Vivek Kumar

President & CEO (APAC) at JA Worldwide

Speaker

Vivek Kumar leads JA Asia Pacific, preparing millions of young people across a region where 60% of the world’s youth live for an AI-reshaped economy. JA Worldwide reaches 23 million young people annually with hands-on programs in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and workforce readiness - positioning youth development as critical economic infrastructure.

Vivek brings over two decades of leadership across business, technology, and public policy. As CEO of WWF-Singapore, he led digital transformation and climate finance innovation. At FairPrice Group, his team launched Singapore’s first AI-powered unmanned retail store and developed one of Asia’s largest omnichannel retail media networks. At Shell, he drove regional retail marketing across Asia Pacific & the Middle East.

His governance experience spans Board tenures at Enterprise Singapore, IMDA (Singapore’s digital infrastructure authority), and GovTech Singapore, shaping national strategies in AI deployment, digital identity, and innovation policy.

Born in Bihar, India to educator parents, Vivek saw firsthand how education systems determine economic futures. This experience drives his focus on a critical question: How do we prepare millions of young people for work that doesn’t yet exist?