The Breakfast Grille

Katrina Legarda, chairperson of AirAsia Foundation, talks about charity giving in Asia, how the foundation will do things differently, for example it may consider the microfinancing model, and challenges they may face.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group was founded in 2005 to empower locals to start their own businesses that bring clean water, electricity and sanitation to their communities. Peter Haas, the co-founder of AIDG, is on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the communities it helps, keeping AIDG's projects self-sustaining both financially and operationally, as well as the changes taking place in the impact investment space. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Universal Music Group is the largest of the Big Three music recording companies, the other two being Sony Music and Warner Music. Today on the Breakfast Grille, Loan Cheong, the Managing Director of Universal Music Malaysia, weighs the survival of the music industry in the age of digital music and streaming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar De Bok, the CEO of DHL's Supply Chain division for South & Southeast Asia, discusses:  - Supply Chain business - details;  - Key supply chain industries: Automotive - Consumer - Healthcare and Life Sciences - Industrial, Engineering and Manufacturing - Retail and Fashion - Technology - and how DHL addresses their individual needs;  - Environmental Management & Sustainability;  - A greener logistics solution; - Disruptions - Thai floods and Fukushima tsunami; - ASEAN: opportunities - pros and cons; 30% Indonesia 30% Thailand 30% Vietnam - Malaysia - Singapore- Malaysia - not high on the list of DHL’s investment - issues;  - The Malaysian proposition - Pros and Cons;  - Cost of doing business - cost inflation across the board - especially in Indonesia;  - Global talent shortage -- plans to up staff strength by over 65%; - Natural disasters, biodiseases, terrorism;  INDONESIA - Boston Consulting suggests that the consumer segment is booming -- and that its middle- and and affluent-class would double to 141 million by 2020 -- more than all of Thailand;  - Indonesia is a massive initiative for you: $52 million and a plan to double your vehicles, hire 70 percent more staff, and add 60 percent more warehouse space. And, a third built-to-suit warehouse in the countryv - Challenges: unpredictable regulatory environment, a high level of corruption, inadequate infrastructure and rising labor costs;  - Inflation as the headline concern - fuel, food and transport are all big movers - passing on these costs to customers;  - Global talent shortage -- plans to up staff strength by over 65%: how- Corruption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BMW Group Malaysia MD Dr.Gerhard Pils discusses:  - Feedback on the challenges of the role thus far;   - Details of business plan, execution and report card;  - Sales targets - 2013;  - As at April 2013, sales update;  - Asia sales picture - health of - Malaysia;  - Sales rank by country - Malaysia / Singapore / HK - details;  - Shanghai Auto Show -- feedback;  - New model / variant rollout plan;  - (Plan for) electric vehicles / Performance Hybrids;  - 'Connected' cars; - Competition: Germans - Italians - South Koreans at lower end;  - Warranties / accessories - why not competing on warranty periods;  - Comparable periods in Germany;  - Whether shorter period a reflection of the poorer assemble quality in Malaysia;  - Car prices - excise duties;  - Expectations for govt promises to cut car prices - to be progressive - 'shock' to system;  - Tax regime -- NAP - details;  - Quality / innovation issues - advancement levels vis-a-vis industry subsidy;  - ‘Defrauded Industry’ - how much bigger would the market be without the APs and the grey market it feeds;  - AP rationalisation -- promises and keeping them;  - A cleaner drive: govt promise to introduce Euro 4 specification for cleaner fuel -- whether has come true;  - The need for a ‘comprehensive roadmap’ - NAP - issues;  - Emissions - excise holidays;  - Financial issues: service centres - revenues;  - Structure and corporate -- appropriateness - manpower - costs - logistics - qualitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dzameer Dzulkifli the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Teach for Malaysia is on the Breakfast Grille. The Teach For Malaysia Fellowship is a full-time, two-year programme. Fellows are placed as teachers in high-need schools focused on addressing education inequity in Malaysia. Dzameer discusses: -- Why education inequity is the biggest problem in education, and the root causes of the inequity -- How some of the brightest young minds, through Teach For Malaysia, help address this in high-need Malaysian schools -- What is considered to be a “high-need” school and some examples in the Klang Valley -- If the 2-month training course is sufficient preparation, and the on-the-job support given to fellows -- If high-needs students are actually the children who most need veteran teachers instead -- TFM's ambitious goal for the 2014 Cohort for 100 fellows -- The number of applications received so far, and the number of accepted 2014 Fellows to date -- Elevating the perception of the teaching profession -- A teacher's salary at the entry level -- Garnering the support of the faculty at schools -- Working with the Ministry of Education -- Funding for Teach For Malaysia and expenditure And finally, we ask Dzameer the one thing he would change about the education policy in this country. Listen to the podcast to find out what it is! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investec MD (M&A and Equity Capital Markets) Nanda Kumar Menon discusses : - SPACs - an alternative vehicle for mining assets - Malaysia was historically a mining country- Independence of banks - finding a balance between straddling roles of M&A/ECM and investment advisory - Investment banking fees vs plumber  - M&A valuations- a subjective assessment of what upside is - IPO price jump - part of the business’s cost of financing - should always leave something on the table for investors - Privatisations:   -  shield restructuring process from very short term market demands                                -  reward to privatiser for risk-taking during unlisted period  - M&A trends - natural resources demand still strong especially from China and India - Fast depleting supply as well - scarcity driven M&As  - Mining assets long gestation periods - important to plan for supply  - Recent price crash of gold - just a little correction in the long term bullishness? - Gold  is harder to correlate to GDP - very much a probability game based comparing current prices to estimated future demand going coming from govts and consumers - SPACs are interesting because it brings mining co’s to msia which are usually listed overseas - Mining is alternative to Oil & Gas sector which Malaysia is strong in  - The risk assessment processes for investors are similar - The source of a lot of mining investment funding actually comes from AsiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mario Oriol, Deputy CEO of Patentes Talgo SA,  joins us on the breakfast grille. Talgo recently announced thier intentions to bid for the KL - Singapore HSR project. We discuss: - whether generations of family participation strengthened the business - abandoning an attempt to list in Spain in the middle of the financial crisis - Talgo's experiences outside of Europe - how they will compete with other known HSR providers who already have a presence in Malaysia - the advantages of a Talgo's duck shaped train - the RM30bn earmarked for the project - the future of Asian rail connectivity - the challenges of and how to deal with varying track gauges (width)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goh Wee Peng, fixed income CIO for Aminvest talks about : - Massive liquidity in the system; - More rate cuts in expected in eurozone and various Asian countries; - Weak growth outlook to cap interest rate upside; - Bonds still offer decent returns due to yield premiums over Malaysian Govt Securities and fixed deposits; - Fixed income investors shouldn't time market but may look into lower grade bonds and high yield stocks in the search for yields; - Regional local currency bonds may be a good idea-Net of currency effects may be able to achieve overall yields of 8-9% in certain countries; - Foreign inflows into MGS is strong to take advantage of the firm ringgit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dambisa Moyo, the critically acclaimed author of How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid, is on the Breakfast Grille to discuss her latest book, 'Winner Take All: China's Race For Resources and What It Means for the World'. Dambisa was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009. She holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and has worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. She was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia. In her book, 'Winner Take All', Dambisa details how China has embarked on one of the greatest commodity rushes in history. She examines what's at stake as nations compete over increasingly scarce commodities and the economic implications of China becoming the lead buyer of the world’s resources. She also discusses how China’s interest in these countries exclusively in the resources itself and not in social or political involvement in the host country -- as we’ve seen with Western Colonialism. Dambisa also shares her findings as to how these host countries view doing business with China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instacom Group Bhd is a Sarawak-based engineering and construction company that provides support services to the telecommunications industry. It’s ACE market-listed, with a market cap of 242 million ringgit and counts Maxis and DiGi.Com as among its anchor clients. Recently it’s been making the headlines and catching the interest of investors after it scored a 205 million ringgit telecom network and infrastructure project in Sarawak. On the Breakfast Grille to tell us more about the company is Anne Kung the CEO of Instacom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azim Mithani of Prudential BSN Takaful joins us on the Breakfast Grille to discuss: - what he brings to the organisation and how he has changed things up - similarities and differences of takaful and traditional insurance businesses - Pru BSN Takaful's sales channels - caps on agent commissions and whether the insured will bear the cost - focussing on products that address the wider needs of the consumer - market penetration and how to