THE AI ADOPTION PARADOX

MAY 22, 2026 | 9.30 AM - 2.30 PM | AWS HQ, Kuala Lumpur

2.4 million Malaysian businesses are using AI.

Only 10% are getting anything back for it.

The gap isn't tools. It's what teams do with them.

A closed-room morning with the CMOs, CDOs and growth leaders deciding what happens next.

days
hours
minutes
seconds

In association with

A seat at the table. Not a livestream link

In association with

Insider One is trusted by marketing teams at 2,000+ customers from high-growth start-ups to enterprise players

What is the Growth Hacks Series?

 

An invite-only forum for senior marketing, digital, and CX leaders who'd rather have a hard conversation with twenty peers than sit through a keynote with three hundred strangers.

 

Each edition picks one shift worth taking seriously and puts the people navigating it in the same room. Short panels. Moderated roundtables. Chatham House rules where it matters.

Explore

One topic, chosen because the field is still arguing about it. You leave with a sharper read on where the market is heading, not a recap of where it's been.

Discuss

Small-group roundtables moderated to surface the blind spots, the failed experiments, and the numbers peers don't put in LinkedIn posts.

Reflect

A clearer view of what your organisation is actually ready for and what it isn't, before the next board deck is due.

The paradox Malaysia is about to get stuck in

AWS's Unlocking Malaysia's AI Potential 2025 put numbers on a problem most marketing leaders have been feeling for a year.

Adoption isn't the issue

35% YoY growth in Malaysian businesses using AI. 2.4 million are on board. 65% of them already see revenue gains. The case for AI is closed.

But most are stuck at the starting line

73% of adopters are still using AI for basic efficiency; chatbots, scheduling, off-the-shelf analytics. Only 10% have reached the transformative stage.

Adoption is widespread. Impact isn't.

And the gap is widening at the top

12% of large Malaysian enterprises have a comprehensive AI strategy. Startups are pulling ahead. A two-tier economy is forming.

Which tier your company ends up in is being decided now.

Register Interest

Meet the Speakers

Bob Low
Founder & Host

Bob Low is a marketing strategist, trainer, and host of The Asian Century Podcast, where his mission is to uncover the stories of business leaders across Asia. With over 50,000 subscribers and 40,000+ LinkedIn followers, he trains CEOs and marketing teams on LinkedIn strategy, social media growth, sales, and growth marketing. His clients include Petronas Dagangan, Telin Indonesia, SIRIM Berhad, ICF International, and Kian Group, helping leaders turn social media into real growth and sales.

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Danesh a/l Jothiprahasam
Head of New Investments

Danesh represents MDEC, Malaysia's lead agency for digital economy growth. Operating at the intersection of policy and industry, he drives national digital investment strategy and will share the Minister's vision for AI adoption across Malaysian businesses and what it will take to move from potential to impact.

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Joey Chan
Associate Director, Group IT & Innovation

Joey Chan is Senior Manager at COMO Group, where he leads digital and cloud transformation across the group's retail, luxury, and lifestyle portfolio. With over a decade of experience spanning brands like CHANEL and Club 21, Joey is recognised for translating technology strategy into measurable business value at regional scale.

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Warren Leow
CEO & Founder

Warren is CEO of  a AITraining2u, Malaysian-built AI design platform with 10 million monthly users across 200 countries. He also founded Supern8n, tackling Malaysia's AI skills gap head-on. Ex-Bain, ex-MaGIC, LSE-trained: one of the few voices who's built AI at scale from Kuala Lumpur outward.

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Olta Alushi
Sr. Leader - Solutions Architecture

Olta Alushi is a Technology Leader for AWS Malaysia, bringing 18 years of enterprise digital transformation experience across Fortune 500 companies. Previously leading AWS's Premier Solutions Architecture organization in North America, she has a proven track record of driving cloud adoption, scaling technical teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across industries globally.

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Brian Pham
Founder & Managing Director

Brian Pham is the Managing Director of Litecard, where he works across sales, product and delivery to help brands connect with customers through Apple and Google Wallet ecosystems. A multilingual entrepreneur, he combines commercial leadership, innovation expertise, and strong partnership-building skills to drive growth across global markets.

