Ying Staton

Ying Staton is the managing director of Asia within the International pillar at the Milken Institute. 

She has built her career at the intersection of public policy, sustainability, and finance. She began her career with the UK government, where she held a number of roles, including leading research for David Cameron during his first year as prime minister and managing UK aid programs in Uganda. 

She later joined Global Counsel, where she established and led the firm’s Asia practice based in Singapore. Concurrently, she served as Asia managing director for ABG Advisory, a spin-off of Tony Blair Associates. 

Most recently, she spent six years at Plastic Energy, a London-based climate tech startup, where she led the company’s Asia expansion and headed its sustainability function. 

Staton is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder and speaks Mandarin. She has lived in Singapore for the past decade.