increase demand - muslim versus non-muslim uptake on takaful products - investment returns on assets under managementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, Zainal Amanshah, the CEO of InvestKL discusses : - KL’s global and regional rankings have to be looked at holistically - Relative attractiveness as a business hub - Anchoring qualities - Complementary with Penang and Iskandar - Twin cities concept - Good deal pipeline - Positive impact on GNI and jobs - KL’s 5Cs - Effects of political rhethoricSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, Kulvinder Birring, the Managing Director of Watsons Malaysia,  - Biggest developments since last interview;  - Store - updates - concentration - areas / cities;  - Store openings: timetable - target number;  - Training - service issues -- quantum of improvement -- how much more improvement needed;  - Value of personal, health and cosmetics; - Primary drivers;  - Noticeable themes - spending power, brand arrogance;  - Store openings: no. per year - underlying considerations;  - Growth path - health business - five-year plan; : No. of pharmacists;: No. of health advisors;  - Apex Pharmacy - update - assimilation;  - Drivers - ideology behind the purchase;  - Futurely? Ideas and themes;  - Indonesia market - purview - targets;  - Country revenues and profits - Performance since 2009 - growth numbers;  - Margins;  - Health or beauty: which enjoy better margins;  - Implications of being part of the AS Watson Group, in itself part of the Hutchison Whampoa Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foster + Partners' head of design, David Nelson shares his thoughts on globalisation of architecture, preserving heritage, and designing low cost housing and learning spaces. Among others, the firm designed the landmark HSBC building in Hong Kong,  Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the Hearst Tower in New York, the new City Hall London, and the renovation of Reischtag, Berlin. In Malaysia, its projects are Troika condominium in KLCC and  Universiti Teknologi Petronas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2008, INTI became a part of the Laureate International Universities network, which is the world’s largest operator of private universities. The CEO of INTI Education Group Amit Sevak speaks to us about INTI's academic programmes, its faculty, the employability of INTI graduates and the importance placed on university rankings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pangolin Investment Management founder and principal James Hay discusses:  The Fund:  - Positioning - value not small cap -- research house that "occasionally buys stocks"; - Pangolin is an absolute return fund - “sustainable” credentials - no timber or plantation companies - and no cyclicals;  - Why size - tiny - issues;  - Asset allocation; MY - ID - TH - SG;  - Investment details: > no. of companies invested > no of companies under analysis > preferred sectors> Growth drivers: MY/TH/SG;  - Investment conditions - two-month notice period for redemptions & fees - 1.5% annually - 15% performance fee above high watermark - ISSUES;  - Fund performance - Pangolin Asia Fund since 2004 - performance - annualised return;  Malaysian Market:  - Historically a Malaysian bull -- plus you live here (since 1993) - but has since 1998 been the most undervalued market in Asia .. as well as being the “least understood” - issues;  - Valuations - undemanding in small cap space - issues;  - Whether recent rise reflects dearth of opportunities;  - Small cap - value traps - thin liquidity - need for catalysts;  - "Patience" -- details -- investor patience - issues; - Malaysia “undervalued” historically -- still so?  Company Management - Management calibre quite critical for long-term holders like yourselves -- issue of major ownership and poor enforcement of market governance;  - How worrisome has the recent spate of privatisations and buyouts been;  - In the wake of Yeo Hiap Seng’s exercise you mentioned that you expect many more to follow - issues;  - Whether feels major owners have a duty to offer a fair price to minorities;  - Institutional framework: what more would you want and expect institutional funds to do on monitoring companies; Elections  - Malaysia’s nuances - mud-slinging / shenanigans - "the norm" in developing nations - issues;  - How Pangolin irons out these concerns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd Chairman Dato' Haji Mohamad Haslah bin Mohamad Amin discusses:  Its IPO Exercise:  - Brief rundown of business model: property developer - focus on Johor and Negri Sembilan;  - Chairman's role - executive role -- is also the Chief Executive Officer of MBI -- or Mentri Besar Incorporated, a Negeri Sembilan State owned entity (a role you have been in since 2004) -- whether this gives Matrix an UMNO-linked element;  - Retail portion -- tiny @ 10 million new shares of the 62.6 million new shares on offer - issues;  - Placement: huge @ 44 million new shares - Identity placees - time horizon - profile;  - Valuation - net PE of 6.4x / 39% over consolidated Net Assets per share - issue;  - Hugely profitable as a private company: 104 million ringgit PAT on 456 million ringgit revenue in 2012 - GP Margin of 43% -- reasons for going public;  - Market capital - 660 million ringgit - dozens listed property players, many trade well below