Financing for the "Backbone" of Malaysian Economy: Trend, Challenges and Outlook

1. Past: first guide you to understand the development history of the "Backbone" (i.e. SMEs) of Malaysian economy.
2. Present: unpack the existing challenges especially the financial constraint faced by SMEs. 
3. Question: Is the support from public & private financial institutions enough for SMEs? Delineating the financing gap.
4. Solution: What kind of financial solutions and products have been produced to help SMEs? 
5. Future: ESG is not just for big companies, SMEs should also practice. Outlook for green financing for SMEs.

Paul will also share his own experience in engaging with hundreds of SME owners/stakeholders in Malaysia as a means of discussing the constraints of SME financing and solutions for possible and further upgrading.

About the speaker: 
Paul graduated from University of North London with an honour in Accounting & Finance. He then apent another 4 years gaining exposure in various business sectors sich as financial management, property development and F&B, before returning to Malaysia to join CIMB Bank Berhad. 

In his 15 years so far as a professional banker with CIMB Bank, he has worked in different roles, from internal product strategy to awards-winning customers fronting SME regional manager, and eventually promoted to a bigger role to head the bank's SME banking and sales development. Besides, he is also a BNM line trainer on SME financing and CIMB bank regional line trainer. 

Paul is very passionate about sharing his knowledge to the SME community to enchance financial literacy, entrepreneurship, technology adoption and to promote its business growth. In collaboration with CIMB Foundation, the CSR unit of CIMB Group, and business leaders, numerous physical and online seminars have been held since 2019 under his leadership, which has benefitted thousands of entrepreneurs and hundreds of them have then been trained on a fully funded basis to conduct eCommerce business. 

Paul always looks forward to leaning from and encourages insightful sharing by industrial leaders and experts. Often it is not about what you know, but also whom you know, henceforth he has taken it as a mission by organising the 'Business Leaders In-depth Exchange Forum", to benefit all like-minded leaders and entrepreneurs.