The Breakfast Grille

Ahmad Zakie, CEO of the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia - history and mission of FIMM - FIMM's independence - performance of fund managers vs indices - distribution and marketing focus - the problem of the high cost of investing - agent competency - arms length in the unit trust industry - related party transactions channelled by unit trust companies to their banking parents - update of PRS sales so far - hinderences to higher PRS investments - the need for EPF reform? - future directionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SMR Technologies Chairman & CEO Dato' Dr R Palan discusses the following questions: - You’ve been a trainer all your life. At what point did you realise the necessity to institutionalise your work into a corporate structure  - Discuss the path to SMR - and then the path to becoming a PLC  BUSINESS PLAN - REVENUE STREAMS  - Discussion on each -- and which is the biggest contributor to group revenue - and whether overdependence on one or the other > Professional HR solutions (events/consulting/outsourcing/search)  > HR Software (HRDPower.Net Enterprise, HRDPower SAAS)  > Education (National Capacity Building: english language, vocational skills, tertiaryeducation)  OPERATIONS - Challenges: people / fee and pricing pressure / adoption / preference for foreign professionals and not local?  - Challenges: developers / upgrades? -  - Challenges: dealing with a government which has back-shelved English as a means of learning science and maths  - Positioning? What is SMR? A software firm? Event manager? A university / education provider? A trainer? Clarity of focus - Whether the street / investment community values SMR accordingly - Client breakdown: GLC / Private sector  GROWTH - EXPANSION - With most -- 95% -- of group revenue coming from OCHR (Outsourcing, consulting and HR activities) where is the next leg of growth coming from - Tertiary education: ISSUES  CORPORATE - PLC - EXERCISES  - Purchase of 70%-stake in In-Fusion Education Sdn Bhd - RM27.5 mln - Reasons for purchase  - Loss after taxation of RM4.9 mln with a BV of RM14 mln at FYE Dec 2011. .. Explain? “operating issues”?  - Many of the 1,400 students are government sponsored … PTPTN - issues  FINANCIALS  - Reasons for big revenue increase in FY2011 and in FY12  - SMRT: listed since 2005 and remained on ACE Market since then. Intention to stay “junior” -- big fish in small pond -- or larger plans to graduate to the Main Market  - Liquidity - coverage issues - Vastly undervalued: 3.2x PE  - Concentrated ownership - why stay listed? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmad Hadri Haris, the CEO of Malaysian GreenTech Corporation, is on the Breakfast Grille to discuss its role in encouraging nationwide acceptance of green technology, its areas of priority, and challenges in it faces in inculcating green technology. He also gives us an update on the progress of the Green Technology Financing Scheme, which was introduced by the government to support the development of green technology in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, Reza Ghazali, the Country Head & MD Korn Ferry International discusses the following questions:  - Company perspective - industries most served - levels of designation most served - Fee structure: fee vs retainer KF: 1/3rd GLCs are willing to pay -  - GLC or private: which is the bigger market segment for you: if so, dynamics? - Sources of talent: typical sources - KF: country ranking - versus biggest players  - Value of executive search industry in Malaysia- Search unregulated - issues  - No moat? Whether boutique search firms are eating your market share due to aggressive cost-cutting, fee reduction etc  - Competition - Jobstreet - JobsDB - LinkedIn -- online / social media recruitment -- etc  - Talent loss to HK - Shanghai - Singapore - bigger markets - issues  - How cyclical is your business?- Whether industry downturns - quiet periods - Gen Y - the next leaders - lamentations - issues - best approach? - Said to be non-consumer of traditional media and far more questioning of traditional mores - How should GLC Malaysia approach this influential bunch? - Drivers of better wages: performance - education - experience  - Executive compensation that is out of whack with company earnings and performance.  - Puncak Niaga and Genting as standout examples - Counter/contradictory drivers: e.g. stocks/options based reward in companies with dual purposes e.g. stock exchanges  - Wage gap between expats / locals -- perspective - hotelier has mentioned that in hospitality this gap is now closed??  - GLC appointment - Whether among GLCs there is now a greater appetite for non-Muslim, male, Malay talent - perspective  - Maybank: all five shortlisted names, reportedly, are Malay, Muslim and male -- ditto EPF, ditto 1MDB, ditto Sime Darby  - This is concerning: cite Booz&Co research which suggests that private-sector investment has flatlined in the last decade, while most if not all of the domestic investment has come from GLC sources  - GLCs are struggling to find many Malaysian managers who are willing to rough it out in developing markets eg Indonesia, Vietnam etc.  - Too complacent. And on the other hand, people in developed countries eg Japan find it hard to take orders from Malaysian managers eg Joel Neoh in Japan (no need to mention names). - Diversity targets - compromised? Target: 30% females on board by 2015 - achievability / progress / bottlenecks?  - Other minorities? Are there any female Indian CEOs of Plcs in Malaysia? What about gay CEOs?  - Whether KF doing its part to push the Diversity agenda  - Tricubes - directorship - issues See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Silicon Valley's oldest chipmakers, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., or AMD, the world's second-biggest maker of microprocessors for PCs, laptops and corporate servers and one of the largest suppliers of graphics processing units. But AMD, which is Intel's chief rival, has been losing money and struggling to redefine itself as consumers increasingly favour tablets over laptops. Ryan Sim, the ASEAN General Manager for AMD Far East Limited is on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company’s new strategy and breaking into adjacent markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DH Flinders Ltd ED Craig Dunstan discusses the following questions:  - Reportedly, you and your partner Stephen Hawkins started out initially as real-estate investment professionals, though the firm very quickly morphed into a broad corporate advisory firm. Briefly tell us how DH Flinders is a unique firm in an increasingly crowded advisory market?  - Why Asia, ANZ footprint  - Number of people  - USPs -- tons of boutiques  - Done deals in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, HK/China, even the US. Which region is currently the most active by dealflow?  - And is it representative of the wider picture or a reflection of DH Flinders’ coverage?   - Broad issues in Oz: two-track economy, expensive real estate, reliance on China engine -- how does this translate to transactions currently?  - REITS seem quite commonplace now; is there a next level of real-estate structure?  - We have been reading of the record-high property prices in HK, Singapore, Malaysia and even Vietnam. What do you make of this trend?  - And does it pose a bit of a challenge from your perspective, given the need to find value?  - Bursa IPOs -- themes  - Stockbroking biz: themes: HDBS-OSK-KimEng - sunset - record highs - strike while iron hot?  - BoJ - Yen - 100 then 115-USD -- Competitive devaluations - speculators - RISK?  - QE - massive loans to middle-class -- implications for growth sectors / companies  - Reining in debt markets: how treading? - And in Malaysia: privatisations by major owners -- how interprete?  - Vibrancy of capital markets, exit options currently- Where the best valuations are See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datin Teh Geok Lian, CEO of the KDU Education Group joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - her past experience in the oil and gas sector and her current role in education - differing objectives of a business in education versus other sectors - payback period of investments in education - KDU Smart Schools (3 schools on 1 campus) - attracting good teachers - pay scales in schools - recruitment of teachers - KDU University College's new campus at Glenmarie - how KDU attempts to replicate the learning experience of overseas institutions of higher educationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GD Express Carrier Bhd EDC Teong Teck Lean discusses the following questions: - Singapore Post investment- Synergies - whether fulfilled - Deal more beneficial to GDEX - issues - Nonetheless a good investment for SingPost - where the growth come from - And where the next leg of earnings growth will come from - Importance of East Malaysia? More hubs in Peninsula- Value-added services? Insurance?- Current market share in the local courier services industry? What is POS Malaysia’s share? - Key differentiators? GDex’s core strengths vs. the competition- Competition: Pos Malaysia etc - Branding - brand equity - PosLaju etc - Whether a plan to boost visibility / brand awareness - Fuel costs- Impact of M’sia’s subsidised fuel on profitability - % impact rise in diesel prices on profits - Competition - margins - survival - Example of Yinson -- exit / diversify - oil and gas - success - Singapore only foreign market - others - Growth strategy - organic or inorganic- ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) key catalyst - issues - You intend to grow your export trade business which is currently just 1% of revenue - issues - Cyclicality of courier services - Share price - lofty valuation - justifications - issues - Listing - ACE ACE market - move main board - issues - Dividend - policy - Ownership concentration - issuesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Thomas, Chief Representative of Gatehouse Bank plc on the breakfast grille today. Gatehouse Bank PLC is a fully Shariah compliant, London-based wholesale investment bank which commenced operations in Malaysia this year via a representative office. Richard Thomas discusses: - their findings in Asia so far - whether real estate will be their focus in the region - the licencing process in Malaysia compared to other parts of the world - synergies between Malaysia and London - his position in the business (from Chairman to CEO to Chief Representative)  - being a non-muslim - growth in the industry - depth of knowledge and talent - introduction of sukuk tax legislation in non-Muslim countries - conventional banks that also provide Islamic financing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alvin Ng Chun Kooi, CEO and Executive Director of Gabungan AQRS joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - construction order book - meeting expectations of RM500m of new contract wins - 40% of 2013 revenue from property development - allocation of resources between construction and property development - expectations of property launches totalling RM1.3bn of GDV this year. Only launched RM527m of GDV so far - profit margins in 2012 half that of 2011 - government funding of infrastructure projects - Iskandar property bubble? - being a Klang Valley developer, how they distinguish themselves from the rest in Johor - impact on free warrants on dilution of earnings - reaction to target price of RM1.15 set by RBH Research following issue of free warrants - why share prices peaked on 12 July - plans to expand into M&E sector and acquisition of 49% stake in SEDCO - changing minds about venturing overseasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

