Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC)- Basic Management Information

The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is a pioneering initiative aimed at creating an urban living environment that combines meaningfulness, sustainability and innovation. This project will combine traditional Bhutanese values with cutting-edge design and technology and harness Bhutan's abundant renewable resources. It will serve as an example of holistic development. GMC will exist as a Special Administrative Region(SAR) which will be granted special executive, legislative and judicial independent rights.

GELEPHU, Bhutan, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- His Royal Highness , the King of Bhutan, has taken an important decision and appointed Mr. Mun Leong Liew as the Director General of the ground breaking Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) project in the Special Administrative Region of the Kingdom. His Royal Highness, the Chairman of the Board of GMC, simultaneously appointed Mr. Liew as a member of the Board of GMC along with Messrs. Joichi "Joi" Ito, Yee Ean Pang, Seow Hiang Lee, Arun Kapur and Ms. Lauren Chung. Further additions to the GMC Board will be announced shortly. His Royal Highness also appointed Mr. Ito as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gelephu Investment Development Corporation (GIDC)

These executives, who have years of international experience, will work together with leading Bhutanese personalities and international partners to establish GMC , as a model of meaningful development that will combine the most advanced infrastructure with Bhutanese values. In doing so, they will contribute to Bhutan's sustainable growth and development. His Majesty has described the GMC as a global economic hub, designed to redefine the fundamental principles of economic and social development.

Mun Leong Liew will provide leadership based on his extensive experience in leading international investment and development projects. He has a solid professional background in urban development, infrastructure and airport projects, gained from planning and executing large-scale projects in senior positions with Capital Land, Changi Airport and Surbana Jurong Group. As the first President and CEO of Capital Land Group, he led the publicly traded company to a market capitalisation of US$12 billion and expanded its operations to over 20 countries to become the largest property development company in Southeast Asia. Among other things, he was instrumental in building the world-renowned Jewel Changi Airport. In her role, she will focus on capacity building and developing Bhutan's capabilities to subsequently take on a leadership role in the GMC team.

On his appointment, Mr Liew said: "I am very honoured to have been entrusted with the leadership role in this project and it is exciting for me to build a team that will bring the GMC to life. This project will bring a fresh perspective to the sustainability of urban living and I will be delighted to work with a diverse team of bright and committed professionals to deliver His Highness' vision. Together, we will create a unique urban agglomeration that embodies Bhutanese values while enabling future meaningful economic growth.

Joichi "Joi" Ito has joined as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gelephu Invesment Development Corporation(GIDC) . Mr. Ito will work with Bhutanese and international leaders to facilitate investment and economic growth and development of companies operating in the GMC Special Adminitrative Region, other parts of Bhutan and globally.

This will include activities to promote digital connectivity between the GMC and other parts of the Kingdom and to support investment in renewable energy sources such as hydro and solar enrgetics. The GIDC will also support the establishment and development of technology ventures using carbon-free energy sources, including data storage and artificial intelligence.

Ito is uniquely professionally equipped to fulfill this role based on his experience in the technology sector, and his current position as President of Chiba Institution of Technology and previous position as Director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) place him at the forefront of research and development in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, web3 and Blockchain. Similarly, his involvement with The Digitals Society Council and Digital Agency of Japan and international organizations such as the Mozillaa Foundation and The Electronic Privacy Information Center(EPIC) means that he brings a rich network of contacts to the table.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Ito said : " The GMC and the Kingdom of Bhutan are pioneers in meaningful environmentally friendly development based on the abundant use of renewable energy, the involvement of entrepreneurs pushing the boundaries in areas such as emelligence, blockchain and drone development, and a commitment to harnessing technologies that will improve the living conditions of humanity .

Yee Ean Pang, as another GMC board member, has extensive professional experience in greenfield infrastructure development projects built across Asia. The projects on which he has served have had budgets totalling USD 6 billion. A significant number of these projects were in the renewable energy sector. His current focus is on investment projects that emphasize social sustainability. He is the founder and Director of Urbina Capital, has served as Managing Director of Surnana Jurong Capital and Director of Operations at Asian Infrastrucutre Investment Bank. His experience will be used to interlink the three core strategies of the GMC project to ensure a responsible approach to sustainable development in the economic, social and environmental spheres.

Seow Hiang Lee, former CEO of Changi Airport Group , will be an asset to the GMC Board with his unparalleled insight into urban development and international connectivity. Having led Changi Airoprt to world-class status - the transport hub has been repeatedly awarded as the world's best airport - Mr Lee has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the relationship between government and the private sector. This will be important in making GMC a competitive and economically viable hub in the region.

Arun Kapur, who founded the Druk Gyalpo Institute in Paro, Bhutan, will contribute to the Board with a thorough understanding of the education and training system for the professions, and will play a key role in improving the skills of Bhutanese workers to take on leadership roles in the public and private sectors in the GMC. Prior to his work at DGI, he has held leadership positions in prestigious schools in India, including as Principal of The British School and Vasant Valley School in New Delhi. He was also the Executive Director of Learn Today, a school based in New Delhi.

Lauren Chung, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Teneo, a global consulting firm, will bring important experience in international relations and communications strategy to the Board. Lauren is a trusted advisor to corporate boards . CEOs, investors, government executivest . She helps them achieve their strategic goals by assisting them in tackling difficult issues in the areas of economic, geo-strategic, regulatory, social , media, technology and environmental issues.She provides executives with the necessary communication skills to drive investor interest from around the world.

The newly appointed Board members attended the inaugural meeting of the Bhutan Innovation Board, where the core concept of GMC was presented by Ms. Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner and Creative Director of Bjarke Ingels Group.

These pioneers of development, technology and education will lay the foundation for GMC to become a global model for economic and social development in harmony with the spiritual development of humanity and the environment. In pursuit of this vision, Bhutan is looking for like-minded professionals who will assist in the implementation of this initiative and contribute to the continued growth and meaningfulness of the Kingdom and beyond.

Media Contacts

Carissa Nimah Managing Director Communications carissa@gmc.bt
Yuri van der Leest, Managing Director Teneo gelephu@teneo.com

SOURCE Teneo