IMA

What IMA does

IMA Asia operates invitation-only executive peer group forums for senior executives of multinational corporations managing Asia Pacific operations. The firm runs six distinct forums (Asia CEO Forum, China CEO Forum, China CFO Forum, China Growth Network, Asia Management Forum, and Asia Management Forum - Global) backed by Forum Insights reports, monthly Asia and China Bulletins, and proprietary 5-year forecasts covering 14 main Asia/Pacific markets with monthly updates. Live sessions are hosted across three physical hubs - Singapore (headquarters since 2007), Hong Kong (since 2009), and Shanghai (since 2015) - supplemented by virtual sessions for executives based outside the region or traveling. The membership base spans 300+ MNC firms, 1,500+ senior regional executives, and 3,000+ executives when including partner-firm seats, with composition roughly 35% US-headquartered firms, 40% European, and the remainder Japan/Australia/other, and an industry mix of approximately 40% manufacturing and 40% services.

The underlying "technology" is the curated forum infrastructure itself: trusted peer access under Chatham House Rule, Forum Advisory Board chairs drawn from former senior MNC regional leaders, and proprietary written intelligence derived from ongoing member debate. The firm extends membership value through an Executive Team Support (ETS) service that allows a primary member to nominate up to five direct reports for full forum access, multiplying seats per firm without requiring a new firm-level sale. The business model is annual subscription-based, quote-priced, and sold through a consultative, invitation-only sales motion targeting the highest-ranked Asia executive of each MNC, with demand generated primarily through word-of-mouth within the MNC executive community.

IMA Asia is a privately held Singapore-headquartered partnership that transitioned in 2026 to a four-partner structure (Richard Martin, Jonathan Shyu, Jane Yan, and Is Smith). It operates as a sister firm to IMA India (peer forums in six Indian cities since 1993) and CastleAsia's Indonesia Country Program, with mutual referral and cross-session arrangements. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or public listing have been disclosed; revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

IMA

Legal name

IMA ASIA

Website

https://imaasia.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMA Asia operates invitation-only executive peer group forums for senior MNC executives managing Asia Pacific operations, serving 300+ firms across six forum formats with live sessions in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai plus proprietary market forecasts covering 14 regional markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Peer Group Forums

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Executive peer forums
• Market intelligence services
• Asia market forecasts
• MNC networking groups
• Business strategy forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IMA Asia generates revenue through membership fees for access to executive peer group forums. Membership includes access to forum sessions (in-person in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, plus virtual sessions), Forum Insights reports, market analysis, 5-year forecasts for 14 Asia/Pacific markets, Executive Team Support (ETS) services for up to five direct reports per member, and call-up support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMA Asia operates invitation-only executive peer group forums for senior executives of multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in Asia Pacific. Its core offering comprises six distinct forums (Asia CEO, China CEO, China CFO, China Growth Network, Asia Management, and Asia Management Forum-Global) delivered through live sessions in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, plus virtual sessions via Zoom, and is supported by Forum Insights reports, monthly Asia & China Bulletins, and proprietary 5-year market forecasts for 14 Asia/Pacific markets.

