Melissa Ong

Brainstormer, Business adviser, Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Christian, Connector, Consultant, Designer, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Idea generator, Policy maker, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Melissa has a wealth of over 25 years APAC regional experience in International Trade, Brand Communications, Market Research and Social Strategy. Melissa joins TFF in September 2020 after serving for almost five years as CEO of Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), an independent, non-partisan think tank governed by the not-for-profit Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, which is Malaysia’s largest education-focused social enterprise. Thought For Food is the world’s entrepreneurial innovation engine for food and agriculture. We work with more than 30,000 next-generation leaders from over 175 countries, empowering them to generate and scale breakthrough business ventures that build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems. Melissa started her career with HSBC, before moving on to IOI Group, KL Sentral (MRCB), and TNS (Kantar) where she was responsible for multiple portfolios covering 33 countries across Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. In driving various efforts to create a better society, Melissa received the Distinguished Australian Alumni Award in December 2019. She holds an MBA from the University of Sunshine Coast, Australia and is a strong and passionate advocate of workplace gender equality, women empowerment, and women’s inclusion agenda.

Youth Skills development, Social strategy, and women inclusivity agenda.

Climate change is merely one of the by-products of humans' own mistakes - our food choices. It is not about saving the planet per se but is to save ourselves. The planet doesn’t need us, we need the planet. Why focus on the ‘house’ but not the ‘person’ who lives in it. If we change the choices of food we eat - choose to eat healthily, we will be able to shift the big needle in food production. Food production is one of the main causes of climate change. When the demand is not there, food production will shift to produce differently to suit human needs and choices. If we choose to have healthy diets, we move the food systems, not only do we encourage local farming we too will give opportunities to local farmers. To feed the urban population and with the integration of IoT and digital technology, farming can now be less harmful to the planet. This is a big cycle. Everything is in it playing a part. We are in this all together! All this comes down to one solid conclusion, which is a new way to eat is imperative. We need to innovate what we eat, not only to improve food security and reduce our environmental impact but also to build a well-nourished society.

Brand Communications, International Trade, Market Research, Social Strategy, Women Equality agenda, Youth talent development

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