NTA - visibility;  - Offer for sale: disposing parties: Ambang Kuasa - Magnitude Point - Target Venue - Meridien Effect - Fine Approach - Ambuang Kuasa bought its 30 million shares at 22 sen each: ie a tenth of the 2.20 ringgit offer price - issues;  - Advisers as Hong Leong Investment Bank and Kenanga Investment Bank - fees - ability - issues; Positioning:  - Approximately 82% of new launches located in Negeri Sembilan to take advantage of Greater Klang Valley Conurbation;  - Retail - industrial - commercial - mix - investees - demand outlook - psf values - price outlook - issues;  - Location - issues - buyer profile;  - Bumi buyers - bulk of new purchases here - issues; - Johor - Kluang - project details; Corporate:  - Net cash - dividend policy;  - Landbanking? Outlook - details: location - project types;  - Future projects See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ORIS Regional Manager Karim Gerber discusses:  - Ownership structure; - Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie;  - Perceived competitors;  - Why only mechanical - less accurate and more expensive;  - Why dedicated to personalities;  - Desired positioning in global watch markets;  - Seen as a poor man’s Tag .. rightly or wrongly;  - Reports of luxury watch sales hitting record levels - issues;  - How the global downturn has done wonders for the industry - issues;  - Malaysia - marketing spend; - Luxury taxes;  - Number of outlets; - Number of watches sold annually;  - Heavy discounting - brand image - implications;  - Knockoffs - counterfeit - issues; See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlos Lacerda, the Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia, discusses: - Feedback - Malaysian market - similarities with Southern Europe - honeymoon over; - Malaysia opportunities - bottlenecks; - The next wave of growth be for Microsoft in Malaysia; - Education a clear area for Microsoft’s strategy in Malaysia - strategy - elections outcome - education minister; - Strategy - government as the client - leakages - corruption; - Malaysia’s ICT sector spending - market share - growth slowing - fewer PCs sold - Windows as Microsoft’s core product - challenges; - The shift away from hardware purchases to software and services - strategy; - Superior credit rating - issues; - Piracy -- update; - Business update - mobile - tablets - services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FUJIFILM was first established in 1934, with the aim of domestically producing motion-picture films. But the rise of digital photography had the company rethinking its business structures. FujiFilm now makes a wide range of products from digital cameras and protective film for LCD screens, to medical equipment and cosmetics. FUJIFILM Asia Pacific’s managing director Hiroyuki Sakai is on the Breakfast Grille to tell us more about the corporate reforms the company has gone through and its ability to innovate and diversify into other products to remain competitive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille we have Jeff Price, the managing director for Decision Analytics for Experian Asia. Experian is a global information services company. For Decision Analytics, it is when the company creates products to help in areas such as strategy and debt management and anti-fraud solutions. He also talks about: - How they make data make sense to businesses and what does it mean for the bottomline - How they deal with competitors such as TransUnion and Equifax - Experian's strategy for Asia and for Malaysia - About the group's new products for the yearSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is May 6th, 2013. The Morning After Malaysia's 13th General Election. BFM's Melisa Idris speaks to Bridget Welsh, associate professor of political science with Singapore Management University, for a post-mortem on yesterday's elections, and what we can learn from what went right -- and what could have been done better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, Vice President, Asian Content, Virginia Lim comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about One HD, its top channel that shows Korean content. The recent Korean wave has been everywhere, however, it has always been hard for Asian content to break into the Western mainstream. Other talking points include: - What exactly is it about Korean content that makes it popularity so far reaching? - Whether it will last or die out like other fads have - About the spiralling cost of content and what does this mean when the popularity has died off - On whether this means that there will be a revival of demand for Asian content in the West - On whether Sony will continue to partner exclusively with Astro or whether it will sell to any of the newer Pay-TV operators See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Lisle, the CEO of AIA Bhd., answers the following questions: -AIA’s purchase of ING’s Malaysian businesses. Worth $1.7 billion, it reportedly gave AIA the No.1 mantle in Malaysia while extending your lead over Prudential in Asia. Has the money been worth it? - AIA now has 25% of the Malaysian market. What does this mean in terms of new growth prospects? Does this now make Malaysia more of a cash-generative market rather than a growth sector? - The “protection gap” in Malaysia, which stood at $380bil in 2010, and has doubled over the past 10 years. What exactly is this? - Integration costs have reportedly hurt margins. Where is most of the integration spend going?