Open to AI transformation, senior leadership & sustainability roles

Candice Burin

I lead transformation that turns new technology into measurable results.

At a large international trade bank, a Big 4 professional services organisation and a 55,000-person national logistics organisation, I built the governance, data and delivery engine for digital, innovation and sustainability change where none existed. Now I'm bringing AI into that work as an AI Co-Chair at the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong, after serving as an AI Ambassador at the bank.

Connect on LinkedIn See the results

AI: AI Co-Chair, Energy & Utilities · Former bank AI Ambassador
Transformation: Digital and data change across 8 markets
Experience: 19+ years, the last 9 in senior management
Sectors: Banking · Professional services · Logistics
Regions: 16 Asia Pacific markets · 15 African firms
Credentials: MBA · M.Com cum laude · Oxford, Yale, Cambridge, Duke

Proof point · Energy transitionRenewable energy coverage across an Asia real estate portfolio

>90%

I worked with real estate teams across Asia to take coverage from under 10% in 2021 to over 90% in 2025. Each dot is 1%.

Profile

Candice Burin in brief

Candice Burin is a Hong Kong-based senior leader in AI transformation, AI governance, sustainability and ESG, and strategic transformation. She has 19+ years of experience across a large international trade bank, a Big 4 professional services organisation and a national logistics organisation, leading programmes in 16 Asia Pacific markets and 15 African member firms.

She is AI Co-Chair for Energy & Utilities at the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong and a former AI Ambassador at a large international trade bank. She holds an MBA from GIBS and an M.Com (cum laude) from the University of Johannesburg. She is open to AI transformation, AI governance, General Manager, Director, Chief of Staff and sustainability leadership roles, with relocation across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and South Africa. She has the right to work in multiple jurisdictions; details are available on request.

Impact

Results I can point to

Each of these started with no framework, no data or no pipeline. I'm happy to walk through how any of them was delivered.

16 markets

Asia Pacific markets where I set up ESG governance and reporting from nothing.

<10%→90%+

Renewable energy coverage I drove with real estate teams across Asia, 2021 to 2025.

0→86

WELL building certifications across Asia Pacific, programme-managed 2024 to 2026.

55,000 people

The national logistics group whose innovation pipeline I built, taking ideas through incubation to investment.

15 firms

African member firms whose strategy I helped shape as Senior Chief of Staff at a Big 4 professional services organisation.

800 engineers

My audience for a talk on renewable energy in the Greater Bay Area, one of several industry events I've presented at.

Why me

What a leadership team gets

Many leaders talk about AI. Fewer have run large-scale transformation, and fewer still can connect it to sustainability. I bring all three, proven in Asia Pacific and Africa.

AI & transformation

Change that lands, with AI built in

I have led transformation for over a decade: digital, data, innovation and sustainability. AI is the next layer, and I'm already working in it.

Business Manager under Global Transformation at a large international trade bank, running governance for 8 Asia Pacific markets
AI Co-Chair for Energy & Utilities at the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong, and former AI Ambassador at a large international trade bank
Built regional ESG data governance and dashboards with global technology teams
Currently applying agentic and responsible AI, drawing on Duke, Vanderbilt, Google Cloud and Anthropic programmes and IBM and GitHub learning

Operator at scale

A leader who runs the machine

I have run the operating engine for senior leaders at two global firms: plans, budgets, governance and people.

Big 4 professional services: Chief of Staff for Africa leadership across 15 member firms
International trade bank: ran the operating plan, governance, budget and workforce for the Asia Pacific Head of Transformation across 8 markets
Kept delivery on track through COVID-19 with remote, agile teams

Builder, from zero

Structure where there was none

Four times I have started with a mandate and no framework. Each time I designed the system, got people to adopt it and measured the result.

ESG governance and reporting across 16 markets that had none
WELL certification programme from 0 to 86 buildings
A national logistics organisation's innovation ecosystem, pipeline and academy
A Big 4 consulting division's marketing operating model

Sustainable AI

Green AI, not just more AI

I work where the energy transition and AI meet, applying AI responsibly so it reduces resource use instead of adding to it.

Renewable coverage from under 10% to over 90% across Asia real estate
Fluent in GRI, ISSB, TCFD, CDP, TNFD, SBTi and RE100
AI Sustainability, Leading Responsibly (Duke, 2026)

Career

From insight to impact

Marketing and data insights led to consulting, then to innovation and transformation, and now to sustainability at regional scale.

