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Amy Ross Arguedas is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford. She is currently a researcher for Digital News Report and previously worked on the Reuters Institute’s Trust in News Project. Her research interests include news audiences and the relationship between journalism and new technologies. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she worked as a journalist for five years at the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación.

Anson is a highly accomplished AI / Data-Driven leader with extensive experience in the media industry. As the Head of Data Development at the United Daily News Group since 2017, he founded the data department with the vision of transforming the local media landscape through the implementation of impactful AI / Data-Driven Initiatives. His leadership in AI-driven media transformation has earned global & regional recognitions, with multiple Champion Awards presented by the industry’s most respected associations including WAN-IFRA & INMA.

Arlene Burgos is the Chief Content Officer of INQUIRER.net, the leading news website in the Philippines. With more than 20 years of experience in journalism and leadership, Arlene has a solid track record in audience development, and in leading content, operations, strategy, and business.

She previously worked for ABS-CBN, where she established its social media and mobile processes and spearheaded the operations of one of the biggest fleets of social media accounts by a news organization in the Philippines. She is an alumna of the Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo, the Asia Journalism Fellowship in Singapore, and the Senior Journalists Seminar of the East-West Center.

Avinash Mudaliar is the Co-Founder and CEO of HT Labs, a digital innovation hub driving product development across content, tech, and consumer experiences. Since 2020, he has led HT Labs in launching platforms like OTTplay, Slurrp, HT School, Mint Genie, and Upublish, covering sectors from OTT and FoodTech to FinTech and digital publishing.

Chris Janz has worked in the industry for 30 years, with roles spanning mature and growth businesses and advertising and subscription-funded products. He currently leads Capital Brief, a disruptive news startup founded on quality journalism.

Christian is a political journalist with more than 25 years of experience across media platforms in the Philippines. He pioneered the shift from mainstream news media to independent journalism on social media, following his stint as political talk show host and correspondent at the ABS-CBN News Channel. His hard-hitting YouTube channel, “Facts First,” has amassed more than 670,000 subscribers, and is a leading destination for news content, context, and commentaries for millions of Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad. He began his career as a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He also teaches political reporting and media ethics at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

Crisela brings with her a wealth of leadershipexperience in media and marketing communications,she rejoined WPP Media as its CEO in February 2025.Prior to that she led media and marketing communications at Globe Telecom, where she played a key role in reshaping the brand’smarketing communications strategy. Prior to hertenure at Globe, Crisela spent nearly a decade as a Partner in Mindshare Indonesia, driving business growth through digital innovation in commerce and technology, fostering strong client partnerships.

Gemi is an experienced marketing strategist with a diverse background in advertising agencies, brands, and now as the CMO at KG Media. In his current role, Gemi not only leads the marketing team but also oversees the marketing solutions services units and is a vital player in new product development. His unique perspective allows him to understand customers better, experiment with new business models, and drive KG Media’s future growth.

Diogo builds scalable creator and content ecosystems that turn creativity, IP, and audiences into sustainable growth engines, driving multi-million-dollar revenues and regional impact. With a background spanning film, media, and the creator economy, he specializes in designing data-informed, creator-first systems that integrate storytelling, technology, and commerce at scale.

Currently serving as the Vice President for Innovation and Business Development, Edumar “Dumai” Madlangbayan joined The Manila Times (TMT) in 2019 as a consultant before ascending to his current leadership role in 2022. Throughout his tenure, he has been one of the driving forces behind TMT’s digital transformation.

His leadership has been key in the advancement of the organization. Most recently, he was pivotal during recent global emergencies, where he facilitated personnel training for transition into a hybrid workforce and contributed to streamlining the delivery of uninterrupted news. He is resolute in ensuring TMT continues to honor its 128-year legacy by staying ahead of the digital curve through innovative streaming, social, and app-based solutions.

Emm boasts 25 years of industry expertise. His agency career spans pivotal roles managing prestigious accounts like Coca-Cola, P&G, and Nestle across diverse regions.

Currently, he serves as Vice President and Head of Integrated Media Team at Nestle in the Philippines. His deep understanding of both agency capabilities and advertiser expectations drives his commitment to excellence and mutual growth on innovation, digital maturity and AI.

Fergus Bell is a media innovator with a focus on driving sustainable change and innovation in the news industry. He is the co-founder of Fathm, a news lab, consultancy, and agency established in 2019 to support newsrooms, the creator economy, and content professionals as they navigate digital disruption.