INCEIF President & CEO Daud Vicary Abdullah discusses the following questions:  - INCEIF: Set up in 2005 by Bank Negara -- eight years into the gig where are you in terms of student enrolment, teaching body  - Endowment of 600 million ringgit was allocated by Bank Negara to cover operating expenses at INCEIF. > Breakdown of spend  > Key ROI for Islamic Finance industry  > Funds remaining  - Opex today - and breaking even?  - Details of ROI  - THREE KRAS: 1. Academic excellence (international accreditation - INSEAD/ HBS etc - 2nd in MY after University Putra Malaysia - right now being evaluated)  2. Building a global reputation with stakeholders (partnerships - World Bank - Islamic Development Bank - KFH - French Bank - programs being run - World bank April = joint presentation at IMF Spring Meeting)  3. Financial sustainability (using funds wisely but also building them - Harvard has 36b in endowment funds - build credibility, attracting top-class faculty, online student boy and accreditation, strategic growth ?> to build endowments)A number of local and international FIs have sponsored classroom and given student grants - the largest has been half a million USD 4. (Operational excellence) - M'sia is a regional leader in Islamic banking, but revenues from Islamic activities only account for a small % of their overall business.This appears to be a regulatory issue since banks are still highly profitable from conventional banking Is there a lot more to be done from a commercial framework perspective?  - The Islamic Financial Services Act - effective July 1 - prohibits general Insurance and takaful companies holding composite licences from carrying on both businesses simultaneously. But operators will have five years in which to comply Is this too long? Or appropriate?  - Attempts to diversify the product to a retail audience have suffered a lukewarm response -- for example Danainfra’s exchange traded retail bonds and sukuk - oversubscribed by just 0.61 times ..  - Will Shariah ever emerge as a major growth driver for Malaysian banks?  - Lots of global attention: Perception of availability of Gulf funds - but they have not participated as much!ISLF supports the real economy cos it is the ‘real’ economy - Harvard study  - Importance of joint development of Shariah and Conventional banking - Sudan and Pakistan tried to develop ISLF solely and failed  - KL is also not a financial centre - which is essential - needs parallel traction - thus holding Shariah back - ISSUES  - KL is making tremendous headway in cementing itself as the hub for Islamic finance? But Singapore and HK are global financial hubs - how big a problem can this be for Malaysia’s aspirations?  - Globally Shariah also needs to be prominent - it’s still in the single digits as percentage of conventional banking - what’s holding it back  - Asia and Muslims - big opportunity since this continent accounts for a great proportion of the world’s Muslim population - WHAT’S NEEDED - ISSUES  - Lessons from GFC - dangers of 2-3 global financial centres - are we on course for the same mistakes? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last 14 years, Catcha Group has evolved tremendously, going from portal and search engine, to publishing company, to investment group.  The company has interests which span print media, an online property portal, a network of online automotive sites, as well as running Microsoft’s online assets in Malaysia. On the Breakfast Grille is CEO and Co-founder of Catcha Group, Patrick Grove. He discusses, among other things: -- the group strategy in building a coherent portfolio of companies -- Catcha Media's recent merger with Says.com, a social media marketing website -- the synergies from the collaboration -- acquiring Says at an attractive PE multiple -- the possibility of listing the new entity -- the low digital marketing spend atively low in Malaysia -- the possibility of listing the new entity -- potential privatisation of Catcha Media -- the lucklustre performance of the share price -- addressing rumours about its publication arm -- the appeal of emerging markets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille is the CEO of Courts Asia, Terry O’Connor. Courts Asia is an electrical, IT products and furniture retailer in Singapore and Malaysia. He discusses: -- The company's turbulent history and turnaround plan -- The shift in focus towards consumer electronics from furniture -- Update on the number of stores in Singapore and Malaysia -- Breakdown of the revenue between Malaysia and Singapore -- The importance of the Malaysian market to Courts Asia -- Differences between Malaysian and Singaporean market -- Re-entery into Indonesia with the opening of a Megastore in Jakarta by 2014 and concerns expanding into that market -- His book 'Why Not? The Story of a Retail Maverick and Courts'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Islamic Finance industry moves beyond the infancy stage of the last decade, Malaysia is poised to take the lead in this industry. But many argue that globally there are still many misconceptions about Shariah-compliant investing. Datuk Noripah Kamso is on the Breakfast Grille to address these myths and misconceptions. With almost a decade of experience in Islamic finance and as the founding CEO of CIMB Principal Islamic Asset Management, she recently authored the book ‘Investing in Islamic Funds: A Practitioner’s Perspective’ targeted for the global reader.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bernard Peillon, President of Hennessy Cognac joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - eau de vie: what is it? - Hennessy's marketing startegy - creating a new generation of cognac fans - the old and new faces of Hennessy Cognac - wealth and age affecting the palate - Asia (partiuclarly China and India) as a growing market - cognac blends: customised for the asian palate? - ability to supply enough for global demand - rise in selling price: a suply/demand issue?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iCar Asia CEO Damon Rielly discusses the following issues:  - Sept 2012 ASX listing - issues  - Why an ASX listing  - Catcha Media - synergies  - Earnings: junior - revenues of just 300,000 Aussie dollars in 2012, and operating losses of 1.8 million Aussie, itself a great deal higher than the year earlier.What’s the story behind the numbers?  - CarSales.com stake purchase - A$13.4 million for 19.9 percent for ICarAsia -- @ 37.5 cents - multiples - percentage cash - CarSales.Com’s earnings, it’s a pretty successful model: nearly A$200m, profits of A$70m and therefore margins of nearly 40%! But Australia is a homogenous and developed market - quite unlike Southeast Asia. How do you plan to crack the code? This ASEAN code?  - How closely are you watching the CarSales.Com model and how much of it can be adopted here?  - Growth by acquisition - this has been the growth strategy - fast it may be but how has integration gone?  - Are you done buying yet?  - This regional growth model also means potentially losing touch with local market nuances ,, would it be fair to say that PaulTan’s personalised approach gives him a better relationship than the centralised ICarAsia approach?  - Buying LifeLiveDrive  - Key criteria you have in deciding to acquire a site and how much emphasis is placed on sustained visitor traffic flow as compared to rapid short term growth - Accenture rightly notes that Malaysian car buyers visit a ton of different websites -- 11 or so at last count -- prior to making a car purchase - distance from winning referral income from manufacturers - Traffic rankings - Malaysia - Thailand - Indonesia - Effective Measure? Alexa? Google Rankings itself? These can be pretty arbitrary ..  - Combined regional traffic - and potential for monetisation - Ads / sponsorships - model? CPM? CPC?  - Print - Malaysia - Evo -- competition!  - Ad rates - discounting?  - Malaysia is still the biggest contributor -- and Evo’s print ads is the biggest contributor, not online listings or ads  - Indonesia is a costly market - - What’s the branding and marketing strategy? Individual marketing plans for each site or a concerted integrated push?  - But very little money was spent on marketing in 2012 - This cash of c. A$6.3M on the BS -- earning a weighted average effective interest rate of 0.92% -- could a better use be made of the money  - Capacity / willingness of dealers to pay for listings when they have their own websites / marketing channels and free sites to choose from. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sona Petroleum Bhd MD Datuk Seri Hadian Hashim discusses the following questions:  - SPACs -- in which … investors buy stock in a shell company in the hope that the management team locate and monetise qualified assets .. .. have acquired somewhat of a bad reputation among the regulators, who have either rejected or delayed a number of SPACs. (Australasia and Terra Gali spring to mind). The grapevine even whispers of a jammed pipeline of SPACs waiting for SC approval to emerge How would you respond to this perception that SPACs mostly benefit the arrangers only? - Is this why the moratorium imposed on Sona has been the most onerous of any SPAC thus far?  - Sona - in your own words -- have a management team of over 300 years relevant experience between them -- plus with a Dutchman, Indonesian and a Burmese in the fold, there is diversity, useful when buying overseas.If the team is this good -- and the assets so lucrative -- why not go the private equity route instead?  - There have been criticisms that there has been an over-preponderance of Oil and Gas-based SPACS in Malaysia -- and that both the businessmen (as well as the SC) lacks imagination ..  - Of the cornerstone portion – what % went to foreign vs. domestic institutions? - Around 29% -- or some 275 million shares out of the 959 million shares allocated for institutions have been offered to six cornerstone investors, namely Hong Leong Asset Management, Hong Kong-based hedge fund Segantii Capital, and investment firm Davidson Kempner, as well as the three banks backing the listing: RHB Investment Bank, CIMB Investment Bank and Kenanga Investment Bank.What was their purchase price? - And their moratorium terms?  - What was the main pushback from institutional investors during the roadshow? - Thus far -- how much have you raised? How will this affect your appetite for qualifying assets?  - Why are you giving investors free detachable warrants? Why the continued need for this sweetener after the success perceived at least, until earnings flow, for both Hibiscus and CliQ?  - CLIQ listed in April last year, but is yet to make any acquisitionsWhat makes you confident that you’ll find suitable qualifying assets (QA) within the 3yr timeframe?  - Will it be more difficult to find attractive acquisitions with crude prices near $100/bbl and the MYR having come off 5% since the start of May? - You aim to target acquisitions in SE Asia, the Middle East and select African countries – how can your mgmt. team focus on such a broad geographic scope?  - How do you plan to mitigate sovereign / military / conflict risk in African nations? Especially places like Congo, Nigeria & Uganda? - Furthermore, ‘informal payments’ are commonplace in securing deals in these mkts… Will it be a level playing field for Sona? - Your BOD is represented by a national from each of Myanmar and Indonesia… Are these countries of origin good indicators or potential acquisitions?  - Ultimately, oil prices need to remain high for Sona to be viable over the long-term. While you’ve been quoted in the price as saying this is expected to be the case .. more recently we’ve had the Chinese and European economic slowdowns impacting the demand-side, while the US shale revolution and Canadian tar sands have helped boost supply…What are the key long-term structural drivers in your view that will keep the oil price elevated if at all?