About Us
The Britain Brunei Business Forum was founded under the patronage of the British High Commission in Brunei to enable British and Bruneian business people to meet together in order to further trade.
B.B.B.F assists Bruneian business people in finding British partners for enhancing both parties business performance and circulates information about opportunities for business with Britain through the Bruneian business community.
The forum provides a diverse and inclusive network to build opportunities for British, international and local organisations in Brunei with ties to British business.
Our specific aims:
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Encourage British trade and investment in Brunei and the Asia Pacific region.
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Be an authoritative voice for British business in Brunei.
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Provide our members with practical support and advice, delivered via a range of scheduled events and on-line communities.
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Share knowledge and expertise.
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Assist Bruneian business people in finding British partners for enhancing both parties’ business performance.
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To provide multiple networking opportunities for members in both formal and informal settings.
Committee Members
High Commissioner His Excellency John Virgoe arrived Brunei Darussalam in August 2020 and presented his credentials to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Dipertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 10 September 2020. His Excellency was most recently Head of South-East Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he was the Head of Joint Anti-Corruption Unit for the Cabinet Office from 2015 to 2017. Brunei is His Excellency John Virgoe’s fourth overseas posting, having served in Jakarta, Nairobi and Canberra. Chair of BBBF I strongly believe that we can achieve great things by working together towards our common goals, and I look forward to collaborating with you during my term as Chair. I look forward to hear your thoughts and ideas, and highly encourage you to share them with me where possible. Thank you for your trust and support.
H.E. Mr. John Virgoe
British High Commission
Brunei DarussalamPg Aki Ismasufian bin Pg Hj Ibrahim
I am deeply honored to have been elected as the new Chair of the Britain Brunei Business Forum at its AGM on Weds, 8 March 2023. It is a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading this organization towards achieving our shared goals. My vision is to foster an environment that encourages collaboration, creativity, and innovation, where everyone's voices are heard and their contributions are valued.
Ms Miriam Wolber (Honorary Secretary) Miriam is the General Manager of Radisson Hotel Brunei. She arrived in Brunei in March 2021. Miriam has worked in several countries including Germany, UAE, Shanghai and the Philippines.
Radisson Hotel Brunei
Ambrose Nathan (Honorary Treasurer) Worked in a number of countries in South East Asia for over 20 years including Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Brunei in various positions in the field of Finance. Experience was notably in Price Waterhouse in the management consultancy division specializing in mergers, acquisitions, receivership, corporatisation of government departments and managing an oil palm refinery. Had 16 years with G4S, the largest security company in the world in the role of Finance Director, Financial Controller of South East Asia and retiring as the Country Manager for the operations in Brunei.
BizAdvize Services Sdn Bhd
Siva Subramaniam I have spent 20 years of my career as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Laksamana College of Business. In this role, I have been responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the institution, as well as developing and implementing strategies to promote growth and success. Throughout my tenure, I have been dedicated to providing a high-quality education to students and have played an instrumental role in positioning Laksamana College of Business as one of the leading institutions. Through my leadership, we have implemented innovative programs and initiatives that have enabled our students to thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape. In addition to my work at Laksamana College of Business, I have also been an active member of the Britain Brunei Business Forum (BBBF) for 18 years. During this time, I have held various executive positions, including Treasurer, Secretary, and Chairman for the last two years. In these roles, I have been committed to promoting economic growth and investment opportunities between Brunei and the United Kingdom and have worked tirelessly to build strong relationships between businesses in both countries.
Laksamana College of Business
Brunei Darussalam
I have been the Honorary Secretary of the BBBF for 3 years since March 2020, and an Executive Committee member for one year from March 2019 to March 2020. I have been the Manager of Mabohai Shopping since 2013. Prior to my current position, I spent 19 years working in the British defence industry in a business administration role and later in a business development role.
