Management Team
James Smith
Group Managing Director
After a career in journalism in London, San Francisco and Singapore, he got the Alphabet ball rolling in 2003 following a chance conversation with a civil servant who’d asked whether there was an Asian magazine covering e-government. There wasn’t, and so after testing the waters with an online publication to see if the bird would fly, launched FutureGov magazine in 2004. It seemed like a good idea at the time, though that was before the divorce. Based in Singapore, James oversees the content side of the business, and regularly travels around the region to keep updated on the plans of senior officials, many of whom he now counts as friends. He comes from Essex and read Modern History at Oxford.
Mohit Sagar
Managing Director, Conferences
With over 16 years of sales experience in the industry in the US, UK, UAE and Asia, Mohit is Managing Director at Alphabet Media where he focuses on business development. With an appetite for the new, a belief in the importance of growth, and an openness to the ideas of others, he leads the team to create and capitalise on new business opportunities. Previously he headed sales at a number of conference companies, and before that worked at Goldman Sachs in New York. Mohit thrives in the fast-paced world of events, loves playing golf, supports Chelsea FC, and enjoys reading on almost any topic. He comes from Punjab, and took a Masters in Information Systems at Pace University, New York.
Andrew Jensen
Managing Director, Australia
Based in Sydney, Andrew runs Alphabet’s Australian office, which has responsibility for our events in Australia and New Zealand, including the annual FutureGov Summit in Canberra. He has 14 years of experience establishing and growing businesses in Toronto, Chicago, Berlin, and London. After so many years working abroad, Andrew is glad to be back home where he can play golf all year round, where world champions really are the best in the world, and where he can go for a surf on Christmas day. [Now you’re just showing off – Ed.]
Sri Narayanan
Editorial Director
Based in our Singapore office, Sri is the Editorial Director at Alphabet Media, where he oversees the publishing content of the region’s oldest, and most decorated, public sector IT title – FutureGov magazine, both in print and online. Sri is a 19-year veteran of Asia’s ICT scene – having worked as a technology journalist, commentator and editor for a variety of titles, as well as in technology PR and marketing functions. He’s witnessed at first hand the seismic shifts in the technology landscape – and is an astute analyst of the impact of ICT on the enterprise.
Ellen Quek
General Manager, Sales
Ellen is the company’s General Manager of Sales, and is currently responsible for developing some of the company’s most-established conferences – including FutureGov Forum Singapore and the annual FutureGov Summit. Previously Ellen was the Sales Director for FutureGov Asia Pacific magazine, where she brought more than 15 years of B2B media experience to the role. Prior to joining Alphabet she held regional director positions with a number of IT trade publishers. She is a mother of two, and also a fully qualified pole dancer.
Chris White
Conference Director
Chris looks after a team of conference researchers, oversees the company’s custom publishing business, and is responsible for drilling any holes required in the office. Before these weighty responsibilities were thrust upon him, Chris worked in sales and operations across the publishing and events sides of the business. Although he thinks he’s English, he’s actually spent most of his life in Dubai, Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Jamaica – basically pretty much everywhere except England. Chris supports the third best football club in the greater Manchester area (Bolton Wanderers) and has embraced Singaporean culture by marrying a lovely Singaporean, living in the ‘heartlands’ of Sengkang, and speaking Singlish. He plays computer games in his spare time.
Kelly Ng
Conference Director
Kelly leads a team of Conference Researchers who are responsible for the development of the company’s regional network of public sector, security and defence events. Before heading up one of Alphabet’s conference teams, Kelly worked in sales, editorial and business process reengineering roles – making her uniquely qualified to contribute to the content, commercial and operational success of our events. Inspired by a personal business motto to always ‘Think Pink’, she is also Alphabet’s IT Director, Social Committee Coordinator, and Trade Union Steward. Kelly has a degree in Business Management, majoring in Law and Marketing, from Singapore Management University. As a Dive Master, she spends much of her spare time under water.
Ciara Mallon
Marketing Director
Ciara heads up Alphabet’s marketing and design team – and is responsible for growing awareness of, and engagement with, the company’s publishing, events, research and training activities. She is also in charge of maintaining and growing the FutureGov community, and of developing the company’s GovNet database. Since completing her degree in International Business Communications, Ciara Mallon has spent the last eight years working her way through the marketing ranks of successful B2B conference companies in London, Dubai and Singapore. A country lass hailing from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, Ciara enjoys travelling, shopping from time to time, and the odd visit to the spa.