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barisan Nasional has named Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed as the Public Accounts Committee chairman, a key parliamentary post that has oversight over government spending. We speak to him how the bi-partisan committee aids in good governance. Jazlan is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants UK and  a member of Malaysian Institute of Accountants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be one billion middleclass consumers in China and India, and more than 135 million Chinese and Indians will graduate from college compared to 30 million in the US in the next 10 years. Michael J Silverstein, partner and leader of The Boston Consulting Group's consumer practice and co-author of "The $10 Trillion Prize: Captivating the Newly Affluent in China and India" talks about the habits and attitudes of these consumers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mohammad Faiz Azmi, Executive Chairman of PwC joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - close scrutiny by the public of the conduct within the profession - the public trust deficit and ethical standards - "rules based" versus "principles based" approach to accounting standards - convergence of Malaysian standards to International reporting standards - corporate governance in Malaysian entities - the Big Four and competitiveness - independence of an auditor receiving a fee from its clients - chinese walls in accounting firms - proposals to force companies to change auditors every few years - why the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board answers to the Minister of Finance - Trans Pacific Partnership agreement - the AEC and whether it will come into beingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, Roland Folger, the CEO & President of Mercedes Benz Malaysia, discusses the following questions:  - MB - fell to No.2 in Malaysia in passenger car sales last year  - Competition - BMW - passenger car leadership - what happened - BMW’s win was reportedly attributed to two things: a dealership expansion and the introduction of new variants, such as the luxury hybrid segment and luxury coupe segments ..  Was MB slow to respond?  - Global trend: Mercedes Benz came in third in global luxury car sales behind Audi and BMW last year, with Bloomberg reporting that the gap between Mercedes and second-placed Audi had doubled in the past 12 months. How does Mercedes plan maintain or increase its sales in Malaysia to keep up with the competition, especially with the likes of Volkswagen increasing its sales? - To what extent is price a contributing factor -- Mercedes has always sold at a premium to both BMWs and Audis. - To what extent therefore is 2013 the year of recovering the No. 1 mantle? Strategy?? - Recent (June) launch of the highly-anticipated third-generation Mercedes A-Class in M’sia - update - issues - Weakening macro conditions  - 1H sales decline due uncertainties - down a reported 4% from a year earlier - indicates a diminished chance of outperforming 2012  - Govt remarks: ‘cheaper prices’ - impact on premium segment  - Tighter lending environment - Household debt issues - - whether impact  - Rates outlook  - Demand outlook  - Leasing program - operational performance  - Sales targets - passenger / Fuso- Fuso .. standout performer - issues  - National Automotive Policy - consultation - direction - issues  - AP abolishment - issues  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sumatec Resources Berhad CEO, Chris Dalton talks about :  - Roles of stakeholders - Clarification of risks involved - Regarding payments made to Markmore and vice versa - Breakeven levels - Private placement investors - Utilisation of rights proceeds - 200m barrels of oil reserve target - is this too ambitious? - Further asset injections by Halim Saad? - Gas pipeline  - Debt rationalisation details - The Halim Saad connection - Fair valuation and gearing level - Khazakstan nationalisation risks   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Nelson, the Asia Managing Director of US-based Horizon Group Properties, Developers and owners of Factory outlet shopping centres, discusses:  - Distinction - factory outlets versus conventional retail outlets  - Why typically farther out, not centrally located  - Horizon has 10 retail developments in the United States and one JV project with a local partner in China- making Horizon a US expert though not necessarily an Asian one - What distinguishes the Asian / Malaysian factory outlet game from the US one : Similarities? Differences? Strategies?  - Mainstay deputy chairman Terry Teo has said it has about 16.19ha of land in Sepang that it intended to develop. Will Horizon be part of those plans?  - Sepang is Horizon's first investment in Malaysia: details - Financing structure  - Owned - managed - percentage  - Brands - Success metrics   - Future - rollout - plans - timetable  - Gross margins were great prior to delisting - but net was horrible: you were a lossmaking concern. Which factors were most to blame?  - How sure are you that these concerns will not hurt the Malaysian operation?  - Expectations: Malaysian operations for revenues, net profits, margins.  - Turnaround - path to profit - expectations - timetable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adrian Halter, VP of Certina Swiss Watches -Sports identity - Product tested in different sports for quality - Product caters to sports people as well as those who prefer classic designs - New in Asia but stressing the importance of being in Asia - Malaysia is a developed market in terms of profiled products - Competition from China - Competition with other sports watches - Focused on price range and no higher pricing aspiration - Comfortable with position within the Swatch Group - DS concept - focused on high shock and water resistance - "Swiss Made" in the face of globalisation - Advantages of Swatch Group knowledge is helpful in maintaining quality - Choosing the right watch - Mechanical vs electronic  - Watch industry growth outlook - Low priority on gold watches - 125th anniversary plans See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Wong Siew Hai of the Malaysian American Electronics Industry Association (MAEI) discusses the state and future of the Malaysian electrical and electronics (E&E) industry. - High technology - are Malaysian companies up-to-date? - Growth hotspots in E&E - US innovation - what lessons can Malaysia learn? - Understanding complex relationship in electronics supply chain and where to get new technology transfer - Do American innovators have an interest to keep costs down by advocating high specialisation and restricting full technology transfer? - China+1 strategy - update and relevance - Korean & Taiwanese innovators - lessons and opportunities - Design & Development (D&D) - issues in Malaysia - Talent management - experiences at Intel and what needs to be done.