Product overview

IMA Asia provides executive peer group forums as a unified platform for senior MNC executives managing Asia/Pacific operations. The core product portfolio consists of six distinct peer group forums: Asia CEO Forum, China CEO Forum, China CFO Forum, China Growth Network, Asia Management Forum, and Asia Management Forum - Global. These forums are supported by complementary products including Forum Insights reports, Asia & China Bulletins, and Market Forecasts & Analysis covering 14 Asia/Pacific markets. The Executive Team Support (ETS) service functions as an add-on module that extends forum membership benefits to additional team members. Forums operate through live sessions in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with virtual sessions via Zoom for remote participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asia CEO Forum Invitation-only peer group forum for heads of MNC operations in Asia Pacific who report to the head of international or global CEO; member firms typically have global sales of US$5-100bn with 15-30% in Asia Pacific.
• China CEO Forum Invitation-only peer group forum for heads of MNC operations in China; member firms typically have 15+ years in China with 500-10,000 local staff.
• China CFO Forum Peer group forum for finance heads of MNC operations in China, typically with 10-15 years of finance experience in China or internationally; covers regulatory environment, reporting, IT systems in China, and strategy.
• China Growth Network Peer network for senior commercial leaders (sales, marketing, business development, strategy) of MNCs in China, focusing on go-to-market trends, sales and marketing strategy, and mid-term market outlooks.
• Asia Management Forum Peer group forum for regional heads of strategy, finance, marketing, business lines, and HR in MNCs across Asia Pacific, covering operational views of regional strategy and functional topics.
• Asia Management Forum - Global Online (Zoom) forum for senior managers of MNCs worldwide who manage or support Asia Pacific operations; covers corporate strategy, market forecasts, and peer benchmarking with Asia-based peers.
• Forum Insights Members-only reports (around a dozen per year each for Asia and China forums) covering markets, operations, and strategy trends captured from forum sessions.
• Asia and China Bulletins Monthly reports capturing debates and insights from live catch-up sessions in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, plus Zoom, covering breaking issues from a corporate perspective.
• Market Forecasts and Analysis Detailed market analysis and 5-year forecasts for 14 main Asia/Pacific markets with monthly updates, aligned with the Asia Brief report and quarterly forecasting sessions.
• Executive Team Support (ETS) Add-on service extending forum membership to up to five direct reports of the primary member, who receive session invitations, all papers and market analysis, and call-up support.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IMA IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993IMA India has run peer group forums in six cities across India since 1993 with some 2,000 members. Richard Martin was a founding director of IMA India in 1993, launched and owned by Adit Jain. IMA Asia and IMA India operate as sister firms with mutual referral and session-visiting arrangements for forum members traveling to respective markets.
• CastleAsia (Indonesia Country Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastleAsia has run the Indonesia Country Program (ICP) in Jakarta since the 1980s. ICP is the leading peer-group forum for CEOs in Indonesia for over 45 years. IMA Asia partners with CastleAsia for events such as the Chasing Growth: CEO Jakarta Overnight, ensuring depth of experience across industries for forum sessions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Economist Corporate Network (ECN): Direct competitor offering invitation-only executive forums and country-level business intelligence for senior leaders across Asia Pacific and emerging markets. Notably, IMA Asia represented ECN until 2006 when the Economist Group exited country forums, making ECN the most direct comparable.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Global peer forum for senior executives (CEOs and presidents) running invitation-based peer groups, learning networks, and executive education — directly comparable membership model targeting senior leaders with peer-only access.
• Vistage: Operates peer advisory groups for CEOs and senior executives, providing monthly group meetings, one-to-one coaching, and expert speaker sessions. Closely comparable peer-group forum model for senior business leaders.
• The Executive Committee (TEC): Long-established peer group forum for CEOs and senior leaders offering confidential group meetings, one-to-one mentoring, and executive networks — a classic comparable to IMA Asia's invitation-only peer model.
• Asia Business Council: Invite-only membership organization for CEOs of major MNCs operating in Asia. Highly comparable to IMA Asia's Asia CEO Forum in target audience, exclusivity, and peer-exchange format.
• World50: Invitation-only peer communities for Fortune 500 C-suite executives covering strategy, innovation, and operations. Highly comparable curated peer-group format and executive audience to IMA Asia's forums.

Broad incumbents

• Gartner: Large-scale research and advisory firm serving executives; Gartner acquired Corporate Executive Board (which had previously acquired IMA's Australian forums in 1999). Competes in executive research and advisory, but as a much broader portfolio player.
• McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting firm that, through its CEO and Asia practices, hosts invitation-only executive events and provides market intelligence comparable to IMA's forecasts and insights — though as a much broader advisory portfolio.
• Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): Membership-based organization convening senior executives, policymakers, and thought leaders for discussion and intelligence on global affairs. Comparable as a high-end, invitation-based executive forum and intelligence provider.

Emerging players

• Tiger 21: Peer advisory organization for high-net-worth individuals and CEOs, offering group meetings and confidential sharing — partially comparable to IMA Asia's executive peer forum model, though more focused on wealth management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/ima-asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMA