kitron Group, he oversees regional operations, driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and supply chain performance across key markets.

Zygimantas began his career with Kitron in Lithuania, progressing through technical and operational roles including Product Engineer, Technology Manager, and Operations Manager. He later took on the role of Managing Director in Ningbo, China, where he successfully led large-scale manufacturing operations for over a decade, strengthening the company’s footprint in Asia.

Ms Esther Teo
Director, Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone Programme Office
Singapore Economic Development Board 

Esther Teo joined the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2016. She is currently the Director of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone Programme Office. Previously, she took on roles in EDB’s Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), managing key company relationships and charting the growth of Singapore’s tech sector, and the Industry Manpower Development Division, working on Singapore’s global talent strategy. 

Prior to this, Esther was a correspondent with The Straits Times, Singapore’s largest daily broadsheet newspaper, for 7 years. From 2013 to 2016, she was part of the paper’s Foreign Desk and was based in Beijing as its China Correspondent.

Esther obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Masters in Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy from Oxford University.

Participation Details

• Transport, meals, and all site visits are included in the participation fee.
• Participants are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary travel documents and visas (if applicable) to enter Malaysia. EuroCham is not responsible for visa arrangements or immigration requirements.
• To allow broad participation across the membership, registration is limited to two participants per company.
• Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Please note that the programme content and schedule may be subject to adjustments due to operational or border crossing considerations.

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Kindly note that there are limited seats available, registration is binding, and payment is non-refundable. The organisers reserve the right to change the programme content without giving prior notification or any reasons thereof.