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FACT Software CEO Arvind Agarwalla discusses:  - Startup - motivations - funding - shareholding - partners - Early metrics - takeup rate - Market positioning - lower/mid/upper - Whether part of a wider ERP proposition - No. of seats - geographical positioning - Revenue streams - sale / implementation / subscription / support / payments / mobile - Core markets - Delivery mode - SAA - Cloud - issues - Distribution - %age as direct, %age as partner-driven - Fees / revenue: %age as software sales - %age as implementation - - Staff size - proportion of workforce as engineers - Clients - sectors - - R&D - Percentage of revenue - Source of programmers - R&D - geographical breakdown - - Talent pool issues - Integration issues -- mode - delivery - SLA issues - - Premium support - percentage - - Revenues - Profits - Margins - Future growth - monetisation - trade sale - listing - organic? - Mobility solutions - SG as a Global HQ - Government assistance / support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview and on the eve of its Main market IPO, Air Asia X CEO Azran Osman Rani discusses the following issues:  - The final price of 1.25 ringgit fixed in the middle of the bookbuilding range of between RM1.15 - RM1.45 per share;- Selling point - key reservations;  - Capacity: regional competition: both AirAsia and Lion Air have placed sizeable orders -- in the region of 664 planes worth $64.4 billion at list prices - not to mention the Malindo threat to boot;  - Offer for sale portion; - Retail allocation - said to be “groundbreaking” - reported poor response;  - Valuation: seen as slightly too rich;  - Maybank as the “stabilising manager” -- issues;  - Route expansion -- issues;  - Japan JV cancellation - issues - key lessons / templates for instruction;  - India: a rationalised route previously, and now back on the cards as AA Bhd discusses inta-country JV issues;  - Dividends as a more important component of investors’ total return - timetable to policy;  - Reported plans to expand very aggressively – nearly tripling its fleet - fnances;  - Debt levels - debt profilr -  ringgit weakening - US interest rates rising;  - Revenue: charter flights and ancillary income are posting far higher growth rates than scheduled flights;  - How will they be built on, expanded;  - Interesting that in FY2012 ‘fuel surcharge’ amounting to 148 million ringgit was treated as ‘Revenue’; - Role on Malaysian Tourism Board;   - The new low-cost terminal or KLIA2 - delays - culpability - completion;  - Tourist arrivals static at c.24 million the last three years -- issues;  - Social Media comments - racism - Utusan Malaysia -  PERKASA - backlash.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calvin Ooi Shang How, Executive Director of Leon Fuat Bhd joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - life a month after listing on the KL stock exchange - changes needed to go from a family run business to one with 28% free float - how long it took to prepare the company for the IPO - timing of the listing - share price dipped 13% after IPO - changing focus to increase proportion of processing revenue - increasing value added works in revenue generation to improve margins - steel industry outlook and how it affects Leon Fuat - slitting machines and how they enhance Leon Fuat's revenue generating abilities - customer profile by sector - regional growth plansSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Culver, Group President of China and Asia Pacific for Starbucks joins us on the Breakfast Grille to discuss: - growth in APAC and China for the group - the importance of the region for Starbucks - regional consumption habits - why Starbucks has succeeded in the region - frequency of customer visits - coffee farming in Yunan - coffee retail prices - product diversification - loyalty cardsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geoffroy de Drouas, Business Development General Manager of Bonia Group joins us on the breakfast grille to discuss: - Bonia's position in the market - why it acquired Jeco Pte Ltd in Singapore and its impact on cash balances - who they sell to - product diversification and quality within each of each brands - variable shopping habits of their different markets - whether their branding strategy is confused - brand ambassadors - implementation of travel retail strategy - multiple brands and the impact on the group - the group's vision and identity - his seemingly all encompassing job title of "Business Development General Manager" - working in a family run business - financial performance  - regional growth and the cost to the businessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Right Honorable Hugo Swire MP, British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, joins us on the breakfast grille. He visited Malaysia in June as part of a tour of the region and launched the Malaysia UK Alumni programme during his visit. We discuss: - Britain's recent increased interest in the region - the significance of the Malaysian consortium redeveloping the Battersea Power Station - whether the UK feels threatened by the increased participation in the country by foreign entities - why the UK is appealing to investors - whether the UK's importance in the world is waning - Mr Swire's key takeaways from his visit to the region - strengthening ties between Malaysia and the UK through the alumni community - whether the UK's current immigration policy will affect student numbers - his views on the ASEAN Economic communitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Herve Lampert, CEO of Dedon, the global outdoor furniture company from Germany, talks about creating employment for Filipino weavers, adopting cutting-edge technology, and creating an international brandname. Dedon furniture can be found in the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and in the homes of celebrities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Victoria is geographically the smallest mainland state, it is Australia's most densely-populated state and home to Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. On the Breakfast Grille is Dr Denis Napthine, the 