Trade in the Digital Age: Aligning Technology with Regulation

Mike Yeh is the Regional Vice President and Associate General Counsel responsible for Microsoft’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) team in Asia. He manages a team of more than 80 professionals who provide legal and government affairs support to Microsoft’s sales and business operations in the region – from India to Australia and New Zealand to China, Korea and Japan. He focuses on helping customers – both governments and the private sector – navigate novel legal, regulatory and policy issues at the intersection of technology and business.

He joined Microsoft in 2003 and, most recently, led Microsoft’s CELA team in the Middle East and Africa based out of Dubai. Before that he was the Assistant General Counsel responsible for Microsoft’s Worldwide Public Sector and Industry team based out of the Redmond, Washington. He has also worked in the Antitrust Group in Redmond and as the Director of Regulatory Affairs for Asia from 2008-2012 based out of Beijing.

Before joining Microsoft, Mike was with the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington D.C, where he represented clients in antitrust litigation matters and investigations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. He has a law degree and a Master's degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.

Nora Dihel, a World Bank Senior Trade Economist in Bangkok, Thailand, is an experienced economist and author specializing in international trade and development. With a Doctorate in International Economics from the Helmut-Schmidt University -Universität, she’s worked at some of the world’s most prestigious economic bodies, including the OECD, European Commission, and the World Bank. She has published extensively on trade in services and regional integration.

Her current work focuses on trade facilitation, global value chains and digital trade. Having lived and worked in four continents, Nora is a strong believer in the importance and added value of an on-the-ground perspective. Known for employing a range of innovative methodologies from academia and beyond, her work interprets the story and meaning behind the numbers, delivering strategic value for businesses, governments, and the people who call a country home.

Jared Ragland serves as Senior Director, Policy — APAC at BSA | The Software Alliance. Working with BSA members, he develops BSA’s international strategies to open markets and promote innovation and digital trade in important foreign markets in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Before joining BSA, Ragland served as the US Patent and Trademark Office Intellectual Property Rights Attaché in the Shanghai Consulate General. Before that, he served as Director in the Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, Office of the US Trade Representative. From September 2005 to November 2007, Ragland served as the Science Policy Advisor to the US Ambassador to APEC in the State Department's Office of Economic Policy in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Ragland received a Doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Washington in 2004, a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in East Asian Studies and Anthropology from the University of Arizona. He is based in BSA's Singapore office.

About BSA

BSA | The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the leading advocate for the global software industry. Its members are among the world’s most innovative companies, creating software solutions that help businesses of all sizes in every part of the economy to modernize and grow. With headquarters in Washington, DC, and operations in more than 30 countries, BSA pioneers compliance programs that promote legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy. Follow BSA at @BSAnews.

Jirayut (Topp) Srupsrisopa is the Founder and Group CEO of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Co., Ltd., — Thailand's largest and most trusted company in blockchain technology and digital assets. With a commitment to reshaping the financial landscape, Topp and Bitkub stand at the forefront of blockchain and digital assets innovation in Thailand and the broader ASEAN region.

Topp is one of Thailand's leading bitcoin and open blockchain experts with more than 10 years of experience in the industry. He has appeared in over 1,000 engagements across the country such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Tianjin, China — positioning him as a prominent figure in global finance dialogues and blockchain communities.

Topp is an Executive Board Member and Vice President at the Thai Fintech Association. He holds an MPhil in Economics at Oxford University. His academic achievements include an Honorary Degree in Digital Economy from Rangsit University, a testament to his pioneering contributions as the youngest recipient of such an honor in the Thai history. This recognition underscores his exceptional influence in the development of digital economy in Thailand.

Tim leads the TradeTech Global Initiative. Prior to joining the World Economic Forum, he held several leadership roles at DSV Financial Services and DSV's Innovation Hub. Before joining Swiss Freight forwarder Panalpina as a VP, Tim co-founded and managed a Canadian agri-tech startup after a decade-long career with Dutch Banks DLL-Rabobank and ABN-AMRO. He holds a Master of Science in International Business Administration from the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University.