Chun-Yin San

Chun-Yin is the general manager for the Strategy, Foresight & Futures practice at ThinkPlace, a leading global design firm that applies design-led approaches to solve problems for people, places, and planet. He has experience working with large government departments, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, and academic institutions to deliver transformative strategy projects. This includes national frameworks which are guiding long-term, billion-dollar public investments in education, industry development, and environmental protection.

Chun-Yin's personal practice as a foresight practitioner sits at the nexus of design, futures, and community engagement. In particular, he specialises in the development of participatory futures approaches, which helps democratise futures thinking by reinventing traditional foresight approaches with mass community engagement. Prior to his role at ThinkPlace, Chun-Yin has worked with the Australian Government, the UK government, and the innovation think tank Nesta.

Alongside his work in consulting, Chun-Yin is licensee and director of TEDxCanberra, the Australian national capital's ideas festival. He holds a MSc in Science Communication and a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science with Global Health, both from Imperial College London.

Chun-Yin is proud to be Asian-Australian. Outside of work he mentors other young leaders from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds to nurture their potential as well as eliminate barriers to representation in senior leadership. He is an active mentor with social impact organisations such as The Mill House Ventures, Future Anything, The Girls Leadership Network (TGLN) and TEDxYouth@Canberra. Chun-Yin has lived in Hong Kong, Sydney, London, and Canberra - but is at home in many places.