47th Premier of the state of Victoria, Australia. He discusses, among other things: -- his first one hundred days in office -- The Asian Century -- engaging with Asia for business: the challenges and opportunities -- Victoria's largest export industry, education, which was hit by the high Aussie dollar -- the cost of doing business in Victoria -- Victoria's economy and business sentiment -- Australia's auto sector -- the recent decisions by Ford Australia to close its manufacturing operations in October 2016 -- the upcoming elections in Australia  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 25 million Africans are HIV positive and AIDS is the leading cause of premature death in the continent. Dr Mitchell Besser, founder of Mothers 2 Mothers talks about his innovative model of empowering women to help HIV patients who are mostly women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Reason for ETP's creation of PPA and PRS - PRS complements EPF to fund retirement - Comparison of PRS to retirement schemes in other countries - One-third savings is the rule-of-thumb for adequate retirement planning - EPF already providing two-thirds savings, so another one-third savings required - Diversification issues of PRS schemes - Product offerings of PRS will be driven by providers - Default funds of PRS - Growth, Balanced & Conservative Funds - Reasons for high fees in PRS funds - Comparison of PRS fees to Index funds - PPA is focused on the educational process of PRS right now - Funding for PPA - PRS tax advantageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, MD of YTL Group on Companies takes time off from Invest Malaysia to joins us on the super grille.  - HSR link: issues  - Update on Yes 4G - subs / breakeven  - Power division update: Seraya in Singapore, Project 3B in Malaysia  - M&A trail: update  - Update on plans to consolidate entire business structure.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Sri Nazir Razak, CEO for CIMB Group takes time off from Invest Malaysia to joins us on the super grille. - QE tapering - implications:dealfow  - Update: Indonesia operations  - Consumer banking outlook: Malaysia Regional IB ops - Assimilation update (incl RBS) Thai Dual listing: implications   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Lim Kuang Sia, CEO & MD of Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd takes time off from Invest Malaysia to joins us on the super grille. - Demand outlook   - Minimum wage and mechanisation - Rubber prices outlook - Avian flu impact on glove demand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stewart LaBrooy, CEO of AXIS REIT discusses:  - update on negotiations for the injection of warehouses, hypermarkets or business parks worth RM400m - plans to improve existing properties - oversupply of office space in the market - Phase 1 of KLIFD ie Tun Razak Exchange - main risks he's keeping an eye on - Axiata’s gross yield, which is less attractive than 6.9% average of the more liquid industrial REIT sector in Singapore See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tengku Dato' Zafrul, Group CEO of Maybank Investment Bank takes time off from Invest Malaysia to joins us on the super grille. - New CEO - Tengku Zafrul is committed to Maybank - Investment Banking  - where deals will come from - Kim Eng acquisition- how it has helped - Contribution from foreign markets - BII acquisition has paid off - Growth - Looking for acquistion in Thailand - Investment trading for the mass market - Low cost investing in the unit trust industry - fees to expensive   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuan Haji Amiruddin Abdul Satar, Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare Berhad, takes time off from Invest Malaysia to joins us on the super grille. We discuss: - 10% revenue growth but 5% fall in net profit margins in 2012 - MBBS licence and housemanship training - Training doctors as specialists - maintaining standards when expanding by increasing range of service and geographical locations - balancing bottom line versus most appropriate treatment for patient - hiring of specialists in KPJ hospitals - his plans for the group after taking over in January 2013See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melinda Ngew, CEO of The Automobile Association of Malaysia joins us on the breakfast grille. Established in January 1932, the AAM is perceived as the official voice of Malaysian motorists. Between 2005 and 2010, AAM lost almost 35% of its members - prompting the AAM to bring on board Melinda Ngew with her vast experience in the service industry and, in particular, her experience in membership recruitment programmes. We discuss: - working in a male dominated environment - challengers of changing mind sets of long serving staff and shaking the NGO mentality - the inefficiencies of a non-profit organisation - KPIs a new measurement in the organisation - AAM more than just a breakdown service - how AAM intend to grow the membership base from a stagnated base - low membership outside of the Klang Valley - what AAM offers that differentiates them from competitors - why 96% of all AAM breakdown calls come from within the Free Breakdown Zone. An issue with the structure of membership schemes perhaps?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pamela Hartigan, Director of Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Said Business School, Oxford University demystifies social entrepreneurship and how the movement is taking root.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Wurwand the founder and CEO of Dermalogica, the professional skincare brand, is on the Breakfast Grille.  