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Orkan Akcan
Managing Director, APAC

Orkan has spent fifteen years at the intersection of AI, analytics, and enterprise growth, first leading Accenture's Applied Intelligence practice across ASEAN, now running Insider One's APAC business. He's one of the region's sharpest voices on moving AI from pilot to P&L, and a practitioner on how enterprises can succeed at it.

View Profile
Bob Low
Founder & Host

Bob Low is a marketing strategist, trainer, and host of The Asian Century Podcast, where his mission is to uncover the stories of business leaders across Asia. With over 50,000 subscribers and 40,000+ LinkedIn followers, he trains CEOs and marketing teams on LinkedIn strategy, social media growth, sales, and growth marketing. His clients include Petronas Dagangan, Telin Indonesia, SIRIM Berhad, ICF International, and Kian Group, helping leaders turn social media into real growth and sales.

Danesh a/l Jothiprahasam
Head of New Investments

Danesh represents MDEC, Malaysia's lead agency for digital economy growth. Operating at the intersection of policy and industry, he drives national digital investment strategy and will share the Minister's vision for AI adoption across Malaysian businesses and what it will take to move from potential to impact.

Joey Chan
Associate Director, Group IT & Innovation

Joey Chan is Senior Manager at COMO Group, where he leads digital and cloud transformation across the group's retail, luxury, and lifestyle portfolio. With over a decade of experience spanning brands like CHANEL and Club 21, Joey is recognised for translating technology strategy into measurable business value at regional scale.

Warren Leow
CEO & Founder

Warren is CEO of  a AITraining2u, Malaysian-built AI design platform with 10 million monthly users across 200 countries. He also founded Supern8n, tackling Malaysia's AI skills gap head-on. Ex-Bain, ex-MaGIC, LSE-trained: one of the few voices who's built AI at scale from Kuala Lumpur outward.

Olta Alushi
Sr. Leader - Solutions Architecture

Olta Alushi is a Technology Leader for AWS Malaysia, bringing 18 years of enterprise digital transformation experience across Fortune 500 companies. Previously leading AWS's Premier Solutions Architecture organization in North America, she has a proven track record of driving cloud adoption, scaling technical teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across industries globally.

Brian Pham
Founder & Managing Director

Brian Pham is the Managing Director of Litecard, where he works across sales, product and delivery to help brands connect with customers through Apple and Google Wallet ecosystems. A multilingual entrepreneur, he combines commercial leadership, innovation expertise, and strong partnership-building skills to drive growth across global markets.

Orkan Akcan
Managing Director, APAC

Orkan has spent fifteen years at the intersection of AI, analytics, and enterprise growth, first leading Accenture's Applied Intelligence practice across ASEAN, now running Insider One's APAC business. He's one of the region's sharpest voices on moving AI from pilot to P&L, and a practitioner on how enterprises can succeed at it.

Agenda

09:30 AM

Arrival & Registration

Guests arrive and settle in over coffee. Informal conversations begin as attendees connect with fellow marketing leaders.

10:00 AM

Official Opening & Welcome

Setting the context for the session and exploring how AI is reshaping the way brands engage customers through conversations, data, and messaging.

10:10 AM

AWS Keynote

A strategic perspective on how customer engagement is evolving in the age of AI, and the role conversational platforms play in enabling more intelligent, scalable interactions.

10:25 AM

Panel 1: The Personalisation Advantage — How Data-Driven Brands Are Winning on Retention

Loyalty programmes are everywhere. But the brands actually winning on retention aren’t just collecting point… they’re collecting the right data and using it to make every interaction feel personal. This panel brings together leaders from retail, hospitality, and loyalty tech to unpack what personalisation at scale really looks like: the data foundations that make it possible, the gaps most Malaysian brands are still sitting on, and why the brands that get this right are building advantages that compound.

10:50 AM

Panel 2: Unlocking Malaysia’s AI Potential

According to AWS's Unlocking Malaysia's AI Potential 2025 report, 2.4 million businesses are now using AI, yet 73% remain stuck at the basics, and only 10% are unlocking its true transformative power.

The skills gap is real, the ROI evidence is there, and the divide between startups and large enterprises is widening. So what's actually holding Malaysia back and who's responsible for closing the gap?

