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ABOUT
mma Sherrard Matthew born in Singapore and educated in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Britain, Emma’s career began in
New Zealand before moving to London in 2000 to join prestigious Mosimann’s Events, where responsibilities involved managing exclusive events for prominent clients: including Heads of State, the British Royal Family and Hollywood stars at locations from 10 Downing Street to the Tate Modern Gallery. This followed a return to her roots in Hong Kong and securing the role of Business Development Manager at The British Chamber of Commerce to oversee commercial delegations to China and promote British business in the region.
In 2005, Emma was approached by Quintessentially (www.quintessentially.com) to launch the luxury lifestyle group in Asia - Pacific, with the first office in Hong Kong. Since then, Emma has been instrumental in building the business and company profile globally - she was promoted to Global CEO from 2011-2015 and Non-Executive Chairman – Asia Pacific up until April 2021.
With her entrepreneurial flair, extensive global address book and a clear life’s purpose to help drive positive change, Emma and her husband, Steven, set up STEM Innovations (www.steminnovations.co) in 2015: their impact investment platform focused on early -stage businesses. STEM Innovations currently has a portfolio of 25 companies, across a variety of sectors, mainly supporting female entrepreneurs and/or businesses with strong potential impact to improve how we live our lives.
Image by Wanda Almira
Emma is also an active Board Director or Advisor to the following:
Non-Executive Director of Mandala Group;
Board Advisor to Los Angeles based - The Wellness Agency;
Board Advisor to the first social network for luxury vacation rentals: ‘Stay One Degree’;
Advisor to Shiza Shahid who co-founded the Malala Fund and ‘NOW Ventures’;
Advisor to charitable shopping companion - Kindred
Advisor to climate positive movement - Earthly
Advisor to The Constellation: a creative hub in Singapore to transform the Pasir Panjang Power Station to be the creative epicenter of Asia and in turn Singapore to become a world-class center for creativity in the next century.
Previous appointments:
Non-Executive Director of breathwork audiomask Silentmode 2019-2021;
Non-Executive Chairman of Private Family Members’ Club: ‘Maggie & Rose’ 2017-2021;
Emma has a strong sense of commitment to social responsibility and has also been involved in a number of charitable fundraising activities and educational and mentoring workshops over the years. She previously sat on the Hong Kong Board of ‘Women Helping Women’ 2017-2019 and ‘The Women’s Foundation’ from 2011-2015. Emma is also a founding member of Development Board of Somerset House in London.
Emma is an active member of YPO Pan Asia (Young President’s Organisation) and sat on the EXCO Board from 2016-2019.
Emma’s wanderlust keeps her exploring the globe as well as participating in a range of competitive sports and challenges, including running the Great Wall, London and Hong Kong Marathons, hiking the 100km jungle Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea and Annapurna Circuit in Nepal and climbing Mt Kinabalu, Ben Nevis and Mt Kilimanjaro.
Emma holds a BA (Hons) in History of Art and Tourism from Oxford Brookes University, England. She is a proud wife of Steven, mother of Willa and Arthur, and is passionate about living life to the fullest. In May 2019, Emma participated in Challenge Africa – 100 people hiking 100km in 4 days, in the Drakensburg: raising nearly 400,000 USD for Laureus Sports for Good Foundation and in 2021 participated in the 30KM Million Meals March raising funds to buy much needed food for Balinese families.
Emma and her family have spent the past couple of years in Bali, Indonesia where her children attended Green School whose origins are committed to educating for sustainability in a natural environment through their purpose –driven curriculum.
Steven Matthew is a marine engineer, lawyer and commercial executive experienced in the shipping and cleantech fields.
Most recently Steven has led the development of cleantech companies in Asia Pacific including those which have commercially developed technologies to mitigate and prevent the pollution in our oceans, combat the spread of marine invasive aquatic species, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to help avert climate change. Steven is currently Managing Director for Pacific Green Technologies, a company leading the environmental technology revolution.
Steven is a Board Director of A Plastic Ocean Foundation, a charitable organization registered in Hong Kong, dedicated to creating a wave of change to stop plastic pollution and to be part of the solution through science, education and policy advocacy. The Foundation is behind the award winning feature-length documentary A Plastic Ocean, which has reached millions of viewers around the world and continues to astonish and move people to action each day.
Steven also contributed to the Ocean 3C initiative to provide the Curriculum for Hong Kong Schools to develop ocean literacy by authoring the Chapter on International Law and National Law as it relates to Marine Pollution.
Steven is qualified to sail as a chief engineer and in addition to seagoing qualifications he holds a Bachelor of Technology (Marine Engineering) from the Australian Maritime College, an MBA from Columbia Business School, London Business School and Hong Kong University, and a Diploma in Law having been admitted to practice law in Hong Kong and Australia.