Dr. Darren Wong
CEO, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & FOUNDING PARTNER
From seeking IPO advice to building one of Southeast Asia’s top IR firms, Darren has trained over 100 C-suite executives and pioneered Malaysia’s IR Service Framework. With over 20 years of experience, he has led billion-dollar IPOs and M&As, helping companies stand out in competitive capital markets. Darren is trusted by industry leaders, fund managers, and the media for his strategic insight and market influence.
Darren is the founder of Esente Group of companies, which, from humble beginnings in 2003, has grown into a leading Investor Relations Advisory firm in Malaysia. He was also the pioneer and founder of the framework for Investor Relations Service which you see commonly practiced by many IR consultants and practitioners today.
Under his stewardship has developed award-winning investor relations strategies for multi-million to multi-billion M&As, IPOs and other capital market exercises.
He has worked alongside with some of the greatest minds throughout his career in Investor Relations, providing invaluable counsel to industry captains across various sectors. His service has been instrumental in assisting clients navigate through some of the most challenging investment landscapes and sailing through magnificent market booms both locally and abroad.
He works closely with some of the most influential people in the market such as leading analysts, fund managers and the media, which are part of the key drivers of market trends and sentiment, and pivotal components of investment success.
I Wayan Gemuh Kartaraharja
COMMISSIONER
Wayan has more than 34 years of experience in investment banking, ECM, DCM, Corporate Finance, and M&A. He was involved in the privatization of many Indonesian state-owned enterprises, as well as in IPOs, rights issues, and share placements for various private corporations.
With 34 years of experience in investment banking, he has held key roles at leading institutions including CIMB Sekuritas, CGS-CIMB Sekuritas, Maybank Kim Eng Sekuritas, Mandiri Sekuritas, and Danareksa Sekuritas.
Throughout his career, he has played a significant role in the privatization of numerous state-owned enterprises (SOEs), as well as in managing IPOs, rights issues, and share placements for various private companies. He holds an MBA in Finance from the Graduate School of Management, University of Adelaide, and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Michael Owen Kohana
DIRECTOR
Michael is an experienced Sell-Side Analyst with over five years at one of Indonesia’s top retail brokerages
Michael is an experienced Sell-Side Analyst with over five years at one of Indonesia’s top retail brokerages, where he developed deep expertise across key sectors such as Automotive, Palm Oil, and the Gold Retail Industry. He also brings a strong background in product management, with a focus on developing marketing features and strategic product initiatives. Throughout his career, Michael has worked closely with leading analysts, both local and international fund managers, executives from top-performing public and private companies, as well as media professionals—building a strong network and deep market insight.
Strengths: Leadership, Analytical, Positive, Driven and Collaborative