- Timetable before full integration occurs - All hands on deck, therefore, to integrate ING. Tell us how it's going, both good and bad. > Agencies? > Distribution? > Branding, customer engagement? - Insurance industry - penetration - dynamics - demographic - What does this mean in terms of building on your vast market share? - And where are the growth pockets? Takaful could certainly be one area .. - You have said that one of the ways AIA will grow is with technology: the launch in January of a tablet-based application called ‘interact live point-of-sale’, where agents are able to conduct insurance business using the tablets and policies could be issued in less than an hour.How much of a game changer can this be? - And your >16,000 insurance agents -- attrition - Agency generate about 75% of new business -- will be rebranded as “life planners” to reflect the greater role they would play. 10% Bumi agents right now What kind of greater role? And just what will a simple role redesignation mean in terms of mobilising this army? - You have spoken of attracting more Gen Y agents … - Bancassurance - plans to grow its bancassurance relationship and takaful business through its own takaful company and ING Public Takaful Ehsan Bhd which was formed by ING, Public Bank Bhd (PBB) and Public Islamic Bank Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PBB. Problem is, takaful is an Islamic product and Public is a Chinese bank. Are you not therefore preaching to an already converted market? - AIA is also one of the eight private retirement scheme providers. But months after winning accreditation, we have yet to see some concrete products? - Granted, ING has just been purchased, but as at fiscal end-Nov., which is your financial year-end, AIA as a group posted a 27% percent jump in new business growth. Malaysia grew just 17 percent. Reasons - And on an Asia-wide basis, at about $30 billion AIA is nearly double the Pru in embedded value-terms. But margins are smaller. And so is top-line growth. This centres on the fact that around 55 per cent of AIA’s embedded value (a measure of future profitability) lies in Hong Kong and Singapore. These are developed countries, which are seen as generating cash rather than growth. A problem in a fast-growing Asia? - Elections - market implications - cash levels? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille this morning we had Annamalai Muthu, the country manager for BlackBerry Malaysia. Formerly known as Research in Motion, the smartphone manufacturer was once the market leader but has since lost ground to its competitors. Now with two new products in the offing, BlackBerry is hoping to regain its crown once more. Other talking points include: - The recent earnings of the US-listed parent and what is the outlook over the next few months - If this gambit fails, what is BlackBerry's Plan B - What is the outlook that BlackBerry has for the Malaysian market in terms of smartphones - How has BlackBerry approached this launch and whether the company used a different tactic to get its products out there compared to before - Whether LTE/4G will prove a catalyst for growth in the smartphone marketSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Jackson, the Managing Director of Debenhams Malaysia, answers the following questions:  - UK positioning -- more of a High Street brand. Globally? In Malaysia? Can it establish itself higher purely by virtue of being foreign and British?  - Global positioning? Malaysia - competitors  - Represents edgier brands - issues  - International franchise - terms - issues  - Majority of the investor and corporate messaging indicates a strong focus on the UK retail scene and very little hoopla about international store growth - why  - Debenhams Malaysia master franchisee is Stellar Retail Sdn Bhd - historical perspective -- whether involved in the earlier foray  - Govt instrumental in abolishing import duties on clothes - 25% plus GST - ‘game changer’  - MY Franchise? Details - backers - financial capability - The Curve - 3 million ringgit investment (12,500sf) - Starhill Gallery 6 million ringgit (40,000sf) - Penang 19,000sf, 4.5 million ringgit)  - Ascertaining local selling conditions - product range - target markets  - Like-for-like sales  - Gross profit margins - Purchasing -- system - whether an ‘Asian advantage  - Buying centralised from the UK but how do lower costs get passed down -- e.g. cotton prices  - Competition: M&S, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo - vicious - price cuts  - 50% storewide discounts - implications: footfall, word of mouth? How are these promotions decided upon, frequency?  - UK - growing online sales -- good mitigator - Malaysia takeup  - Expectations - Penang - buying habits - Johor next  - Regional plans - Singapore - capital raising - flotation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speed is everything in turning around a company. Newly appointed global CEO of Air France, Alexandre de Juniac talks about transforming the lumbering carrier that has been reporting four straight years of losses. He also talks about upping customer service to achieve 5 star ratings by Skytrax, and competing with Malaysia on the KL-Paris route. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darrel Webber, Secretary General of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) is on the breakfast grille to discuss: - proportional representation on the RSPO where only 15% of members are made up of growers and millers - imposing RSPO principles and criteria on the small growers. Is it economically viable? - formulation of human rights policies. Does this really help the lower skilled labour force in palm oil production? - Oil Palm and the environment - the industry's reputational issues and how to move onSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Emmanuel Jeyaprakash, Deputy CEO of Bank Simpanan Nasional is on the breakfast grille to discuss: - the relevance and future of BSN in a rapidly urbanised Malaysia - how it continues to service the rural and suburban population - whether its a commercial entity or performing a national service? - its diverse product offering including micro finance, wealth management and Sijil Simpanan Premium See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hari Krishnan, the Managing director for LinkedIn in Asia Pacific and Japan, comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the company's prospects in the emerging markets, which include Malaysia.  Linkedin is a professional social network, with over 200 million members and boasts a joining rate of 2 members per second.Among the discussion points are: - Plans for the emerging markets, which currently make up about 8% of the NYSE-listed parent company's revenue. He also talks about plans for the Malaysian market as well.  - He also talk about their recently revamped search engine and the response to it.  - LinkedIn's credibility among both potential employers and employees. He admits that it is impossible to check every single profile, but they do have tools to make sure fraudulent accounts are reported and removed.  - He also says that localisation goes beyond just changing the sites language. It is also about understanding. - He also talks about whether parent LinkedIn can sustain the good growth it saw in its latest fourth quarter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The music streaming service, Spotify, is expanding into eight new markets from the current 20 world-wide, to places including Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia. Stockholm-based company already offers services in the United States, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Spotify, which launched in 2008, is a free on-demand streaming service. People can pay to hear music without interruptions from advertising and the ability to play lists and preferences from any device any time. On the Breakfast Grille is Sriram Krishnan, Spotify’s Head of New Markets for Asia Pacific. He discusses: -- Spotify's business model and the 'discovery' element -- Its revenue model operating under a 'Freemium' model, and how this can be profitable -- Why beating rampant digital piracy is the ultimate goal -- Challanges for Spotify when moving into new markets -- How to convince consumers in developing markets to pay for music -- His response to criticism that Spotify had been failing to compensate artists fairly -- How Spotify is planning to beat its competitionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambassador of Chile to Malaysia H.E. Christian Rehren discusses:  - The Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement - Trade value - breakdown;  - Talks on services and investments - commencement - two years implementation of the Trade in Goods Agreement;  - Copper - salmon - wine - as among Chile's biggest industries;  - Chile - Malaysia trade currently favors Chile -- reasons - trade balance - outlook;  - Chile - strongest sovereign bond rating in South America - issues;  - Global Competitiveness Report - Chile; - FTAs - abundance - issues;  - Rule-based countercyclical fiscal policy - reasons - issues;  - Chile - world’s top producer of copper - issues;  - Double-edged sword - over-reliance; - Copper as economic mainstay;  - Global demand - prices - downturn;  - Plunging gold prices not helping - help reduce cash costs of mining copper - double whammy;  - Economic outlook - Chile - copper prices continue declines;  - Oversupply: huge concern; - Resource boom - cost inflation - declining competitive advantage - social frisson - Gini Coefficient; - Investment in astronomy - historical reasons - innovation - research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2013 interview, Prasarana Group MD Dato Shahril Mokhtar, discusses:  - Clearing confusion - role Prasarana - MRT Corp;  - Shareholder - Regulator - Transport Ministry - overlap - coverage - issues; - Two different agencies - very similar projects;  - Further clouded - MRT Corp to come under Prasarana umbrella after completion in 2018 - issues;  - LRT extension projects - prequalification - expertise and ability;  - Time - budget - health and safety; - TRC Synergy - death - Subang;  - Penalty - suspension - consequences; - Effect on budget - delivery - cost;  - Transparency - issues - status of investigations;  - Health and safety - Klang Valley and Putrajaya construction projects - accidents;  - Non-fare revenue expansion - targets - rail plus property concept - revenue model - details;  - Fare review - unchanged in a decade - issues; - Bus business - Rapid - relationship with Pakatan-led states - Lim Guan Eng comments on non-delivery; - Monorail - Pg - monorail award in 2008 - Prasarana involvement - no developments since - issues;  - High-speed rail - whether Prasarana will be involved;  - Financial situation - debt levels - revenues - losses; - Prasarana bonds - pricing - issues; - 2018 listing - details. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille we have Daniel Glinert, Chairman of Sarin Technologies Ltd, a diamond and gem technologies company listed on the Singapore exchange. We discuss: - the highs and lows of the company's share price  - the impact of volatile diamond prices on its trade and his outlook on prices - how they have taken steps to expand their revenues beyond the processing of rough diamonds - whether diamonds qualify as safe haven assetsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak to Kevin Gaskell, former Managing Director of Porsche and BMW in the UK, on how he turned around and grew both companies, and what auto brands like Proton should do to become a global player. Gaskell is now a business consultant, and was with Porsche in 1987-1996, and BMW in 1996-2000.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crescendo Corp Bhd MD Gooi Seong Lim discusses:  - 100% - Johor-focused positioning -- reasons -- implications;  - Industrialisation theme;  - Whether Iskandar theme has stretched to Crescendo;  - Land acquisition costs - Johor; - Non-Johor projects;  - Other trends: residential - relocation from expensive Singapore to cheaper Johor; - Johor sales outlook; - Resorts development - expansion - details;  - Education - expansion - details;  - Dividend policy - outlook;  - Governance issues - also MD of Sykt Kim Loong Resources Sdn Bhd.,major owner in Crescendo and Main Market-listed Kim Loong Resources Bhd. - issues;  - Also Chairman/MD - conflicts - counter to CG Best Practices;  - Four Goois on a board of seven;  - Outlook: economy - issues;  - Elections - unrest - Johor - issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maclean Services Group CEO Simon Lim discusses:  - Differentiate from the listed company McLean;  - How it started - inherited business - challenges;  - Labour as biggest challenge - supply - quality - motivation;  - Minimum wage - issues;  - Client sectors - Retail - building - factory - in that order;  - Management - productivity tweaks;  - Rockefeller habits: details;  - Revenues 24m - profits 1.4m - 2012 - margins -- compression - outlook;  - Expansion Plans - list - trade sale.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Webb, the Corporate and Economic Governance Activist and Founder of Webb-site, discuss:  - Chosen career path;  - Conflict between the commercial and regulatory roles of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange;  - Arguments for a super regulatory authority to assume the oversight role;  - Fight for improved investor representation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange;  - Hong Kong is - trying to extend legal culpability over financial advisors to an IPO;  -Role as independent non-executive director on HKSE;  - HK - voted among Asia’s best-governed exchanges - whether contradiction;  - Role of INEDs - necessity elected by independent shareholders;  - Big government in HK - whether violates principle of "big market, small government;  - Poll voting and Project Poll- Family owned structures - governance concerns - Related Party Transactions;  - His annual Christmas share tip.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revenue of GUH Holdings fell from RM311 million in 2011 to RM280 million in 2012  due to a slowdown in the printed circuits board (PCB) division. Dato Kenneth H'ng, the managing director, explains how the small cap company is re-engineering its growth through diversification rather than solely focusing on its core business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, Raj Lorenz the Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of GHL Systems. He discusses the electronic payment infrastructure business and how GHL Systems is structured around three core business segments: shared services, solutions services and transaction payment acquisition. Raj also talks about the company's return to the black and why he believes the turnaround is sustainable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rod Young, Global Chairman and CEO of Cartridge World discusses on the Breakfast Grille: -- Cartridge World’s business model of refilling and remanufacturing printer cartridges -- quality control  -- possibility of diversifying -- his response complaints that remanufactured cartridges leak -- margins in this business -- moving with technology developments -- expansion plans and how Cartridge World plans to grow market share -- its franchising model and the relationship with its franchiseesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WTO braces for leadership race AFP March 31, 2013 The World Trade Organisation is bracing for the start of the race to lead the body that polices the rules of global commerce, a unique contest in the often-opaque sphere of international diplomacy. From April 2nd, the 158 WTO member states will start cutting a field of nine candidates for the post of director general, whose main task is to revive long-stalled talks on boosting international trade. After two four-year terms for Frenchman Pascal Lamy -- a former European Union trade chief -- emerging nations aim to stake their claim on the top job which is vacant on September 1st. Dr. Herminio Blanco Mendoza is Mexico’s candidate for the post of World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General. On the Breakfast Grille, he explains his plans for the organization in the short, medium and long terms. He also discusses why he is running and why his experience avails him as the strongest candidate for the post.