Sowmya Suryanarayanan,

Managing Director, Impact and ESG, Aavishkaar Capital

Sowmya heads Impact and ESG functions at Aavishkaar Capital – a global pioneer Impact Fund Manager that invests in impact enterprises across India, South and South East Asia and East Africa. She is responsible for delivering significant Impact, Gender & ESG value across Aavishkaar’s various Impact Funds and portfolio companies.

Sowmya is a social development and sustainability professional with over 18 years of experience in analysing and recommending growth of inclusive business models across clean energy, financial inclusion, education and agriculture sectors across Asia and Africa. Prior to Aavishkaar Capital, Sowmya worked for a large agrifinance company, leading and managing strategic programs, including ESG management system and Impact framework to enhance sustainable financing to over 4 million smallholder farmers in India. Previously, as Head - CSR at Societe Generale GSC, a subsidiary of European banking major Societe Generale (SG), she designed and implemented the Corporate Citizenship (CSR) Strategy, Diversity and Sustainability Initiatives. 

Sowmya is actively engaged with many industry bodies and forums, including first woman Vice Chairperson (South) of the IFCCI CSR Committee (2018-19) that aimed to create a common platform for CSR professionals from French Companies in India; Member IVCA’s Impact and Inclusivity Council (2022-24), Steering Committee Member of Greening Finance for Women (GRoW) since 2022. Member of Thematic Activity Sub Group of the Advisory Committee to SEBI on Social Stock Exchange Co-Chair IVCA’s ESG and Impact Council (2024-26) and currently the Co-Chair IVCA’s ESG and Impact Council (2024-26).

She received special appreciation from the Honorable Finance Minister of India, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on the Aavishkaar Group Impact Report 2022. In 2023, she won the ‘Sustainability Impact Leader Award’ from the Honorable Governor of Maharashtra, India. She was listed on the Forbes W-Power Self-made Women List in 2024.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics, completed Oxford Social Finance Program from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, an Executive Education Program on Creating Value in CSR from Indian School of Business (ISB), a GRI Professional Certification Program on Sustainable Reporting using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the PRI Academy Course on Foundations in Responsible Investments. 

Tan Shao Ming Chief Investment Officer, ABC Impact

Shao Ming is Chief Investment Officer of ABC Impact, a Pan-Asia impact private equity firm backed by Temasek Trust, Temasek, the Asian Development Bank, and other institutional investors. A member of Temasek Trust Asset Management, the firm is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the Operating Principles for Impact Management. In 2025, ABC Impact closed its second fund at over USD 600 million. Shao Ming leads the investment team in building a portfolio of scalable businesses that address Asia’s most pressing challenges in climate and water solutions, sustainable food and agriculture, healthcare and education, and financial and digital inclusion.

With more than 20 years of institutional investing experience, he has held senior roles at Temasek, Citadel Investment Group, and Citi Private Equity, covering private equity, special situations, and structured credit across Asia. A Chartered Financial Analyst, Shao Ming holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) with First Class Honours and a Master of Engineering (Chemical) from the National University of Singapore.

Doug Coulter joined LGT Capital Partners in 2007 to lead its Asia-Pacific private equity investment activities. Prior to LGT, Doug was a Senior Investment Officer at the IFC, the private sector investment arm of the World Bank, responsible for direct investments in the TMT, retail & consumer and healthcare sectors. He previously worked at Nomura Securities in Hong Kong and as a lawyer at Fasken in Toronto. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a M.Sc. from the LSE, a law degree from the University of Western Ontario and a B.A. from Queen’s University in Canada.

LGT Capital Partners is a leading alternative investment specialist with over USD 100 billion in assets under management and over 800 private equity professionals worldwide. Headquartered in Pfaeffikon, Switzerland, the firm has offices in New York, Dublin, London, Paris, Frankurt, Vaduz, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney. LGT Capital Partners was selected as Alternatives Manager of the Year in Asia in 2016 and 2017 and Alternatives Fund House of the Year in 2018 by AsianInvestor, was named Fund of Funds of the year in Asia in 2018 and 2019 by Private Equity International, and was named Alternatives House of the Year in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 by Asia Asset Management.

Marie Torres

Director of ESG and Impact

Sarona Asset Management

Marie Torres is an international development professional with extensive experience in sustainable finance and impact investing in Southeast Asia. She leads Sarona Asset Management’s ESG and impact management initiatives and coordinates the Australian Development Investments’ Technical Assistance Program. 

 Previously, she was Senior Manager at Investing in Women (IW), the Australian Government’s AUD 102 million gender equality program. In this role, she oversaw a portfolio of impact investment firms and was instrumental in advancing the program’s gender lens investing strategy. She managed a Guarantee Fund at ICCO Foundation (now Cordaid) and led its Financial Services program, directing investments and grants to SMEs and financial institutions across Southeast Asia. Marie also led FSSI’s Microfinance facility focused on the Philippines.

She holds an MBA, a BA in Development Studies, a Diploma in Corporate Finance, and a Certificate in ESG Investing.