In a significant move, His Majesty the King of Bhutan has appointed Mun Leong Liew as CEO to lead the groundbreaking Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) in the Kingdom’s Special Administrative Region.

The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is a visionary urban development project that will transform the Kingdom’s Special Administrative Region into a global beacon of mindful and sustainable growth.

His Majesty, Chairman of the Mindfulness City Board of Directors (BOD), concurrently appointed Liew to the BOD alongside Joichi “Joi” Ito, Yee Ean Pang, Seow Hiang Lee, Arun Kapur, and Lauren Chung. Further additions to the Mindfulness City BOD will be announced shortly. His Majesty also named Ito Chairman of the Gelephu Investment Development Corporation (GIDC).

With decades of global experience, these leaders will work with Bhutanese peers and international partners to establish GMC as a beacon of mindful development, blending cutting-edge infrastructure with Bhutanese values to drive sustainable, transformative growth. Announced by His Majesty in December 2023, Gelephu Mindfulness City is a global economic hub designed to reframe core economic and social development principles.

Mun Leong Liew: Leading the Charge

Mun Leong Liew will lead the charge based on his extensive experience at the helm of international investment and development projects. He has a solid track record in urbanisation, infrastructure, and airport development, having planned and executed groundbreaking projects across global markets in leadership roles with CapitaLand, Changi Airport, and Surbana Jurong Group.

This positions Liew well to steer GMC’s strategic vision, infrastructure projects, and global investments. A core focus of his mandate will be capacity building and developing Bhutanese talent in preparation for the Gelephu Mindfulness City team’s future leadership succession.

Joichi “Joi” Ito: Chairman of GIDC

Joichi “Joi” Ito has concurrently taken the role of Chairman of the Gelephu Investment Development Corporation (GIDC). Ito will work with Bhutanese and international peers to facilitate investment and economic growth for enterprises in Gelephu Mindfulness City SAR, other areas of Bhutan, and globally.

This will include enhancing digital connectivity for Mindfulness City and the Kingdom and driving investment in green energy sources such as hydropower and solar. At the same time, GIDC will foster the establishment and growth of technology industries that use carbon-free power, including data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

Ito is uniquely qualified for this mandate based on extensive technology sector experience. His current role as President of the Chiba Institute of Technology and previous position as Director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) put him at the forefront of research & development in areas such as green energy, AI, web3, and Blockchain. Similarly, his work with The Digital Society Council of the Digital Agency of Japan and international organisations such as The Mozilla Foundation and The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) means that he brings a broad network of relationships with him.

Other Key Appointments

• Yee Ean Pang joins the BOD with a strong investment track record in greenfield and infrastructure development across Asia, with a USD 6 billion portfolio, a significant portion of which is dedicated to renewable energy. He is currently focused on social sustainability investments. As the founder and director of Urbina Capital, former CEO of Surbana Jurong Capital, and Director General of Operations at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, his expertise will guide Gelephu’s alignment with triple sustainability investment strategies, working to ensure economically, socially, and environmentally responsible development.
• Seow Hiang Lee, former CEO of Changi Airport Group, brings unmatched insights into urban development and international connectivity to the BOD. Having overseen the rise of Changi Airport to global prominence – the transportation hub has been named the World’s Best Airport multiple times – his deep understanding of the interplay between government and the private sector in the pursuit of infrastructure development and economic growth will be pivotal in ensuring Gelephu Mindfulness City’s competitiveness as a regional economic hub.
• Arun Kapur, who led the establishment of the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute (DGI) at Paro, Bhutan, contributes a deep understanding of training and education systems to the BOD. He will be key in upskilling Bhutanese talent to take leading roles in private and public institutions in the Mindfulness City. Before his work with DGI, Kapur held leadership positions with some of the highest-ranked schools across India, including as Principal of The British School and Headmaster of the Vasant Valley School, both in New Delhi and as Executive Director of Learn Today, headquartered in New Delhi.
• Lauren Chung, Asia Pacific CEO of Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, brings significant international relations and communications strategy expertise to the BOD. Lauren is a trusted advisor to corporate boards, CEOs, investors, governments, and civil society leaders, helping them achieve strategic goals while navigating high-stakes economic, geo-strategic, regulatory, media, social, technological, and environmental change. She will provide guidance on the necessary communications infrastructure and skills development to support the City’s global stakeholder engagement.

The new appointees attended the opening session of the Bhutan Innovation Forum this morning in Paro, Bhutan. Bjarke Ingels, founding partner and creative director of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), presented the concept master plan for GMC.

Together, these development, technology, and education pioneers will lay the foundation for Gelephu Mindfulness City to emerge as a global economic and social development model in harmony with the human spirit and the environment. As Bhutan embarks on this visionary journey, it continues to seek like-minded, visionary professionals to join this pioneering initiative, driving forward a new era of growth and mindfulness for the Kingdom and beyond.