Emilie Sydney-Smith

Founder & CEO - ES5, E5S

Business, Strategy & Entrepreneurship | Business Transformation, Geopolitics, Organizational Culture

Emilie Sydney-Smith

Biography

Emilie Sydney-Smith is a seasoned business leader, CEO of E5S, and globally acclaimed keynote speaker. Formerly Chief Transformation Officer at Aboitiz, the Philippines’ second-largest conglomerate, she launched high-impact business lines with nation-building potential and transformed company culture by training hundreds of staff to succeed like they were in Big Tech.

As CEO of ExO Works, Emilie led transformation projects for companies like Visa, HP, and Procter & Gamble, achieving an average 70X ROI. Earlier, she managed $20–400M private equity investments in energy startups, reviewing hundreds of deals annually and identifying patterns for success. At Sydney Gas Limited, she helped grow the company to a $300M valuation and elevated its industry reputation.

A highly sought-after speaker, Emilie is praised for distilling complex topics into memorable, actionable insights. Calm under pressure, she tailors each presentation to her audience. Currently based in Singapore, Emilie has lived in cities worldwide.