The Breakfast Grille

In this 2012 interview, Perodua Managing Director Aminar Rashid Salleh discusses: - Weak Sales - amendments Hire Purchase Act - tighter lending guidelines - impact; - BNM - household debt - levles - defaulters; - Plans - become financier - talks with Toyota Motor Capital - details; - Regulatory conditions - issues; - Concerns - default - margins - cost of capital; - Entering the second-hand car market - details - by when - margins - human capital; - Full-year - sales targets; - Model rollout - reports - to soon enter the 1.5 to 1.8 litre segment - response; - Overseas sales- pitifully low - <five per cent of total sales - strategies to address; - South Korean carmakers - competitiveness - compare and contrast; - Tun Mahathir - perceived obstacle to Malaysian car industry - views; - Proton’s sale to DRB -- speculated departure of Proton CEO and CFO - views; - Implications to merger - collaboration; - National Auto Policy - wish list. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Baroness Warsi, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister Without Portfolio, discusses:- Appointment - response - criticism - Tories badly out of touch - increasingly diverse Britain - gender, racial or religious standpoint;- Position - overpromoted - unjustifiably successful - due race / gender - whether ironic - diversity - met accusations;- Enemies - strategy;- British soft power;- Tories - traditional opponents - single European currency - whether current malaise vindicates;- If EU - dissolve - implications - Britain;- Europe ranking low - British radar compared to education, healthcare, immigration and crime - reasons;- Views on “militant secularism”  - whether evidence - militant about secularists in society;- Whether evidence - more faith - positive force - broader society;- Richard Dawkins - views that secularism need not be a bad thing - people - who "don’t want religion forced down their throats";- Faith-based government - avenues for abuses;- Faith - so-called ‘Islamisation’ of Europe;- Integration - or otherwise - of British Asians - Rochdale sexual grooming scandal;- Britain's decades-long struggles to integrate different faiths, cultures and races;- Racial justice - forced marriages - issues;- Gender diversity - ongoing challenges.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, we speak to Dr Jay D. Keasling, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the chief executive officer of the Joint BioEnergy Institute. Synthetic biology is is the design and construction of new biological entities such as enzymes, genetic circuits, and cells or the redesign of existing biological systems. Keasling's research involves yeast to produce the anti-malarial drug artemisinin. He discusses how and why he got involved in this project, as well as why there was a need to create a new anti-malarial drug. Dr Keasling is also working on the metabolic engineering of the E-coli bacterium to produce biofuels. He talks about the process, commercialization efforts, and how his work could potential impact the giant oil companies. Finally, we ask him about the ethical and societal implication of his work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PESTECH International Berhad CEO Paul Lim discusses: - Transition - electrical equipment trader and supplier in 1991 - listed co; - Journey to value-add then to manufacturer and then on to international company; - Producing own brand - decision - year - rationale;  - IPO: Tough market conditions, risk-off mentality - approach; - Choice of Bank Islam as adviser - skills - reach - fees; - Valuations: 6.25x PE - whether fair -- high side - low side (2011 basic EPS 16 sen -- offer price 1 ringgit); - Offer for sale element - 10 per cent of the company - Bumi placement - feedback; - Management and Board of directors - skills - experience - independence; - Client mix - Tenaga exposure; - Order book - size - value of bids - success rates; - Good mix of regional clients -- sustainability; - Time span - build foreign credential - how - why - etc; - Overseas projects - countries - Cambodia - largest contributors - dynamics; - Expected growth rates - next 5 years; - Gearing ratios - dividend policy; - Lim and founder Lim Ah Hock - own combined 61 million shares - 71 per cent post-IPO - whether concerned - low free float; - Role - Bank Islam - making a market post-IPO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tri Corporation CEO Carlo Peratoner, discusses: - Executive development solutions - corporate education - experiential leadership - simulation programs - details; - Customers - needs - demands - GE, Microsoft, Boeing and all the top Dow 30 companies - proposition; - Services - strategic alignment and managing change, strategy and vision development, business acumen, financial skills development, leadership development, and team development - details; - Duration -- fees - course details; - Asian appetites - exeutived evelopment - fees structure - demand outlook - positioning; - ROI explanation; - Black Swans - sims - executive development - how prepares executives; - Social media - skills war - implications for executives - - Executive development -- how needs differ between industries; - GE's Crotonville - similarities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Packet Berhad MD/CEO Puan Chan Cheong, in this 2012 interview, discusses: - Coverage update- ‘Nationwide’ status -- East Malaysia - update; - Subscriber update; - ARPU update; - Competitionv - subscriber acquisition costs; - Equipment - depreciation issues: partly blamed for losses - challenges - capital-heavy business; - WIMAX - LTE - debate - issues; - Software and services business: - Outlook - Gross margins - competition - Motorola, Samsung - Birdstep and Smith Micro; - Accumulated losses 619 million ringgit since 2008 - profit promises - unfulfilled; - EDBITDA profitability promise not kept - loss of credibility; - Outstanding related party receivables: 3.9 million ringgit -- three years old - status.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flextronics International Senior VP of Finance Manny Marimuthu discusses: - The Flextronics proposition in Asia; - Malaysia proposition - 11 manufacturing facilities, one R&D centre and currently 20,000 people to get to 23,000 employees; - Reasons for being bullish; - Adding jobs - headcount; - Rising Costs - regional comparison; - Growth - CAGR forecasts - outlook; - Margins - razor thin - 2012: $29.4 billion revenues. Net income $521 million. Net margin: 1.77 per cent - strategy; - Costs management - difficulty - challenges - prices - migration;- Labour costs - China exposure - issues; - Identifying The Next big Thing; - Long-term strategy of shrinking High Velocity Solutions - new areas - details; - Impact on revenue - margins; - Leaks - internal policy - dealing with it; - Walter Shimoon case - lessons (former director of business development - charged with insider trading); - Apple - independent audits by the Fair Labor Association - Microsoft, Dell , HP and Samsung - guidelines - Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition - views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kenny Tan, managing director of KEN Holdings, is back on the Breakfast Grille. He gives an update on the KEN Rimba Jimbaran project, as well as the KEN TTDI development. KEN TTDI is also a milestone for the company -- its first foray into the hospitality business -- with the development of 36 corporate suites there. He also discusses the on-going plans for the 'green' hotel in Penang, plans for increasing their landbank, and venturing outside the Klang Valley. Kenny also talks about undervaluation of the company's stocks and his wish to take it private.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, Ong Ewe Hock, managing director of DuPont Malaysia, discusses:  -- its business segments -- major growth drivers for the company -- the company's financials -- growth targets -- how DuPont plans to weather the economic headwinds -- challenges in getting talent -- the Oil Palm Center of Excellence, to promote oil palm as a significant adjacent crop to DuPont -- R&D and innovation efforts -- future products/innovations -- DuPont's environmental record -- expansion plans & key focus areas for MalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Our Mother's Day Special on the Breakfast Grille: Helen Read, the founder and Managing Director of Ms.Read & her son, Benjamin Yong, the founder of the BIG group with its collection of restaurants and supermarkets like Plan B, T forty twoand Ben's Independent Grocer. Helen Read of Ms.Read discusses: -- how she started just sewing buttons to designing a clothing line for fuller-bodied women -- the process : from design sketches to clothes on the rack -- quality control in the commercial manufacturing of the apparel  -- how Ms.Read stays ahead of the competition -- expansion plans & franchising opportunities -- update on the Dude and the Duchess -- online shopping on the Ms.Read website -- Recently it's been highlighted that Malaysians in general have high levels of household debt -- has this impacted the retail sector?   Benjamin Yong of the BIG group discusses: -- his new culinary adventures post E&O: how he has managed to set up 20 restaurants and supermarkets in just 18 months -- why most of the stores are concentrated in Bangsar -- striving for consistancy in the quality of food served at all his outlets -- Some outlets will be more profitable than others, so how will he make the decision to axe an outlet -- teething problems in expanding so quickly   Family Relations -- what's the family dynamic like, coming from a family of entrepreneurs and having almost all of the family involved in the business -- what Ben has gained from working directly with his mum -- Helen's advice to other entrepreneurs who work with their family membersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breakfast Grille presents a Mother's Day Special with The Chicken Rice Shop (TCRS) founder Gaik Wong, and her daughter Wong Kah Lin, the CEO of the company.  They discuss: -- How the recipe for the chicken rice served at their restaurants is a meld of both grandmothers' receipes (one from Hainan & the other from Penang) -- Although chicken rice is available everywhere from your local warung to high-end restaurants, they discuss what makes TCRS' chicken rice different from the other places  -- How they keep the menu exciting and fresh for their customers, revamping the menu or introducing new offerings -- and how they are working with celebrity chef Datuk Ismail Ahmad -- What they think of the tussle over claims of the origins of chicken ricebetween Malaysia and Singapore -- How inflation/ rising cost of living is the biggest challenge  -- Their catering service and the possibility of having a delivery service -- Expansion plans locally and regionally: They currently have 60 stores nationwide -- 8 overseas: mostly in shopping malls -- The working relationship between mother and daughter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sime Darby Healthcare MD Raja Azlan Shah Raja Azwa discusses: - Developments - two new hospitals - Ara Damansara and ParkCity; - Investment amounts - source - adherence- budget - timelines - details; - ETP - reasons for appointment to EPP status;- Medical tourism - arrivals - expectations - targets; - Medical education; - Plans - double revenue to 600 million ringgit - 2016 - organic - M&A; - Jakarta - target - Penang - Details: identity - stage of talks - positioning - update;- Exit: IPO - others - options; - Cost insurance - low penetration - moral argument - healthcare as a commercial enterprise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has the adoption of fiat money 40 years ago created an unsustainable economic paradigm in the US, with the unprecedented expansion of credit? Is this then the start of a New Great Depression? On the Breakfast Grille is author of 'The New Depression: The Breakdown of the Paper Money Economy" Richard Duncan, and he discusses: -- How US debt has ballooned almost fifty-fold in the four decade since the US stopped backing dollars with gold -- Why he thinks the current economic system in place in the US is not capitalism -- His reconstruction of Irving Fisher's quantity theory of money to become the Quantity Theory of Credit – on the premise that there is no real distinction between money and credit -- Lessons the Federal Reserve has learnt from the 1929 Great Depression -- What's at stake for the world economy if there is the New Great Depressionand what needs to be done to prevent it from happening. -- Which areas the US government should be looking to spend on and why -- Find out his advice to investorsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aker Solutions Asia-Pacific president Crawford Tennant discusses:- Aker’s services within the stable; - Previous posting within subsea solutions - 'Christmas trees' - etc;- The umbilicals business: carrying data - fluid - chemicals;- Clients - producers - installers;- Typical lifespan;- EMs: West Africa - Asia - CAGR of between 11 and 18 per cent annually - growing presence;- Choice of Malaysia as investment destination;- Petronas - Marginal oil fields - $60m investment - Pekan - umbilical manufacturing - commencement Q4 2013;- Why not Kuantan, Gebeng;- Amount invested and status of development;- Operational challenges: manpower - logistics;- Importance - infrastructure - communications; - Skills in developing 'well functioning local teams' - in a skills context - Pekan - how;- 40 per cent of company owned by Norwegian Ministry of Trade - implications, reasons;- Corruption - procurement - approach;- Petronas capex spend - strategy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, we speak to Dato' Seri Ir Dr Judin Abdul Karim, the CEO of Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). CIDB, which was formed in 1994, is a regulatory body and the custodian of the local construction industry  He discusses some of the key challenges that CIDB faces: --  Productivity Issues: Productivity in the Malaysian construction industry has been stagnant since the 1980's. The productivity figure as measured by GDP/employee has been about RM7,000, has remained constant – compared to other sectors which have been showing increases in productivity during this period. --  Tax Issues: Taxes on construction machinery in Malaysia is the highest in South East Asia --  Quality of Materials Issues --  Health and Safety Issues --  Procurement Issues --  Payment Issues: Issues on late/non payments are a major grouse of contractors. This is quite worrying as people can resort to sabotage if they are not paid. To address this, the Construction Industry Payment And Adjudication Act (CIPAA) is being drafted.  --  Globalization Issues: Globalisation can be seen as both a threat and an opportunity for the Malaysian construction industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AEON Co. (M) Bhd Managing Director Ms Nur Qamarina Chew discusses: - Rebranding exercise - ROI - Positioning - Aeon proposition; - How many stores - cities - neighbourhoods; - Whether target number of stores - yearly rollout plan; - Key marketing point of 'constant interior refurbishment' - details; - Middle-class target segment - research - data points; - Expansion - Sungai Petani - Bukit Mertajam - Kulai - update - strategy; - Buy or rent; - East Malaysia - strategy - competition - rollout plans - details; - Market evaluation and feasibility studies completed - conclusions on E.Malaysia marketApparently you have already carried out - Responsible lending guidelines - demand implications; - General Merchandise Stores versus property management division - growth and margin comparisons; - Store openings - funding options; - Dividend policy; - CEO since May - first-ever woman MD outside Japan - life change - personal transition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datin Maznah Mahbob, Group CEO of the Funds Management Division of AmInvestment Bank, discusses: - Update - assets under management;- Breakdown - areas - concentration; - Demand - source; - Equity funds - proposition; - Fixed income - focus - performance - reasons;- Outlook - equity markets; - Fund management - challenges - ‘deals’ - dirty - managing perception; - Private Retirement Scheme - structure - takeup - forecast - contribution - benefits; - SC - corporate governance - role - institutional investors; - ANZ - Big Picture - fund management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Norman Davies, British historian and author of Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations, discusses: - Whether there is a more futile effort than the construction of kingdoms; - History appearing to not have taught mankind that empires crumble;  - China - - but flashpoints - Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan; - European Union - similarities - fabled kingdoms like Byzantion, Aragon and even the USSR - disintegration; - Soviet Union - crumbled - details; - Longevity - identitiy - culture - importance - ingredients; - Collapse of the USSR - lies and half-truths - eventual truth - major factor behind collapse; - Malleability - history books - Stanford University experience; - Why history should be taught. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, we speak to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk. He is a member of President Barack Obama's Cabinet and serves as the President's principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues. Ambassador Kirk was in Southeast Asia to discuss current issues in US trade and investment with Asia Pacific economies. He discusses:  -- growth in two-way trade between Malaysia and US in the next 5 years -- how the trade relationship could be affected by Malaysia's move uo the value chain, from a low-cost manufacturing country to a high-income nation -- issues that hampered talks on the Malaysia-US Free Trade agreement, such as the uneven tarrif structure -- also where the US stands on the issue of the New Economic Policy, which has been said to be favoring the indigenous Malays especially in the area of government procurement, and if American investors could be discouraged by this policy, as it can be construed as an unequal playing field in business -- how detrimental is corruption and the perceived lack of transparency in Malaysia to doing business with us -- trade issue between the US and China -- will there be more trade friction with China going forward -- the implications of Malaysia being on the Special 301 Report, which identifies countries that do not provide "adequate and effective" protection of intellectual property rights -- why he has continued to push for free trade, even with the high unemployment rateand the anxiety about protecting American jobsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, John Brosnan, the Southeast Asia Managing Director for BAE Systems discusses: --  the history and heritage of the company --  the key business areas --  their home markets and what they're focusing on  --  the importance of innovation in staying on top of their game --  business opportunities in Malaysia: BAE is aggressively pitching the Eurofighter Typhoon to the RMAF replace the MiG-29 aircrafts -- how BAE Systems plan to work with Malaysian businessesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LBS Bina Group Bhd MD Dato' Lim Hock San discusses: - Rebranding - restrategisation - rebuilding - aftermath Global Financial Crisis - losses; - Management decisions - gambles; - Landbank - update; - Outlook - property prices - elaborate; - Positioning - medium end - reasons; - Challenges: tightening liquidity - BNM Responsible Lending Guidelines - higher Loan-to-Value ratios - net income - rules; - Demand - market outlook; - China property market - viewpoint; - China - slowdown - plans - implications; - Dragon Hills - divestment - reasons - divestment funds plans - deal chances - third parcel - F1 Circuit; - Dividend policy; - Valuation - liquidity - corporate plans; - Governance - family representation on management - board balance;  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Collis, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School talks about how strategy is taught at the prestigious universitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MIECO Chipboard Bhd MD Dato' Yong Seng Yeow discusses: - 2010 - demand