OUR Speakers

Datuk Sr Mohd. Salem Kailany is the Group Chief Executive Officer of KLCC (Holdings) Sdn. Bhd., overseeing a portfolio of over 40 companies including Malaysia’s largest REIT. A qualified surveyor with over 33 years of experience, he has an extensive track record in real estate valuation, property development, and strategic mergers & acquisitions. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Estate Management from UiTM and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Prior to his current role, he served as the President and CEO of UDA Holdings Berhad and CEO of PNB Development. During his tenure at Sime Darby Property, he successfully managed multiple major townships with a combined Gross Development Value (GDV) of approximately RM140 billion. His expertise has been instrumental in shaping iconic Malaysian developments, including the KLCC master development and the administrative capital, Putrajaya.

Prof. Helen Xiaohui Bao is the Professor of Urban Economics & Public Policy and Deputy Head of the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge. She also serves as the Director of the Lab for Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis (LISA) and is a Fellow of Newnham College. With a Ph.D. in Statistics, her expertise focuses on the intersection of behavioral science, real estate markets, and land use policy.

A prolific researcher, Prof. Bao has authored numerous books and peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Cities and Land Use Policy. She holds several editorial roles and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences. In addition to her research, she leads international relations and graduate admissions for her department.

Dr. Suraya Ismail is the Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) and a Chartered Surveyor. She serves on Malaysia’s National Costs of Living Council (NACCOL) and the Ministry of Local Government Development’s Panel of Experts. Educated at the University of Reading, University of Malaya, and UCL, her expertise spans urban regeneration, institutional economics, and housing policy.

Previously, she was the Deputy Dean at the University of Malaya and Program Director at Think City. Internationally, she sits on the Advisory Board of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre at LSE and has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge. She has collaborated with global agencies like UN-Habitat and authored numerous high-level policy reports.

Prof. Sr Ts Dr Hj. Abdul Hadi bin Hj. Nawawi is a Professor at the Centre of Studies for Real Estate Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). A Corporate Member of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (MRISM) and a certified Professional Technologist (Ts.), he holds a Ph.D. in Knowledge Management and Expert Systems from the University of Glamorgan and a B.Sc. from the University of Reading. His research focuses on corporate real estate, big data analytics, and machine learning models for property appraisal and Proptech.

Throughout his career, he has led key consultancy projects, including the Sarawak Housing Development Study and the creation of competency models for Sime Darby Property and PKNS. He serves as an expert panelist for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and was a founding committee member for the National Property Information System (NAPIC). An international speaker and prolific researcher, he has presented his work globally in countries such as China, Turkiye, and South Korea.

Sr Haji Adzman Shah Mohd Ariffin is the CEO and Principal Real Estate Consultant at ExaStrata Solutions Sdn Bhd. With over 30 years of industry experience, he is a Fellow and Past President of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM) and a member of the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP). He holds a B.Sc. in Urban Estate Management from the University of Glamorgan, UK.

A leading expert in strata management, he played a pivotal role in drafting the Strata Management Act 2013 and the Malaysian Property Management Standards. His distinguished career has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the RISM Lifetime Achievement Award and the S.I.S. decoration from the Sultan of Selangor. He is also a co-author of the book "Strata OMG" and a frequent speaker at national real estate seminars.

Azlan Kamal bin Ibrahim Kamal is the Acting Head of the Investment Department at Pelaburan Hartanah Berhad (PHB), where he oversees a RM12 billion portfolio across the office, retail, healthcare, industrial, and education sectors. He is a high-performing professional with 15 years of experience in real estate investment management and strategic planning. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from Imperial College London and is a CIMA qualified professional (ACMA, CGMA).

His extensive career includes serving as the Head of Investments at Sime Darby Property Berhad and the Head of Strategy and Transformation at AmREIT Managers Sdn Bhd. He also spent a decade at Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) in various leadership roles, including Head of Research and Analytics for the Real Estate Division, where he managed global assets and spearheaded major M&A exercises, such as the RM6.9 billion takeover of SP Setia Berhad.