Bhutan appoints leaders to introduce Gelephu Mindfulness City to the world

In a significant move, His Majesty, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan appointed Mun Leong Liew as CEO to lead the groundbreaking Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) in the Kingdom’s Special Administrative Region. 

While the King will be chairman of the GMC’s board of directors, he concurrently appointed Liew to the board, together with Joichi “Joi” Ito, Yee Ean Pang, Seow Hiang Lee, Arun Kapur and Lauren Chung. 

Ito was also appointed chair of the Gelephu Investment Development Corporation (GIDC).

The new appointees attended the opening session of the Bhutan Innovation Forum this morning in Paro, Bhutan, where Bjarke Ingels, founding partner and creative director of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), presented the concept masterplan for GMC. 

Further additions to the GMC board will be announced at a later date.

Announced by the King in December 2023, the GMC is a global economic hub designed to reframe core principles of economic and social development.

A team of experts 

With decades of global experience, these leaders in their fields will work with Bhutanese peers and international partners to establish GMC as a beacon of mindful development, blending cutting-edge infrastructure with Bhutanese values to drive sustainable, transformative growth. 

Together, these development, technology and education pioneers will lay the foundation for Gelephu Mindfulness City to emerge as a global model of economic and social development in harmony with the human spirit and the environment.

As Bhutan embarks on this visionary journey, it continues to seek like-minded, visionary professionals to join this pioneering initiative, driving forward a new era of growth and mindfulness for the Kingdom and beyond.

Who’s who on the GMC board?

Mun Leong Liew will lead the charge based on his extensive experience at the helm of international investment and development projects. He has a solid track record in urbanisation, infrastructure and airport development garnered planning and executing groundbreaking projects across global markets in leadership roles with CapitaLand, Changi Airport and Surbana Jurong Group. As founding president and CEO of CapitaLand Group, he grew the publicly listed company to a USD 12 billion market capitalisation and expanded its footprint to more than 20 countries, making it Southeast Asia’s largest real estate group. His leadership at Changi Airport Group saw the creation of the globally recognised Jewel Changi Airport, among other developments. This positions Liew well to steer GMC’s strategic vision, infrastructure projects and global investments. A core focus of his mandate will be capacity building, developing Bhutanese talent in preparation for future leadership succession of the Gelephu Mindfulness City team.

Joichi “Joi” Ito has concurrently taken the role of Chairman of the Gelephu Investment Development Corporation (GIDC). Ito will work with Bhutanese and international peers to facilitate investment and economic growth and development for enterprises in Gelephu Mindfulness City SAR, other areas of Bhutan and globally. This will include working to enhance digital connectivity for the Mindfulness City and the Kingdom and driving investment in green energy sources such as hydropower and solar. At the same time, GIDC will foster the establishment and growth of technology industries to utilise carbon-free power, including data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

Yee Ean Pang joins the BOD with a strong investment track record in greenfield and infrastructure development across Asia, with a USD 6 billion portfolio, a significant portion of which is dedicated to renewable energy. He is currently focused on social sustainability investments. As the founder and director of Urbina Capital, former CEO of Surbana Jurong Capital and Director General of Operations at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, his expertise will guide Gelephu’s alignment with triple sustainability investment strategies, working to ensure economically, socially and environmentally responsible development. 

Seow Hiang Lee, former CEO of Changi Airport Group, brings unmatched insights into urban development and international connectivity to the BOD. Having overseen the rise of Changi Airport to global prominence – the transportation hub has been named the World’s Best Airport multiple times – his deep understanding of the interplay between government and the private sector in the pursuit of infrastructure development and economic growth will be pivotal in ensuring Gelephu Mindfulness City’s competitiveness as a regional economic hub.

Arun Kapur, who led the establishment of the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute (DGI) at Paro, Bhutan, contributes deep understanding of training and education systems to the BOD. He will play a key role in upskilling Bhutanese talent to take leading roles in private and public institutions in the Mindfulness City. Prior to his work with DGI, Kapur held leadership positions with some of the highest ranked schools across India, including as Principal of The British School and Headmaster of the Vasant Valley School, both in New Delhi, and as Executive Director of Learn Today, headquartered in New Delhi.

Lauren Chung, Asia Pacific CEO of Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, brings significant expertise in international relations and communications strategy to the BOD. Lauren is a trusted advisor to corporate boards, CEOs, investors, governments and civil society leaders, helping them achieve strategic goals while navigating high-stakes economic, geo-strategic, regulatory, media, social, technological and environmental change. She will provide guidance on the necessary communications infrastructure and skills development to support the City’s global stakeholder engagement.