Francis Toral has been with the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation, one of the Philippines’ largest media networks, since 1998.

Before her appointment as Head of News in 2023, Francis was Head of News Production and spearheaded the team that produces the station’s flagship primetime newscast, TV Patrol. She was also on top of various special coverage including the country’s elections, the visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines, as well as the Presidential Town Hall Debate in 2016. She also led the News Desk as Chief Assignment Editor from 2015-2016, deploying reporters and helping set the daily news agenda for ABS-CBN’s newscasts, and its cable, radio and digital news platforms.

Glenda co-founded Rappler in July 2011 and is its current executive editor.

She became a journalist months before the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986 that ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. As a reporter, Glenda worked for newspapers, magazines, international news agencies, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism — covering politics, security, human rights, among others. She has also managed newsrooms in the print, online, and TV industries. From 2008 to January 2011, she served as the chief operating officer of ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel in the Philippines.

Hans is the COO at WoodWing and is responsible for global group operations. He formerly worked as a strategy and performance management consultant at firms such as Arthur Andersen and was commercially responsible for a software company. Hans was a partner at Qonqord, a WoodWing partner company, for 15 years before joining WoodWing in 2024. Hans brings a broad experience in the media industry, content workflows, professional services and technology.

Jack Kelly is the Founder and CEO of independent news brand TLDR News. TLDR is one of the largest independent news voices on YouTube, with over 3 million subscribers and more than a billion views. Founded with the mission of making the news more accessible to new audiences, TLDR produces non-partisan apolitical explainer content designed to make the world easier to understand. Jack has also worked with Google to host interviews and events around the world, including at NATO Summits, UN events, the Munich Security Conference and Davos.

A seasoned Indonesian journalist and media leader, Jajang is the Corporate Secretary of PT Tempo Inti Media Tbk and former Editor‑in‑Chief of Koran Tempo. For over two decades, he has held key editorial roles across Tempo’s newspaper, magazine, and digital platforms. Beyond the newsroom, he plays an influential role in regional journalism standards through the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the International Federation of Journalists, and the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists, shaping ethics, competence, and industry development.

Joaquin H. Buenaflor is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Political Science student at the University of the Philippines Diliman and currently serves as Chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council, representing over 25,000 students in the country’s premier state university.

As a youth leader, Buenaflor has been active in mobilizing students and campus communities around issues of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. He convenes the UP Act Against Corruption and One Katipunan Against Corruption networks, which bring together youth organizations and universities advocating for reforms and greater public accountability in the Philippines.

With roots in the fast-paced world of newspaper production and a passion for workflow efficiency, John leads the Asia-Pacific business for WoodWing as the Managing Director. He helps publishers, enterprises, and creative teams streamline how they produce, manage, and distribute content –  faster, smarter, and at scale.

He is helping organizations in Australia, Japan, and Southeast Asia future-proof their creative operations through digital asset management (DAM) and smart content automation. Over the years, he has led major change projects, mentored cross-functional teams, and helped clients navigate content complexity by breaking down problems and staying laser-focused on the outcome.

Jordan Tan manages the Business Development Unit of the Manila Bulletin. He brings with him extensive experience in media, stakeholder engagements, and strategic planning. In his role as the company’s Business Development Manager, he leads efforts in developing innovative revenue streams and strategic partnerships, bridging journalism, audience engagement, and integrated brand solutions. He is one of the key proponents behind the Manila Bulletin Sustainability Forum—an initiative that brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to advance conversations and action on sustainability in the Philippines.

Judd is Head of Ad Operations at Inquirer.net, where he leads programmatic and data strategy for the site. Prior to his work in Manila, he spent 13 years at ad agencies in Los Angeles and New York, leading digital media strategy and building programmatic solutions for clients in automotive, retail, and finance. He focuses on innovation in addressability and monetization, developing processes that keep pace with the shift to outcome-based advertising and artificial intelligence.

Juliet Labog-Javellana is Associate Publisher, Opinion Editor and Columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, overseeing content and shaping news agenda for the leading newspaper in the Philippines. A seasoned journalist with over 30 years of experience in covering politics and newsroom leadership, she has won awards for investigative journalism from prestigious award-giving bodies in the Philippines and Asia and outstanding alumni awards from her universities for excellence in the field of journalism.