She discusses: --  How she identified the gap in the skin care market between professional salons and at-home users --  Dermalogica’s philosophy as a company --  The brand's positioning --  Her business approach: never taking a bank loan or paying for advertising --  Operationing elements of the business; R&D and testing --  Breaking through the male skincare market --  Dermalogica's teen skincare line --  Challenges as Dermalogica grew nationally and internationally --  Why Dermalogica never went public --  Exit strategy in the future and if they would ever consider selling the company to a bigger cosmetics player --  Dermalogica's commitment to assisting women entrepreneurs and to community investment on a local and global scale  --  FITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship) and Dermalogica's partnership with KIVA.org, a micro-lending website, to help women around the world launch or grow their businesses   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Co-founder of Trend Micro, Eva Chen, talks about her initial hesitation to take up the job as CEO, and her current ambition to make Trend Micro the biggest cloud security company. Trend Micro is among the largest security software companies in the world, and Chen has been ranked among the most influential women in Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director of Biocon India, talks about her company's strategic position as it competes against the giant pharmas with deep pockets. Mazumdar has been listed among the most powerful women in business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Rogers, Investor, Author & Chairman of Rogers Holdings, joins us on the Breakfast Grille. - Quantitative easing - the worst is yet to come. - Capitalism is a flawed but only way to manage economies. - Unfazed by Singaporeans' dissatisfaction with foreigners. - History has shown that nations benefit from immigration and every country including Malaysia has a lesson to learn from it. - Freedom of expression is essential for any country. - China will is on a long term growth trajectory, will get over problems in the financial sector. - Still bullish on commodities. - Gold price will see further falls but will be a buyer at lower levels. - Shale gas craze has died down. - Price fixing in commodities will only shut down supplies. - We are going to see very painful food problems in the future. - Still on the lookout to by commodities businesses. - Invest in what you know. - ETFs are here to stay - they are better, more efficient and cheaper than mutual funds. - Family enjoying Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yonah Lloyd, President of SodaStream, joins us on the breakfast grille. SodaStream started in 1903 in the UK and is now NASDAQ listed, acquired by Israeli company Soda-Club along with private equity fund, Fortissimo Capital Fund when Schweppes was spun off from Cadbury in 2007. On June 6 reports emerged that PepsiCo had made an unsolicited approach to acquire SodaStream. We discuss: - whether there was any truth in the PepsiCo rumour - interest amongst the investor community in SodaStream - their advertisement for the SuperBowl which was banned - controversy helping their marketing campaign - how the business has grown its revenue by over 33% per annum over the past five years - SodaStream's popularity in the US and in Europe - expansion into less developed nations - the upfront cost of SodaStream versus buying a bottle of soda from the shops - objections and petitions from Palestinian supporters due to SodaStream's one plant in the West BankSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts SEA , discusses:  - Quick update on Starwood’s properties in SEA and how this compares with just 5 years ago?  - Reasons - trends - Managed / UJV (187k rooms) and Franchised (129k rooms) form the vast majority of total rooms (341k worldwide) - Why are these options preferred over the traditional owned and leased route  - Explain this for us: under your Managed/UJV division, you have twice as many luxe-level St Regis hotels in Asia-Pacific (10) than in North America (4). Even Latin America (7) has more?  - What's Starwood's reading of the US economic recovery? Are more dollars being redeployed Stateside now or is it still under evaluation?  - Certainly, news of the big chains like yourselves, Marriott, Intercontinental and especially Hilton devaluing their respective loyalty programs for business travellers do not bode well ..  - Certainly, the Asians and in particular the Malaysians (such as the Genting group) have some belief in the US: Miami and NY in particular .. whether Starwood and Genting are interpreting the same market differently  - From a revenue management perspective how does Starwood interpret the SEA markets and is it greatly different from say a China interpretation - Occupancy rates - Rest of Asia at around 75% a good deal better than Total Worldwide numbers of around 66% - whether these are good numbers- Realistically what are the best achievable occupancy numbers for a chain like Starwood - Revpar: despite all the hype about this region: Q1 Revpar for ‘Rest of Asia’ (ie non Greater China) grew just 5.6%: not much higher than the Revpar growth for the whole group (4.7%). Reasons  - Competition - especially in Asia, where the low barriers to entry under the franchise, fee-based model mean a whole bunch of new entrants with a potentially closer brand affiliation to Asia (Banyan Tree springs to mind)  - Traditional real estate-based / owned route seems to be dead and buried: in Starwood’s case you are aggressively upping your fee-based business. What data points back your conviction?  - From an operational standpoint what does this mean: adopting and honing new management skillsets in working with landowners and developers? What challenges do these in itself pose?  - Biodiseases - recent SARS outbreak in HK and China - impact of  - Recession / downturn - breakdown of visitors / guests from Europe and North America - impact of  - Expansion: China seems to continue to be all the rage: to what extent does this affect SEA growth plans if at all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria is a state in the south-east of Australia. While it is geographically the smallest mainland state, it is Australia's most densely-populated state -- and home to Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city overall. Tim Dillon the Victorian Commissioner to Malaysia and South East Asia is on the Breakfast Grille to explain more about facilitating trade and investment opportunities in the state. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.