Calvin Lo
CDL Enterprise / Trans-Saga Sdn Bhd
Brunei Darussalam
Calvin is a competent Occupational Health & Safety practitioner, who provides independent Health-Safety-Environment (HSE) advisory services in Brunei Darussalam. He is an Alumni member of the National Examinations Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), a UK independent examinations board; and a Graduate member of the UK Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
Having previous academic Business Administration background, he had held top management positions in various organisations and partnerships for almost two decades, before being self-employed. His business management skills and experience coupled with his HSE competencies, had currently enabled him to provide valuable general consultancy services and solutions, to both private businesses and government agencies.
Charles Ting
Shengyu Trading
Brunei Darussalam
I joined British High Commission in January 1989 as an Assistant Management Officer and later in early 2000, I took up another role as UK Trade and Investment Offer until March 2009. (Total 20 years and 3 months with the British High Commission in Brunei)
BBBF was formed in 2002 and since then I have been a member till now, 22 years as committee member and one year as Secretary from 2016-2017.
I am now running my own business in stationery sector and premium gifts under International Business Mate Sdn Bhd. I am the Director in this company and our company has been appointed by a few reputable stationery manufacturers as the sole distributor in Brunei. UK brands are Parker Pens and Helix/Oxford.
Alina is the Managing Director of PFH Fire Protection Co Sdn Bhd based in Kuala Belait. The company specialises in the supply, service, maintenance of firefighting equipment, fire alarm systems, safety products, lifesaving appliances like Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBD) with a commitment to providing quality services whilst ensuring the health and safety of both our employees and clients. PFH Fire Protection is the first local company to be approved by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as an External Specialist for Fire Extinguishing Systems Inspection and Maintenance and also certified by Bureau Veritas as an approved service supplier for the inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishing/fire detection equipment and systems to Bureau Veritas Classed vessels in Brunei Darussalam. When not wearing her HSE hat, she enjoys horse riding and keeping the balance with barre, Lagree and Zumba.
Manuel Bulens Manuel is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Compliance, Corporate Governance and Legal Support of Baiduri Bank in Brunei Darussalam since 2020. Prior to that, he was the Head of Retail Banking at Alliance Bank, Malaysia and has held key positions in compliance, controls, risk and governance with Citibank branches in Belgium, Spain, Russia and Korea. Manuel is also a Chartered Banker.
Edmund Teo Edmund has been with State Street since 2014 overseeing client relationships with central banks, sovereign wealth funds and asset managers across selected markets in South East Asia. Based in Brunei, Edmund is also the country head and director of State Street Brunei Sdn Bhd. Edmund began his career in financial services more than 19 years ago with HSBC and prior to joining State Street, he was at Standard Chartered Bank. Edmund holds a BA (Hons) degree from the University of Durham, and an MBA from the University of Manchester.
Alisa Khoo
QAF Auto Sdn Bhd
With 28 years of experience in the automotive industry, Alisa is the current General Manager for QAF Auto Sdn Bhd, the sole importer for BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad brand in Brunei.
With a vision of leadership rooted in empowerment, she champions the values of communication, diversity and integrity.
Alisa has been in Brunei since end 2019 and has been a supportive member of the Britain Brunei Business Forum (BBBF) for the last 3 years. Being recently elected as the executive committee member, she hopes to bring her knowledge and expertise to the forum with further collaborations and support between the BBBF members.
Zeti Reza Amin
Independent Business Consultant & Adjunct Lecturer
Zeti joined the BBBF in 2023, and recently became an Executive Committee member. With an extensive background spanning 18 years in ICT at the Authority for Info-communication Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and strategic management at the Muara Port Company (MPC), she holds expertise in streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. Zeti is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CMILT) and is an independent consultant working alongside the Centre for Logistics Leadership & Business (CLLB), Malaysia.
Her leadership and advocacy for women extends to global initiatives, where she serves as the Country Chair for the G100 Global Women Leaders in the Manufacturing, Logistics & Supply-Chain cluster, and is an active member of the Global Women in Logistics & Transport (WiLAT). Zeti also contributes to academia as an adjunct lecturer at the Laksamana College of Business (LCB), where she teaches technology and imparts practical knowledge to the next generation.
Zeti is committed to the Britain-Brunei Business Forum and her roles across various organisations. She focuses on mentoring youth, fostering collaborations, and advancing women's equity in logistics and technology, aiming to inspire positive change.