GBP's Interviews

Puvan J Selvanathan is an expert in human rights and risk management, as well as in data and property rights. He was formerly a UN Special Mandate Holder on Business and Human Rights appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (Geneva), Head of Food & Agriculture at the UN Global Compact Office (New York), and then Head (New York Office) of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the UN and WTO. Before joining the UN, Puvan was Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Sime Darby, a Malaysian diversified conglomerate. An Architect by profession, Puvan holds an MBA and a doctorate in Corporate Strategy and Sustainability.

In an inspiring conversation with GBP International CEO Volker Friedrich, human rights and sustainability expert Puvan Selvanathan shares his vision for redefining digital identity, data ownership and property rights. Drawing from his rich experience at the UN and as creator of the Bluenumber platform, Puvan explains how individuals can take control of and monetize their personal data, shifting power away from corporations and toward people. He argues that our data is the “new oil,” and each individual is an untapped oil field of value waiting to be recognized and rewarded. Volker Friedrich and Puvan Selvanathan discuss the outlook post-COVID and how new technologies can be beneficial to all stakeholders of the international supply chains.

“Every person is an oil field.”

— Puvan Selvanathan

Book a free 30-minute consulting session with Volker Friedrich