Justin Joyas is a senior business development manager at GMA News Online, working at the intersection of journalism, digital, partnerships, data, and artificial intelligence. With a background in Liberal Arts and more than a decade of experience in the newsroom, he focuses on how data and AI can enhance the work of storytellers to attract a wide variety of readers.

He previously led the newsroom’s social media operations, where he established data-driven processes that allowed GMA News to become the most viewed, most engaged, and most reached local news brand in the Philippines online.

Through ongoing and previous projects, he advocates for a responsible use of digital media.

Yu Chuang is the Deputy CEO of SPH Media. He is responsible for overseeing commercial functions including brand, marketing, sales and subscription. Yu Chuang brings over 15 years of relevant experience including reach and engagement growth across different platforms, as well as delivering innovative solutions to clients.

Prior to joining SPH Media, Yu Chuang held executive positions at regional and global Internet companies including iQIYI, Netflix and Yahoo!. He also works with start-ups and ventures in the region.

Kurt Gessler is a staff product manager at Taboola, focusing on publisher data and tools, including personalization, AI and agentic experiences. Before joining Taboola, Gessler was a senior manager and editor in newsrooms for more than two decades. As the director of editorial product & strategy at Tribune Publishing, he oversaw audience growth, newsroom data, platforms and product development. Prior to that role, Gessler was head of digital for the Chicago Tribune. He also has served as adjunct faculty in the graduate programs at Northwestern University and the University of Nebraska. For his work on social media metrics and audience engagement, he was named to MediaShift’s 2017 MetricShift20 list of leaders in media metrics

Mohd Fuad Mohd Noor is the Head of Digital Products (Malay Vertical) at Star Media Group Berhad. With over 15 years of experience driving growth for brands like Firefly Airlines and Media Prima, he specializes in transforming traditional media into high-engagement digital ecosystems. Under his leadership, mStar achieved a 1,200% YoY revenue increase and earned top honors, including Best Digital Publisher of the Year (MDA Award), Best National Viral Page (KNKV Award) and the Distinguished Community Empowerment Award (IDEA Award) in Malaysia.

Monica Baylon-Solideo is an accomplished insights leader with two decades of experience in the information services industry, spanning legal, advertising, and media sectors. She is currently the Data Analytics Manager at INQUIRER.net, where she specializes in translating complex technical data into actionable editorial and business strategies.

She also spearheads initiatives in innovation and operational efficiency, backed by her completion of AI accelerator programs with the Google News Initiative, WAN-IFRA, and OpenAI. Her recent pioneering work includes leading real-time proprietary sentiment analysis for Inquirer’s coverage of the Philippine elections and the State of the Nation Address.

Nikkhil Taery serves as Chief Commercial Officer of Media Works, a Malaysian digital media group that has grown from its publishing roots into a diversified platform spanning content, physical touchpoints and creative services, with titles including Malay Mail, SoyaCincau and The Rakyat Post.

He leads the group’s revenue strategy, business operations and growth, driving diversification and the development of integrated solutions across an ecosystem covering news, technology, lifestyle, automotive and financial literacy. He continues to play a central role in shaping commercially driven partnerships that help brands connect with high-intent digital audiences, reflecting the evolving nature of media business models.

Previously, Nikkhil led Malay Mail’s transition from print into a fully digital platform. Established in 1896, Malay Mail is Malaysia’s oldest newspaper, and remains a key part of the Media Works portfolio today.

Ralph ensures that Inquirer.net’s content reaches its readers across the page, social media, and other emerging platforms. In his role, he works with the editorial, video, and digital teams to maximize performance, reach, and engagement. A seasoned media professional with a diverse background in broadcast and digital marketing, he also leads Inquirer.net’s innovation efforts in generative AI and its potential content and commercial applications.

Regina Hing (Lay) is concurrently an Anchor and Business News Editor at One News, the cable news arm of Cignal, the Philippines’ leading cable channel. She co-hosts the channel’s flagship show with other editors, Storycon, which delves into everything from local issues to foreign affairs. Prior to that, Regina served as Anchor and Head of News for Bloomberg TV Philippines, running a team of more than two dozen and overseeing the daily editorial agenda for the network. She holds a Masters in Business and Economic Reporting from New York University, and was a 2024 Jefferson Fellow at the East West Center in Hawaii as well as a 2025 Senior Fellow (Honorary) at the South Asia Foresight Network, a policy and research program under The Millennium Project in Washington DC.

