Hong Wai Onn

Hong has over 15 years of experience in the palm oil and biotechnology industries covering a very wide spectrum of responsibilities, including production, engineering, project management, applied research, process safety and leadership roles. He is currently the Commercial Head, Market Development of Novozymes, a global biotechnology company headquartered in Denmark.

Throughout his career, Hong has championed the application of chemical and biochemical engineering to make industrial processes greener and more efficient. He is also active in environmental-related projects, including circular bioeconomy.

Passionate about volunteerism, Hong has been serving several non-profit and professional communities, including being an Honorary Secretary of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in Malaysia Board and a founding member of the IChemE Palm Oil Processing Special Interest Group. He is also involved in developing, preparing, and reviewing national standard for sustainable palm oil production. He currently sits in the Industry Advisory Panel for Chemical Engineering at several universities.

As a successful engineer, he believes in supporting and inspiring tomorrow’s generation to make their mark on the world. He founded the Hong Wai Onn Conference Grants and Hong Wai Onn Individual Project Award.

Hong holds Executive MBA with Honours from the Quantic School of Business and Technology, and Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and the Royal Society of Chemistry.