Charting the Agentic Future

IDC Asia/Pacific
Senior Vice President, Research

Sandra Ng is the Senior Vice President for IDC, overseeing research across the ICT industry. Based in Singapore, she advises both technology buyers and vendors, providing critical guidance on technology investments, financial strategies and go-to-market approaches. Sandra leads a team of Research analysts who are at the forefront of emerging ICT trends and changing landscapes as well as provide deep insights and advice to clients on both the sell and buy sides. Her team collaborates with IDC’s various divisions to deliver comprehensive market intelligence, customized go-to-market services, strategic financial advice and cost-effective decision-making support in IT investments.

With more than 20 years of experience, Sandra is known for her expertise in the ICT industry across industries, giving advice to the C-suite particularly in large sectors like FSI, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Public Sector and Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals. She frequently shares insights with tech and business executives on the buyer side, looking into their strategies, business models, internal processes, and ecosystem partnerships. Sandra partners with vendor clients on go-to-market narratives and positioning, sales-enablement workshops, product value propositions, ecosystem partnership models and more.

IDC Asia/Pacific
Vice President, Asia/Pacific AI and Industry Research

Chris Marshall is a Vice President responsible for several areas of research at IDC. Chris leads the Asia/Pacific regional industry research teams, which includes coverage of healthcare, government, retail, energy, manufacturing, and financial services.  Additionally, Chris leads our regional teams in data, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), future of work, and sustainability.

Previously, Chris was a senior executive in IBM Watson Financial Services where he led their AI-enabled risk and analytics practice in Asia. Before joining IBM, he held partner and executive roles in big data and analytics at KPMG, Oracle, and UBS. He is also a former Professor of Computer Science at National University of Singapore where he was co-founder and director of their programs in Intelligent Systems, and Financial Engineering.

IDC Asia/Pacific
Vice President, Global and Asia/Pacific Devices Research

Bryan Ma is Vice President of Client Devices research, covering mobile phones, tablets, PCs, AR/VR headsets, wearables, thin clients, and monitors across Asia as well as worldwide. Based in Singapore, Bryan provides insights and advisory services for both vendors and users, and coordinates his team of analysts in building IDC’s core market data, analysis, and forecasts in these sectors.

Bryan has been quoted in a number of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, BusinessWeek, The South China Morning Post, and The New York Times. He has been a featured speaker at numerous industry conferences and appears frequently as a guest commentator on television networks such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and the BBC.

IDC Asia/Pacific
Vice President, China Research

Zhenshan Zhong is the vice president of Emerging Technology Research, leading the research teams focusing on emerging technologies (the four pillars and innovation accelerators). Zhenshan and his team are responsible for the overall success of these research domains, including participation and program management of key client engagements and the daily management of research team members.

Zhenshan has more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry, having held a variety of leadership positions both in China and in Europe. His last role was IT director for Pearson China, in which he was responsible for the overall management of the IT solutions and infrastructure for the business, defining the IT strategy for the company to support business growth. He was also responsible for a series of key initiatives in the region, which resulted in both cost reductions and efficiency gains for the business.

IDC Asia/Pacific
Vice President, Asia/Pacific Services and CEO/CIO Research

Linus Lai spearheads research in digital business, trust, infrastructure, and services. With over 25 years of industry experience, Linus is based in Sydney and serves as the chief analyst for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). He is a founding member of IDC’s Emerging Technology Advisory Council and a respected senior member of the region’s CIO100, CSO, and Future Enterprise awards. In his role, Linus provides strategic insights for digital leaders and the technology sector, focusing on sourcing strategies and emerging technology across Asia/Pacific. His expertise has earned him numerous accolades for his contributions to country, regional, and quality research. His thought leadership is frequently sought after through regular features in various publications and media outlets. He is also a prominent speaker at industry forums, keynote events, and strategy workshops.