Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria is the executive director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, Secretariat based in Singapore where she advises and provides support for the forum's 21 diverse member economies. Styled 'Tan Sri Datuk' in her native Malaysia, where she was a top-level civil servant and trade negotiator, Dr Sta Maria played an integral role in Malaysia's participation in multilateral trade and cooperation. As Secretary-General of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry she often represented Malaysia in minister-level APEC meetings. She also oversaw the formulation of Malaysia's positions in agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And, as representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Dr Sta Maria chaired the body that drafted ASEAN's economic community blueprints for 2015 and 2025.