Meet the EYL
Philippines
Engr. Laurence Kristoffer Espiritu
Laurence’s background consists of partnership building, market research, data analysis, feasibility studies, strategic growth, and project management.
His corporate experience started in AECOM Philippines, working as the Business Development Assistant and Chief of Staff. During his term he assisted the Country Representative in coordinating projects and creating a business development dashboard. Additionally, he became the temporary project coordinator for the Energy business line, involving himself in an LNG project.
Outside his professional job, he has also written a market study that researched Urban Agriculture and Hydroponics. The study included a market analysis, cost-benefit analysis, economic analysis, and the schematic design of such a facility. He also took up his Master's in Urban Management and Development, at IHS - Erasmus University, Rotterdam, where he completed his thesis on "The Impact of Solar Energy on the Socio-Economic Activity of Microgrid Communities in the Philippines".
Currently, he is leading the Business Development Management Division of DATEM, Inc., which is one of the leading construction companies in the Philippines. He has also been appointed to be the Officer-in-Charge for DATEM Water Inc., a subsidiary of DATEM, Inc. that focuses on providing bulk water supply to various areas in the country.
Ayesha Nurain Janah
Maldives National Association of Construction Industry
Nurain Janah is the Group Vice Chair at Hotels and Resorts Investments Maldives (HARIM), a multi-industry family business in hotels and resorts development, construction technology, marine products, and investment services.
With over a decade of experience in corporate governance, finance and strategy, Nurain is a Chartered Accountant with the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ), a Fellow Member of CA Maldives, and a Certified Member of the Institute of Finance Professionals New Zealand (INFINZ), and holds a BSc in Economic Geography and a Masters in Accounting. She previously worked as a Manager at Ernst & Young in the restructuring, turnaround, and insolvency industry.
Nurain specialises in transforming enterprises into sustainable organisations through diversification and equitable and efficient governance and operations. Nurain is Founder & ESG Strategist at Rehendhi Consulting helping multinational businesses pivot their business models through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies.
A passionate philanthropist and advocate for equity, she serves on multiple international advisory boards. After founding Authenticity Aotearoa, an award-winning charity in 2016, Nurain recently launched Kandūfā Foundation, a philanthropic initiative based in Maldives and working in South Asia on leadership, environmental stewardship, and cultural heritage preservation. Nurain currently serves in the following governance roles:
• Executive Board Member of the Maldives National Association for Construction Industry (MNACI)
• Inaugural Chair of the Institute of Directors Maldives
• Advisory Board Member on the Oversight Committee for The Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms
• Advisory Council Member, New Zealand National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women
• Member, Academic Committee, CA Maldives
The Singapore Contractors Association Ltd.
Kah Howe
Kah Howe is a Director at Seah Kim Cheok Construction Co. (Pte) Ltd. He holds a Diploma in Interior Design and a Degree in Building and Project Management. He has a portfolio of work on Residential and Commercial Construction Project ranging from New Built to Addition and Alternation Works.
He is interested in how design, construction and technology can be used to better the community. For example, he enjoys exploring how elderly facilities can be improved with simple yet effective elderly aid design and construction. He also believes in advancing education of the construction community. Along with his colleagues, they have set up Grow Studio, a free mobile app for migrant brothers to learn English with pre-recorded lessons in various languages.
Applying it beyond social good, he believes in using the same three factors to grow new business markets such as Design and Build construction projects or property development projects. He has worked with partners such as Changi Airport and niche landed property developers in Singapore. With his post graduate training in Accountancy, he hopes to help his work partners to build and grow financially and holistically.