2021 – now
Regional ESG Manager, Asia Pacific

Large International Trade Bank · Hong Kong · Corporate Real Estate
- Plan and manage ESG programmes across 16 Asia Pacific markets.
- Built regional data governance and dashboards with global technology and data teams.
- Lead the renewable energy transition, from developer engagement to PPAs, green tariffs, on-site generation, RECs and GECs.
- Lead WELL and LEED accreditation and built the certification database.
- Review and sign off regional and market ESG reports; speak at forums including WWF and ReThink Hong Kong.
2019 – 2021
Regional Head of Business Management

Large International Trade Bank · Digital Business Services, Strategic Transformation, Asia Pacific

Chief-of-staff scope: the operating partner to the Asia Pacific Head of Transformation and Digital Business Services.
- Directed governance for digital, data and regulatory change across 8 markets.
- Owned the annual operating plan, budgets, recoveries and workforce strategy.
- Maintained business continuity and information risk plans; worked with the PMO and Global Talent Centres.
2017 – 2019
Executive Manager: Innovation

National Logistics Organisation · South Africa · Freight & Logistics
- One of the top 300 leadership roles in a 55,000-person organisation.
- Built the innovation ecosystem, with ideation platforms, labs, hackathons and an investment pipeline from incubation to funding.
- Founded an internal innovation academy and knowledge management capability.
2015 – 2017
Senior Chief of Staff: Clients & Industries, Africa

Big 4 Professional Services Organisation · South Africa
- Shaped and drove strategy with divisional leadership across 15 African member firms.
- Led innovation initiatives and supported restructures and acquisitions.
2014 – 2015
Chief of Staff: Financial Services, Africa

Big 4 Professional Services Organisation · South Africa
- Strategic support to the Financial Services Industry Leader, working with global Directors and Partners.
2013 – 2014
Marketing Leader, Consulting Africa

Big 4 Professional Services Organisation · South Africa
- Designed the marketing operating model and strategic plan for the organisation's consulting division.
2007 – 2013

Insights and marketing

Big 4 Professional Services Organisation · Out of the Ordinary Private Bank · Leading Recruitment Organisation

Insights Manager, Senior Industry Insights Analyst and Marketing Insights Analyst at a Big 4 professional services organisation, where I managed a team of 10 while completing an MBA. Marketing Analyst at an Out of the Ordinary Private Bank (UK & South Africa). Marketing Strategist and Brand Coordinator at a Leading Recruitment Organisation.

Frameworks

My toolkit

The methods I use to run transformation and apply AI, and the sustainability standards I track, interpret and apply.

AI & transformation

AIAgentic AI & AI agents AIGenerative AI & prompt engineering AIResponsible & green AI DataDashboards & data governance ChangeAgile & SAFe ChangeDesign thinking ChangeInnovation pipelines ToolsChatGPT · Claude · Gemini · Midjourney · Runway · Veo

Sustainability standards

ReportGRI ReportIFRS / ISSB ReportCDP ClimateTCFD NatureTNFD CarbonGHG Protocol TargetsSBTi EnergyRE100 BuildingWELL BuildingLEED StandardsISO GlobalUN SDGs

Learning

Always studying the next shift

Formal degrees, plus continuous learning in climate, AI and risk from leading universities and technology companies.

MBAGIBS, University of Pretoria
M.Com, cum laudeUniversity of Johannesburg
B.Com Honours, MarketingUniversity of Johannesburg
B.Com, MarketingUniversity of Johannesburg

AI & digital transformation

AI Sustainability, Leading Responsibly · Duke University · 2026
Generative AI for Sustainability · AI Certs · 2026
AI Fluency · Anthropic · 2026
AI Agents Intensive · Google & Kaggle · 2026
Agentic AI and AI Agents for Leaders · Vanderbilt University · 2025
Cloud Technical Series, AI Agents Edition · Google Cloud · 2025
Generative AI and Blockchain · INSEAD · 2025
Digital Leadership · HKUST · 2024
Digital Transformation · University of Virginia

Sustainability & climate

Foundations of Sustainability & ESG · Saïd Business School, Oxford · 2026
Corporate Climate Risk Management · Yale SOM · 2023
Circular Economy & Sustainability Strategies · University of Cambridge · 2023
Renewable Energy Technology Fundamentals · University of Colorado

Real estate & energy

QPCR, Qualified Professional Corporate Real Estate · OSCRE In progress
Energy Management for Real Estate · Politecnico di Milano
Effective Energy Data Management · OSCRE

Risk, security & design

Corporate Security Management · Academy of Security, Intelligence and Risk Studies
Customer-Led Change & Design Thinking · Stanford Online
Business Analytics · Wharton, University of Pennsylvania

Beyond work

Community and voice

AI leadership

AI Co-Chair for Energy & Utilities at the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong since 2025. Previously an AI Ambassador at a large international trade bank.

Speaking

Speaker, moderator and facilitator at several industry, business and academic events across Africa and Hong Kong. Highlights include a renewable energy talk to 800 engineers in the Greater Bay Area and forums with WWF and ReThink Hong Kong.

Nature

Volunteer and donor with The Nature Conservancy.

World view

Travelled to more than 30 countries, with working exposure to languages across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Next role

What I'm looking for

A senior role where operating discipline, AI and sustainability expertise all count, whether I'm leading the business, a function or the change itself.

Roles

AI Transformation · AI Governance · Senior Leadership · General Manager · Director · Chief of Staff · Sustainability

Where

Based in Hong Kong. Open to relocation across Asia Pacific, the Middle East (including Dubai), Europe and South Africa

Right to work

Right to work in multiple jurisdictions; details on request

Sectors

Financial services, real estate, the energy transition, international trade and logistics, marketing, innovation-led government and public sector organisations, and emerging and exponential technologies

Message me on LinkedIn