Rosalia Lloret is the Senior Advisor to the President at elDiario.es, having previously served as the company’s CEO for 6 years. Her career has been dedicated to leading the digital transformation of Spain’s top media groups, holding C-suite positions at PRISA Noticias (publisher of El País) and Unidad Editorial (publisher of El Mundo).

Ross Settles, independent consultant and investor, is a longtime observer of changing media economics, especially the impact of technology on digital media business models.  

Over the past decade Settles has worked with multiple media outlets to develop sustainable business models in Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Myanmar, as well as in Europe and North America.  Settles recent research has focused on understanding the broader economic environment that supports or undermines the viability of independent media.  As adjunct professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre, Settles focused on the unique technology, economic and regulatory environment facing journalists and content creators in Asia.  Settles’ teaching at the University of Hong Kong provided students with tools and techniques to adapt news values to emerging Asian distribution platforms and to develop media business skills to understand the unique impact of business models, distribution platforms on all types of public expression.  

Scott Purcell CFA is the Co-Founder and Director of Man of Many, Australia’s largest men’s lifestyle publisher and the nation’s first 100% carbon-neutral digital media brand. Since launching the site in 2012, he has grown its global reach to over 6 million people monthly. Under his leadership, Man of Many has collected a raft of industry honours, including Media Brand of the Year. Personally, Scott was named Publish Leader of the Year in 2023, ranked #42 on the MediaWeek Power 100 in 2024, and listed in Campaign Asia’s 2025 40 Under 40.

Shereen Daver is a seasoned communications specialist, moderator, and innovation strategist with over 20 years of experience across global ad agencies, Fortune 100 companies, and entrepreneurial ventures. As an ICF-accredited coach, she blends creative insight with business acumen to drive systemic change.

Currently, she serves as Senior Director of Growth & Innovation, at Syli, leading climate media technology and innovation with a focus on media financial sustainability. In this role, she drives efforts to transform the climate journalism ecosystem, merging human intelligence with technology and data to build the conditions for long-term, mission-driven media to thrive.

Shikha Singh is a digital media and partnerships leader at Marfeel with over 15 years of experience working alongside leading publishers to drive audience growth, engagement, and sustainable revenue through data-driven strategies. Her background spans media sales, strategic partnerships, and client success, giving her a well-rounded perspective on the evolving digital publishing ecosystem.

She has played a key role in building and scaling relationships with top media organizations, advising on audience strategy, content performance, and optimization in an increasingly platform-driven landscape. Shikha is particularly passionate about how AI, user behavior, and distribution channels such as Google Discover are reshaping the future of publishing.

Prior to Marfeel, she held roles at major media brands including Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar, as well as the global video platform Dailymotion.

Simon Tanné is Head of Data Science at Echobox, a London‑based AI‑driven technology company that provides advanced content distribution solutions for leading publishers worldwide.

Since joining Echobox’s early team, he has led the development of the company’s data science and AI capabilities, powering products and research that enhance efficiency and performance for newsrooms and content teams.

His work reflects the broader industry transition toward AI‑enabled workflows, helping publishers leverage machine learning to drive engagement, scale digital presence, and navigate the challenges and opportunities of automation in media.

Troels Behrendt Jørgensen is a digital media executive with more than two decades of experience. He currently holds the position of Digital Director at Politiken, where he has been since September 2016. He is also a recognized international player who actively contributes to the development of the industry as a European board member of the International News Media Association (INMA) since August 2021.

Winston Utomo is the Founder & CEO of IDN, the leading media and entertainment technology company in Indonesia, with over 80 million monthly active users across its platforms. IDN’s vision is encapsulated within its name: IDN = Indonesia. IDN has a mission to build an ecosystem for the young generation of Indonesia.

Zuraidah Ibrahim is Executive Editor of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. She is on the senior leadership team overseeing daily operations. She supervises the Hong Kong, Asia and International desks, as well as the award-winning Sunday magazine, This Week in Asia. She also leads the infographics and photo teams along with the SCMP’s student publication business. She was previously deputy editor of Singapore’s leading publication, The Straits Times. She is a board member of the Singapore International Foundation. Throughout her career, she has undertaken moderating and speaking engagements. She has published several books. They include Lee Kuan Yew, Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going (2011), a monograph on the Singapore opposition (2017), Rebel City: Hong Kong’s Year of Water and Fire (2020) and Post Portraits: Hong Kong’s 25 years of change through the lens of the South China Morning Post (2022).