Ruth Abishegam Clark

Ruth serves as SVP of Learning & Development at Azimuth Centre of Excellence, an international company dedicated to creating customised training and Human Resources consultancy for corporate clients using disruptive methodologies.

She brings over 30 years of experience in the hospitality sector across the Asia Pacific region, having headed Human Resources departments and served as an HR and L&D consultant. Throughout her career she has worked across diverse organisational cultures and levels, focusing on building shared value for communities.

A key aspect of her professional legacy involves championing sustainability initiatives, leading organisational transformation toward environmental and community responsibility. Looking forward, Ruth aims to mentor emerging hoteliers by offering fresh perspectives to those who want to rise the ladder and have the drive and passion to be internationally recognised.

Vasudevan Suppiah

Vasudevan Suppiah is a seasoned industry professional backed by 25 years of experience in Human Resources and Industrial Relations in the hospitality field, having worked extensively with both international hotel chains and independent properties throughout his career.

His professional motivation centres on addressing industry gaps. He believes there is a need for a platform for Asian hoteliers to share their knowledge and experiences, and he is committed to leveraging technology to develop solutions that encourage the recruitment and training of young people from local communities while providing equal opportunities for the next generation.

His credentials include a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of London, a Postgraduate Diploma in HRM from the University of Portsmouth, and an MBA from Universiti Utara Malaysia. He holds Certified Hospitality Administrator, Certified Hospitality Trainer, Certified Hospitality Revenue Manager, and Certified HR Auditor credentials, and served as a Member of the Malaysian Industrial Court Panel from 2009 to 2012.

Rohizat Baharum

Rohizat brings more than 25 years of hospitality sector experience, having worked with major hotel chains including Equatorial, Hyatt, Parkroyal, and Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts, plus convention venues such as KLCC and MITEC. He serves on several professional bodies including the Industrial Relations Panel for the Industrial Court and the SOCSO Panel.

His career focuses on creating employment pathways and developing hospitality talent. He has established partnerships with hospitality colleges to deliver skills training in catering, housekeeping, culinary arts, and beverage service, and pioneered a “Casual Worker Program” offering skill training to students at hospitality colleges and universities.

Rohizat serves as an Industrial Advisor to INTI University and TARUC, and is Vice President of the ASIA Hospitality and Human Resource Association and Deputy Chairman of Malaysia Tourism Talent Development. His qualifications include Train the Trainer certification (HRDF), Licensed Master and Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and Certified Hotel Trainer credentials.

Ruth Abishegam Clark

Ruth serves as SVP of Learning & Development at Azimuth Centre of Excellence, an international company dedicated to creating customised training and Human Resources consultancy for corporate clients using disruptive methodologies.

She brings over 30 years of experience in the hospitality sector across the Asia Pacific region, having headed Human Resources departments and served as an HR and L&D consultant. Throughout her career she has worked across diverse organisational cultures and levels, focusing on building shared value for communities.

A key aspect of her professional legacy involves championing sustainability initiatives, leading organisational transformation toward environmental and community responsibility. Looking forward, Ruth aims to mentor emerging hoteliers by offering fresh perspectives to those who want to rise the ladder and have the drive and passion to be internationally recognised.

Sunny Savinderjit Singh

Sunny is a seasoned professional bringing 27 years of leadership experience from four industries, including 16 years as a professional consultant trainer. His career spans the hospitality, petroleum and logistics, education, and training sectors.

In hospitality he held operational and strategic roles with major properties including The Holiday Inn, Penang Mutiara Beach Resort, and Sunway Hotel Georgetown and Penang, directing Front Office / Rooms Division while overseeing employee development, training, customer service initiatives, and operations planning, budgeting, and forecasting.

His distinctive capability is designing customised programmes addressing competency gaps or specific operational needs. He conducts training fluently in both English and Bahasa Malaysia, incorporating practical tools, role-plays, and real operational examples to enhance participant engagement across diverse sectors.

Susan Verghese

Susan Verghese is a leading educator and consultant who brings over 35 years of industry experience across hospitality establishments, academic institutions, and consultancies. She has collaborated with MAHTEC (the Malaysian Association of Hotels Training & Education Centre) and Aariana Hospitality International throughout her career.

Her professional credentials include CHT (Certified Hospitality Trainer) certification from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. She serves as the lead facilitator for CHT programmes and has conducted multiple certification sessions for Malaysia’s hospitality sector, with qualifications spanning Switzerland, America, India, Malaysia, and ASEAN-level certifications.

Throughout her career, Verghese has consistently earned strong evaluations from training participants and remains committed to advancing the hospitality industry through education and professional development initiatives.

Mahesh Kishor

Mahesh Kishor is a Learning & Development and Quality leader with over 14 years of experience across luxury and premium hospitality, airport hospitality, financial services, and education. Currently serving as Global Learning & Development Manager for Plaza Premium Group.

His expertise in learning design was shaped significantly during his tenure with Jumeirah Group, where he designed and implemented structured learning frameworks at both hotel and corporate levels. His Quality Assurance background has added a rigorous governance dimension to this work, having led audits, established quality committees. Having worked across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and with additional experience in financial services at American Express and the education sector, Mahesh brings a genuinely cross-sector, globally informed perspective to his advisory work.

As an Industry Advisor with Asianhotelier.Org, he contributes deep expertise in learning design, quality assurance, and capability building areas that are central to raising professional standards and developing the next generation of hospitality talent across the region.

Hasrul Hamid

Hasrul Hamid is a hospitality professional turned Learning & Development and Talent Specialist, whose career journey is a remarkable example of cross-functional growth within the industry. Beginning as a Commis Chef in 1997 and progressing through culinary roles before transitioning into hygiene, stewarding, and ultimately people development, Hasrul has arrived at his current calling as a Director of Learning & Development. This ground-up progression across the kitchen, operations, and training functions gives him an unusually complete understanding of what it takes to develop talent in a real hospitality environment.

His expertise spans learning culture development, brand service programme facilitation, talent acquisition, mentoring, and coaching — complemented by a strong grounding in food safety and hygiene governance built through years as Hygiene Coordinator and Stewarding & Hygiene Manager. These experiences reflect both his commitment to professional standards and his breadth across operational and people disciplines.

As an Industry Advisor with Asianhotelier.Org, Hasrul brings a deeply practical perspective on talent development, learning design, and the cultivation of future hospitality leaders — shaped by a career that began in the kitchen and evolved through every layer of hotel operations.