About CSP
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We’re Driving Positive Change
– In a Big Way
Established in Oct 2021, CSP Singapore is an independent nonprofit that works in collaboration with CSP at the University of Zurich.
The story begins in 2015 in Boston at the first Impact Investing for the Next Generation research and training program held at the Harvard Kennedy School. Bold ideas, strong partnerships, and the drive for impact rapidly grew into a university center dedicated to finding the answers to the complex question of how to make sustainable finance the default.
The spinoff of the flagship training program was established as the
Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth at the University of
Zurich in 2017 on the basis of the Center for Microfinance.
Today,
CSP brings together academic research and practical training programs.
The global team consists of about 20 researchers and program staff
enabling a modus operandi built on transforming questions into knowledge
and bringing knowledge to action.
Wilson Tan
Managing Director, CSP Singapore
Wilson Tan
CSP SG ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Falko Paetzold
Prof. Dr. Falko Paetzold is Assistant Professor in Social Finance at EBS University (Oestrich-Winkel), and is the Initiator and Managing Director of the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP) at University of Zurich. CSP is a spin-off from the Next Gen Impact Investing program that Falko co-initiated at the Initiative for Responsible Investment at Harvard University.
Before CSP, Falko was a fellow at Harvard, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT Sloan, Sustainability Analyst and M&A Consultant at Bank Vontobel, and partner at the sustainable investing consultancy Contrast Capital. Falko founded GreenBuzz, an international network of sustainability intrapreneurs.
Falko is an advisor on impact topics at organisations ranging from the Swiss Association of Wealth Managers, the sustainability fintech start-up Inyova, the foundation for music schools Zurich (MKZ), the sustainability fund manager ACATIS Fair Value, the bank ZKB, the wealth manager Riedweg & Hrovat, and the sustainability-intrapreneur community GreenBuzz Zurich.
Falko enjoys sports in the mountains, ranging from mountain biking over freeride snowboarding to ski touring. He is based in Zurich and serves on the CSP SG Board in a private capacity.
Dr. Falko Paetzold
Managing Director and Initiator, CSP Zurich
Sumitra Aswani
Sumitra is a fourth-generation member of Tolaram, a Singapore enterprise that began as a small retail shop in Indonesia in 1948 and now spans 16 countries, employs almost 20,000 people, and reaches over one billion consumers. Her roles in the organisation include Founding Director at Ishk Tolaram Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides access to quality education, employment, and healthcare to underserved individuals in Singapore, Indonesia, and Nigeria, and Sustainability Lead for the global operating business.
Through these and multiple membership and voluntary engagements, Sumitra champions progressive philanthropy, sustainability, and responsible stewardship of all assets. She continues to hone her influence and skills toward mobilizing capital effectively to create a more equitable world and is particularly interested in the role of next-generation leadership in realising this.
Previously, Sumitra practised clinical medicine and healthcare policy, with an interest in family and community medicine. She holds an M.B.B.S from the National University of Singapore and a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.
Sumitra Aswani
Founding Director, Ishk Tolaram Foundation
Patti Chu
Patti is an experienced cross-disciplinary professional with a background rooted in economics and finance. Her prior experience spans across many fields including access to finance, education and renewable energy. Patti’s specialties include deal sourcing, evaluation, project design, project management, strategy and business development.
Patti is a people-connector, a philomath and is passionate about catalysing greater social and environmental impact.
Patti Chu
Head of Impact Investment, Silverstrand Capital
Sheng Yang Eer
Sheng Yang is a private investor based in Singapore interested in deploying impact capital towards earlier stage opportunities primarily in the decarbonisation space. He is a key donor and supporter of the CSP, as well as an alumnus of the Next Gen Impact Investing program co-initiated at the Initiative for Responsible Investment at Harvard University and the University of Zurich.
He previously worked for four years as an investment analyst at a top European credit manager on its European Syndicated Loans and High Yield team in London and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. He is also a member of Toniic.
Sheng Yang Eer
CIO, A-IT Software Services
Steve Kim
Steve Kim is the Asia-Pacific Regional Counsel for Conservation International. He is responsible for all legal matters in the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on nature-based climate solutions and carbon credit markets.
Steve has a proven track record in sustainable finance and impact investing from his work experience at the UN Green Climate Fund, J.P. Morgan and in private practice in the U.S., London, and Hong Kong. Steve was the Chair of the Sustainability Working Group at The American Club of Singapore.
Steve holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, a master’s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from The George Washington University. He has been a member of the New York State Bar since January 2000.
Steve Kim
APAC Regional Counsel, Conservation International
Siew Huey Ko
Beginning her career as a journalist producing social documentaries, she later joined WorldVision China to do international development work, where she pioneered the use of performance management tools to inform program design in the field. She hopes her experience in advocacy and coalition building will prove useful in increasing awareness and collaborative opportunities among asset owners, making sustainable finance more mainstream in Asia.
Huey is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, a member of Toniic and Family Business Network (Asia). She remains an avid personal portrait photographer to her beloved cats, Rumi and Alma.
Siew Huey Ko
Co-founder and Director, ArtsWok Collaborative
Lian Pin Koh
Prof. Koh is the Director of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, a research centre that seeks to produce cutting edge-science to inform climate policies, strategies, and actions in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. He is also the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Chair Professor of Conservation at NUS, Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Science, and Director of NUS’ Tropical Marine Science Institute. He also currently servies as a Nominated Member of Parliament.
Prof. Koh is one of the most highly cited conservation scientists in Asia, a TED-Global speaker, Founding Director of ConservationDrones.org, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
Lian Pin Koh
Director, NUS Centre for
Nature-based Climate Solutions
Patsian Low
Patsian is the Vice President of Inclusive Impact & Sustainability for Asia Pacific at Visa. She brings with her over 20 years of work experience from private and civic sectors, crossing the fields of CSR, sustainability, social finance, social entrepreneurship, impact philanthropy and non-profit leadership. She recently ended her tenure as Chief of Staff of AVPN, where she started the thematic programmes and policy portfolio for the organisation. Before that, she was Senior Vice President in DBS Bank, where she was head of DBS Foundation and DBS CSR, leading their work in championing social entrepreneurship. Prior to this, Patsian was the Director of the Philanthropy division in Singapore’s National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).
Patsian has also conducted training across Asia in Social Entrepreneurship, Assessing Social Impact, New Social Trends, Microfinance, and Human Capital Development. She has contributed to and co-written research papers and case studies on the same topics.
Patsian Low
Vice President of Inclusive Impact & Sustainability for Asia Pacific at Visa
Fernando Scodro
Fernando is based in Singapore, is a CSP alumnus, and graduated from the New York University with a Bachelor in Political Science. He is an avid reader on a mission to read one fiction book from every country in the world.
Fernando Scodro
Business Development, Grupo Baobá
