Our Team

Board of Directors, AWLP Malaysia Bhd

  • Puan Sri Siew Yong Gnanalingam

    CHAIR

    BA University of Malaya, Diploma in Accounting University of Malaya

    President-Elect of Soroptimist International (President in 2024-2025); Founder, Ayur Centre; Director, Cloud 10 Executive Travel Agency; Trustee, Nanyang Press Foundation, Yayasan Sejahtera; Chairperson of Women’s Institute of Management -Tan Sri Napsiah Omar Women Leadership; Former Executive, Economic Development Board Singapore; Former PR Manager, Malaysian Tobacco Company( MTC ); Former V-P , Malaysia Airlines System

  • Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar

    DIRECTOR

    LLB (Hons) University of Malaya

    Chairman, Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia; Former Chairman, Securities Commission Malaysia; Trustee, Razak School of Government; Trustee, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation; Trustee, Hasanah Foundation

  • Dr Khoo Hoon Eng

    DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

    BA (cum laude) Smith College, PhD (St. Mary’s Medical School) University of London, Dipl Medical Education (University of Dundee)

    Trustee Emerita, Smith College, Former Provost and Acting Vice-Chancellor, Asian University for Women (Bangladesh); Associate Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Rector, Saga Residential College, Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore

  • Dr Johan Saravanamuttu

    DIRECTOR

    B. Soc. Sci. University of Singapore, MA, PhD (University of British Columbia)

    Emeritus Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

  • Dr Maznah Mohamad

    DIRECTOR

    BA (cum laude) Macalester College, MA Stanford University, PhD University of Malaya

    Associate Professor, Head, Malay Studies Department, National University of Singapore

  • Dato Francis Tan Leh Kiah

    DIRECTOR

    LLB University of London; Conferred Panglima Mahkota Wilayah by DYMM Yang di-PertuanAgong in 2011

    Fellow, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and an Associate of the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia; Consultant and former managing partner of Azman, Davidson & Co. Advocates and Solicitors

University Leadership & Management

  • Dr. Sushila K Chang

    Vice-Chancellor and CEO

    PhD University of Paris 7/Paris Diderot (Sorbonne Paris University Group); BSc (Hons) University of London

    Vice-Chancellor, University of Fiji (2019-2020); Deputy Vice Chancellor, Cardiff Metropolitan University (2017-2019); Academic Dean (Sciences), Griffith University (2013-2017); First Registrar, Singapore University of Technology and Design (2011-2013); Professor and First Director, Undergraduate Education, University of Queensland (2008-2011); Chair, International Life Sciences Institute (2010-2012)

  • Dr. Oh Phaik Cheng

    REGISTRAR

    Dip. Administrative Management (IAM, UK), Dip. Executive Secretaryship (Stamford College, Malaysia), AdvDip. Teaching in Higher Education (NTU, UK), BA Business Management (NTU, UK), CEMBA (WOU, Malaysia), DBA (AeU, Malaysia), HRD TTT and HRD Corp. Accredited Trainer

    Former Registrar of SEGi College Penang; Former Academic & Administrative Manager of Olympia College Penang; 25 years teaching and training experience in higher education and 10 years industry experience in service, electrical and electronic industry.

  • Dr. Hajar Abdul Rahim

    PART-TIME FACULTY AND FORMER DEPUTY CEO

    BSc English Education & MA TEFL (SIU), PhD University of Reading (UK); Honorary Professor, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM); Dean (2013-2015) and Deputy Dean (2007-2012) School of Humanities, USM; Vice President Women's Centre for Change (2021-2024); Chair/Advisor of the Universiti Sains Malaysia Sexual Harassment Committee (2018-2024)

  • Mohd Faiz Fansuri Mohd Affandy

    ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

    Mohd Faiz Fansuri Mohd Affandy has a Diploma in Psychology and Counselling, both from Kolej Dar-Al Hikmah, Kajang.

    He has also graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) in 2016. He later pursued his Master’s Degree in Social Work at the School of Social Sciences, USM, graduating in 2018, with his dissertation on Child Social Isolation.

    Currently, he is completing his PhD studies at the School of Social Sciences, USM exploring more in-depth Child Mental Health while working as the Academic Administrative Officer at the Asian Women's University College, Penang.

    His research interest revolves around the issues in Child Studies, Mental Health, and Gender. Since 2015, he has actively participated in various university, ministry and international research projects under the School of Social Sciences and the Unit for Research on Women and Gender (KANITA).

Founders & Advisors

  • S.Mona Sinha

    CO-FOUNDER & ADVISOR

    BA (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) Smith College, MBA (Beta Gamma Sigma) Columbia University

    Board Chair, Women Moving Millions; Board Chair, Equal Rights Amendment Fund for Women's Equality; Executive Producer, Disclosure; Founding Board of Advisors, Smithsonian American Women's History Museum; Advisory Board, Columbia University Tamer Center; Venture Investment Board, Columbia University Tamer Center; Founding Advisory Board, Columbia School of Public Health Mental Health Program (WHO collaboration); Founding Advisory Council, Center for High Impact Philanthropy, University of Pennsylvania; Advisory Director, Apne Aap International; Advisory Director, American Museum of Natural History; Trustee Emerita, Smith College; Trustee Emerita, Breakthrough

  • Barbara Hou

    CO-FOUNDER

    BA (magna cum laude) Smith College, JD (cum laude) University of Michigan Law School, MA (Safra Ethics Fellow/iLab Fellow) Harvard University

    Associate General Counsel, Fannie Mae; Former Founder/President of AWLU Project (predecessor to AWLUC); Former President, Smith College Alumnae Club - China/Hong Kong; Former Steering Committee Member, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) - Hong Kong. Former Co-Director of Harvard Innovation and Ventures in Education (HIVE)

  • Dato' Latifah Merican Cheong (Late)

    CO-FOUNDER

    BA (Hons.) University of Malaya, MA Vanderbilt University

    Former Assistant Governor at the Central Bank of Malaysia; Former consultant, Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF); Former Advisor, Chairman’s Office, Securities Commission of Malaysia; Former Program Director, World Bank

  • Datuk Judy Cheng-Hopkins

    ADVISOR

    BA (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) Beloit College, MA Columbia University

    2022 Chairperson, Advisory Board (City of Houston) National Tribute to UNESCO for its Work on Cultural Heritage; 2015-19 Adjunct Professor, SIPA (School of International and Public Affairs), Columbia University; 2017 Co-Leader, Investigation Panel into the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Conflict, UN; 2009-14 Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding, UN (Listed by Forbes in 2011 as one of the “10 Most Powerful Women at the UN”); 2012 Chair of the Conflict Prevention Council at the World Economic Forum, Davos; 2006-09 Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR; 1997-2000 Director of Asia, WFP

Officers

  • Vasantha Nair

    REGISTRAR

    B.A (History) University of Madras, Certificate of Participation Professional Development Visit, TAFE Western Australia

  • Mila Devenport

    SENIOR MANAGER, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

    BA (Hons) Philosophy, Mount Holyoke College, MA (Hons) Character Education, University of Birmingham