11:20 AM

Moderated Roundtable Discussions

An interactive session across curated tables exploring key questions around AI, messaging, and modern customer engagement.

Guided discussions will cover:

• Identifying meaningful customer signals
• Moving beyond static segmentation
• Designing more intelligent conversations
• Preparing organisations for AI-enabled engagement

Each table will surface insights to share with the wider group.

12:00 PM

Table Share-Back & Synthesis

A collaborative synthesis where table representatives share key takeaways and emerging themes from their discussions.

12:20 PM

Networking Lunch

Continue the conversation over lunch. A relaxed opportunity to exchange ideas, deepen connections, and explore shared challenges with peers.

1:55 PM

Closing Reflections

A short wrap-up highlighting key insights from the session and what leaders should be thinking about next as AI continues to reshape customer engagement.

2:00 PM Onwards

Post-Event Networking

Guests are welcome to stay for continued conversations and informal networking.

Who Should Attend

You own the AI bet:
CMO, CGO, or CDO with a number on the board against AI this year.
You need a sharper read on where the Malaysian market actually isbefore your next budget conversation.

You run the engine:
Head of digital, CRM, eCommerce, or growth marketing. You're the one turning strategy into campaigns, journeys, and dashboards.

You're in the 73%:
Your team has AI in the stack. It's saving minutes, not moving pipeline. You're looking for the specific shift (data, talent, operating model) that pushes your organisation into the 10% actually compounding value from it.

You've already broken out:
You're past the experimentation phase and want peers at the same altitude. A closed room of leaders comparing scorecards, scars, and what they'd do differently next quarter.

The Venue: AWS HQ

AWS HQ, Kuala Lumpur. The building most Malaysian enterprises are betting their AI roadmap on and the one few marketing leaders have ever set foot in.

Open Google Map
The Venue: AWS HQ The Venue: AWS HQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this event free to attend?

Yes. Your seat is covered by Insider One and our partners — AWS, Similarweb, and Litecard. What we ask in return is your presence for the full morning and active participation in the roundtables.

Is this a sales event?

No. No product demos, no pitch decks, no breakout rooms dressed up as networking. The roundtables are moderated by senior practitioners, and sessions follow Chatham House rules. What's said in the room stays in the room.

Who else will be attending?

Around 50–60 senior marketing, digital, and CX leaders from Malaysia's enterprise ecosystem — retail and eCommerce, BFSI, telco, GLCs, and travel and hospitality. Attendance is curated, not open. If your application is accepted, you'll be in a room of peers at your altitude.

I've registered. Am I confirmed?

Not yet. Every registration is reviewed against the audience profile before a seat is confirmed. You'll hear from our team within five working days with a confirmation or a follow-up call.

Can I send a colleague in my place?

Seats are allocated to named individuals based on role. If you can no longer attend, let us know and we'll assess whether a colleague from your organisation fits the audience profile.

The panels are being recorded as a podcast. Will I be on tape?

Only the moderator and panellists are miked on stage. Audience members aren't recorded. Roundtables and hallway conversations stay off-record. A videographer will capture event highlights — if you'd rather not appear on camera, let us know on arrival and we'll brief the team.

What's the dress code?

Smart casual. The venue is a working AWS office, not a gala.

Our Past Growth Hacks Series

What Attendees Say

“Had a fantastic afternoon of inspiration, reflection and discussion with Malaysia's vibrant #digitalmarketing community!”

Rakesh Mani

Partner at PwC Malaysia

“Just wrapped up an insightful growth hack session by Insider, exploring RFP intricacies, customer data security, AI content ethics, and the balance between cost-effectiveness and ROI.”

Candy Cao

Marketing Director at Gain City

“It was a privilege to speak at Insider’s Growth Hacks Series: Walking the Talk event. I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging discussions with industry leaders, and it’s always inspiring to connect with others who are equally passionate about advancing customer engagement.”

Ranise Teo

Specialist, Vendor Comms & CRM at foodpanda

"This is where industry leaders gathered to unpack The FinTrust Formula. Ideas were flying, insights were flowing and yes, the acronyms were multiplying by the minute."

Abdul Sani Murad

Chief Marketing Officer at RHB

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