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, Henrietta Lovell the founder and director of The Rare Tea Company discusses how she left behind a successful career in corporate finance to start the company, sourceing fine hand-crafted teas across the world’s most remote estates direct from farmers and their tea gardens. She talks about how businesses can be both profit driven and socially conscientious and draws parallels between the wine and tea trades.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his book "Habit: the 95% of Behaviour Marketers Ignore", Dr Neale Martin a consumer behaviour expert debunks marketing myths that it's customer satisfaction and advertising creativity that drives buying decisions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malindo Air's CEO Chandran Rama Muthy comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the latest airline to take to the skies in Malaysia. Part of Indonesia's Lion Group, Malindon says what makes it different from the rest is that it is a "hybrid" airline, which offers low cost carrier fares but with full cost carrier frills. However, the landscape has remained tough for the airlines and the task is for Malindo Air to stand apart from its competitors. He also talks about: - The plan to add another 10 planes to the existing 2 in its current fleet by the end of this year. At the moment, Malindo flies to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, but its planning to expand to 12 destinations by the end of 2013, which includes Sibu and Miri as well as India. - He also talks about leveraging off Lion Group's other airlines and the synergies between; - He also says that the feedback for the maiden flights has been good;  - He addresses the fact that the Malindo's website went down in initial stages but says that improvements have been put in place to make sure it does not happen again; - He says its still early days yet in the airline to talk about whether they will meet their goal to break even by the end of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CLIQ Energy CFO En Kamarul Baharin Albakri discusses:  - Reasons behind news reports of termination from role as CEO of Petra Energy;  - Track record in finance-related oil and gas;  - Quantum raised - Identity of placees;  - Portion of company owned by management;  - Initial investors - price paid - issues; - Management fee? -- Annual amount paid to management;  - Listing fees;  - Management team - track record - experience - relevant skills;  - Viable alternative to - basket listed global mining / energy blue chips / global energy fund / energy or mining ETF- Qualifying asset - details - region - IRR - issues;  - Entry/production/operating costs - QA: details;  - Oil prices - outlook - impressions - shale - issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Andriesen, Managing Director for Agricultural Commodities at Chicago Mercantile Exchange, discusses:  - Revenue model;  - Extent of business;  - SEA relevance, local commodities and the USD Palm Oil futures contract - lack of takeup - Ringgit CPO Futures contract is still more popular - issues;  - Sophistication in US market - SEA as a nascent but huge market - issues;  - Scope for innovation - Asian scenario; - Other derivative products in future;  - Interest levels - In Asia: exchange collaborations - growth - mergers;  - Talk that CME had approached Deutsche Boerse on a merger - issues;  - Challenges to CME - Sequestration - Trading Volumes - extending trading hours - Competition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roberto Verganti, Professor of Management of Innovation at Politecnico di Milano, and author of the book Design Driven Innovation, tells how to change the rules of competition by finding new meanings through product and service design.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George O'Grady, the Chief Executive of the European Tour, discusses:  - Primary business model;   - Updated number of tournaments - total prize money;  - Contrast with the much richer PGA Tour - issues;  - Tournament venues - who decides where - when - etc;  - China - growing presence - WGC Shanghai -- issues - credibility - ranking points;  - Middle East Unrest - players are reluctant to make the trip - outlook for the game in MidEast;  - Competing Asian Tours - no sign of resolution soon -- how bad is this getting for the game - co-sanctioning point of view;  - GFC issues - exodus of top European players to PGA Tour Card - issues;  - Jetset calendar - downsides - jet lag, amongst other things - issues;  - The PGA Tour - converted its events to charities - whether / why European Tour considered this avenue;  - His and PGA Tour head Tim Finchem's reaction to Steve Williams' racist remark against Tiger Woods - reasons;  - his bet for the winner of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.