recovery - current situation - construction and property demand - full swing; - Plant utilisation; - Re-opening Kuala Lipis plant; - Raw material costs: glue and wax - outlook; - Regional competition - cheap - undercutting; - Q4 -- results announcements -- bleak outlook - particleboard prices - sluggish global demand - eurozone debt uncertainty; - Inflationary pressures - raw materials - wood and glue; - Impact: operating costs - margins; - Challenges - strategie; - Safety - formaldehyde - issues; - Big jump - HK-China and 'Others' revenue -- which regions -- why -- drivers; - Reasons; - Sustainability of fresh earnings; - Expected rally - chipboard makers - Donghwa - Heveaboard interest - languish - reasons; - Aug 2010 announcement - owner Bandar Raya - talks Chinese party - sell 58 per cent stake in Mieco - developments; - Whether plans - on hold - Bandar Raya's proposal to sell Cap Square, Permas Jusco Mall (JB), Menara BSC and BSC to Ambang Sehati; - Whether consider buying up BRDB's stake - MBO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aluminium Company of Malaysia Berhad (ALCOM) MD Sachin Satpute discusses: - Current business - update; - Contrast - business profile - 60 percent owner: Atlanta, Georgia-based Novelis; - Capex spendng - higher quality products - higher prices - update - move up the value chain; - New markets - South Korea, India, Taiwan and Japan - update; - R&D - importance - update; - Raw materials - costs - energy - a fifth of opex; - Respite: government tariff hike deferment; - Alcom's plea - government - manufacturing economy - distinction from Singapore; - Whether potential - pass - increases - customers - efforts - cutting energy use; - Liberalisation - China - challenges; - Currency - fluctuations - effects; - Novelis - parent - link - benefits; - Commentary - prospects - outlook; - Bright spots: Thailand recovering - Mandatory Quality Standards on Aluminum Rolled Products - Government decision defer proposed energy rate hike from - effective - December 2011; - Outstanding share capital - small - virtually no liquidity - valuation 42 percent discount to NTA - plans to address this; - No debt - 40 million ringgit of cash - whether utilise - move up value chain - margin expansion; - Novelis - owned by Hidalco - owned by the $35 billion Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group - potential linkages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JATRO AG Founder & CEO Dr. Christoph Weber discusses: - Airline industry - uptake - biofuels - adoption rates; - Aircraft performance - behavior - operation differences; - Challenges - gelling - effects on farm commodity prices - clearing of land for biofuel use; - Aviation industry - impediments to upscale: supply and costs; - Jatro AG: - experience - skills - depth; - Current acreage size - location; - Percentage of acreage planted; - Age of trees; - Amount of acreage sought; - Stated production targets; - Pest problems - pesticides; - Competition for water; - Funding:- Amount of capital expended since inception; - Amounts sought - valuations; - Investors already on board - identity; - Former Siemens Malaysia President and CEO Tan Sri Rainier Althoff is a board member and part owner - his role; - Most pressing use of capital; - R&D spend as percentage of revenues; - Sales and marketing - effort; - Earnings track record; - Path to profitability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investor and Philanthropist Koon Yew Yin and Salford University Professor of Investing Glen Arnold discuss: - Valuegrowth Investing - (seemingly) contrasting terms of value and growth; - (The tricks behind) purchasing at as low a price relative to its future prospects; - Identifying the elements behind future earnings per share; - Koon - "buy shares that have profit growth prospects" - timeframe - discipline - patience; - Malaysia - multitude of sectors trading below NTA - strategies to address; - Benjamin Graham principles - trading discount to Net Current Asset Value - importance of patience;  - "Margin of safety" - data points; - Koon - case study - value-based investment in Xingquan - patience - (lack of public) track record; - "Honesty - competence" - managerial team - the human variable - Raj Rajaratnams and Madoffs of this world - challenges; - Views of currency denominated investments - need for liquidity - Buffett as a famous gold detractor - Koon's and Arnold's preferred investment types; - Koon - "the safest shares to invest are undervalued oil palm shares" - details - explanation; - Black Swan events - strategies to address; - Malaysia-specific situation - state omnipresence in capital markets - role of governance - corruption;- The pursuit of wealth - - quest for happiness; - KYY - his book - Malaysia: Roadmap to Vision 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garuda Indonesia President & CEO Emirsyah Satar discusses: - Transformation plan - - meritocracy - resistance - strategy; - Government - political will - necessity; - Competition - LCCs - how coping; - Crashes - safety - terrorism - update - views; - IPO - 'railroaded' - delayed - - overpriced - overly large - background - takeaways - lessons; - Government intereference; - Indonesia - plans - float dozens more 142-odd state-controlled businesses - Garuda experience - instructive; - Reports - misjudging money; - (Lack of foreign interest) - IPO - update;  - Earnings - improvement - 2011 net +56.3 percent - sustainable? - CFO - revenues - forecast - +20 percent 2012 - fuel prices - update; - Demand - outlook; - Indonesian government - spend - 3 trillion rupiah - airports 2012 - implications; - Passenger forecasts; - Fleet expansion - forecasts; - Aviation - industry - outlook - Tony Tyler - IATA Director General - views: "weak economic conditions and rising fuel costs are a double-whammy that an industry anticipating a 0.5% margin can ill-afford"; - Tyler / IATA - ending the first quarter with a "considerable amount of uncertainty"; - Europe - emissions trading scheme - implications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAMCO CEO Asia Pacific Tony Hotine discusses: - Freight rates; - Outlook global trade; - Oil price - concerns - outlook - implications; - "Cautious" and uncertain" market conditions - strategies to address; - Environmental concerns - global freight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UEM Land Holdings Bhd MD/CEO Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim discusses: - UEM Land - Sunrise integration; - Dato Tong Kooi Ong - role; - Landbanking - where buying - prices now; - Nusajaya Gateway - details - types - demand - outlook; - General property demand outlook; - Property sales -- rollout plan; - Foreign JV - plans - India - Vietnam - Myanmar -- issues - challenges; - Financial targets - NP growth 40 per cent - ROE 10 per cent - target sales 3b up from 2.2b in 2011; - Corporate exercises - "size matters" - acquisitions - REIT; - Free float - Khaznah divestment; - BNM responsible lending guidelines - LTV -- impact; - Election risk premium -- GLC developer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Breakfast Grille, Naveen Tewari, Founder and CEO of InMobi Pte Ltd discusses: -- InMobi is the largest independent mobile advertising network in the world. Founded in India in 2007 and has business set up in the Asia Pacific region, Africa, US, Europe, and Japan. -- It is backed by some of the industry's highly regarded investors such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sherpalo Ventures, SoftBank, and Mumbai Angels. -- InMobi started as an SMS-based search platform -- previously known as mKhoj. In 2007, the company pivoted to a more scalable platform, mobile advertising. Naveen discusses the change in business model.  -- He also talks about what In Mobi plans to do with the 200 million dollar investment given by SoftBank in late Q3 last year  -- InMobi's expansion plans  -- Are there any plans to float the company on the stock exchange/takeover offers -- How does InMobi deal with the competition from Apple's mobile ad business, as well as Google's, also a fast-growing crop of independents such as Mojiva and Millennial Media. -- Naveen also talks about how InMobi addresses the concerns of privacy infringement within the mobile advertising industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille, we are joined by Yong Kwek Ping. He is the CEO of Inventis Investment Holdings (China), a private equity firm based in China and one of the largest PE firms investing in the greater China region. He is a native Singaporean and a Senior Fellow of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. Yong gives us an overview of the private equity market in China, and discusses some of the challenges within the Chinese market: --  the need for thorough due diligence --  Government controls and complex bureaucratic system in China --  Judial independence for foreign investors vs local favouristism  -- Corruption -- The importance of understanding Guanxi    He also discusses the investment opportunities for private equity in China: -- There are industry sectors that have been singled out by the Chinese government, which will probably benefit from favourable government policies in the near future: (1) Energy Saving & Environmental protection (2) IT (3) Bio-Tech (4) High-end equipment manufacturing (5) Renewable energy (6) New materials (7) Alternative energy vehiclesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille is John Culver, president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific. In this role, John provides overall leadership to Starbucks company-operated markets in China, Australia, Singapore and Thailand, as well as the company's entry into India. He is also responsible for growing and developing Starbucks joint-venture and licensed operations in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea. John discusses: (1) Diversification: -- into the juice business with new juice bar chain, Evolution Fresh -- one of the biggest moves outside coffee -- single-serve coffee -- more aqcuisitions for Starbucks?  (2) Business model -- expansion of drive-thru stores in Asia: About 40 percent of Starbucks' U.S. cafes are drive-thrus (3) China -- China to be Starbucks' second home market outside of the US (4) India -- Starbucks' foray into India, JV with Tata Group -- Customising the menu to the local prefences of the Indian marketSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Breakfast Grille is Bradley Mulroney, CEO and President of Lafarge Malayan Cement. He discusses: -- Lafarge Group's restructuring and how that has affected Malaysia's operations -- How Lafarge Malaysia will benefit from ETP projects -- Outlook for construction sector -- how much of Lafarge Malaysia's capacity is for doemstic use and how much for export -- volatility in coal price -- efficiency in terms of transport and fuel usage, as the cement industry is highly transport-intensive -- outlook for financials -- progress Lafarge Malaysia is making with regard to environmental sustainability and eco-efficient products -- his goals for the companySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cass Business School Professor of Transformational Leadership Chris Roebuck discusses: - Goldmans - Greg Smith - letter - 'Muppets' - how Goldmans could have handled the crisis better - leadership standpoint;- When banks forgot about clients' welfare - focus only on their own bottom lines;  - Views - how employees need to become more entrepreneurial - pitfalls; - Follow the leader - Lloyd Blankfein - Jamie Dimon - Vikram Pandit - whether bad examples; - Argument in favor of bank bonuses - performance remuneration - versus paying people in the hope of "future performance"; - Role - UBS - considerable success - BUT Kweku Adoboli -  losses @ $2.3 billion - reasons; - Kerviel - Yasuo Hamanaka - Leeson - Madoff - predominance IB space - reasons; - Whether feels reward mentality in Banks will change over time, a return to the staid, stable institutions they once were; - Whether feels banks should change they are approaching business and obtaining clients; - Recognising value of 50+ workers - using them more effectively - Malaysia experience; - Foreign conglomerates - integration challenges - cultural, racial and geographic differences - integration strategies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johore Tin Bhd Managing Director Edward Goh Swee Wang discusses: Cans and tins business:  - Outlook - Tin price outlook - Duty exemption issue   Dairies business:- Recent diversification into the diaries business - reasons - Stronger-than-expected earnings - Outlook for the business- Profit guarantee - mechanics  Valuations - PER 5x - contrast FMCGs - Dutch Lady and Nestle - Whether - as speculated - takeover - merger interestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EITA Resources Bhd, Group MD Fu Wing Hoong discusses: - Offer for sale - reasons; - Fu himself - selling 5.2 million shares -- and leaving only 1.1 m shares - whether wrong signals; - Remuneration - 1.25-1.3m / yr - justify; - Financial record - revenue - choppy - margins; - Pink forms - independent directors - justify; - Mkt cap - post IPO - 99m rgt - plans for liquidity - interest; - Dividend policy of 30 per cent of PAT; - Installed base - 1,450 units - outlook; - IPO proceeds - new lift manufacturing facility - Batu Bukit Raja - implications; - When - commissioned; - R&D - innovations expected; - Energy efficient lifts; - Main contributor @ 52% marketing and distribution -- outlook; - Main clients; - Competition - undercutting - market share. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penang Chief Minister And DAP Secretary-General YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng discusses: - Melbourne Roadshow; - CAT generally;- Governance - Competency - Accountability - Transparency; - State govt finances; - Open Tender - details and explanation; - Bumi contracts - accusations of marginalisation; - FDI - Performance - comparatives - outlook;- Medical tourism - competition from Langkawi; - Second link; - Implications: trade - tourist arrivals - immigration; - Nation - fiscal deficit - issues; - Federal government finances; - Subsidies - petrol - sugar - essential items; - Diversifying income base - GST - whether support; - Corruption - address - strategy; - Transparency - DS Idris Jala - Pemandu - ETP - your - NKEAS and SRIs; - Civil Liberties - Repeal of ISA; - Taxes - Immigration; - Sustainable development - concrete jungle; - Developers - "controlling" Penang; - Vision for Penang;See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year will mark 40 years since Siemens Malaysia was incorporated. On the Breakfast Grille, President and CEO of Siemens Malaysia Prakash Chandran discusses: -- how Siemens plans to drive its healthcare business to reach its 35-38% target for 2012 -- Siemens' interest in the proposed KL-Singapore High Speed Rail Link, the LRT extension project and the MRT project -- if Siemens Malaysia expects to bag any major projects in the industry and energy sector this year --  how feasible the projected 40 billion euros target for the Environmental Portfolio is 40 billion euros by 201 --  update on the planned tie-up too: news reports that Siemens is partnering with Lynas Corp to set up a high-powered magnet plant in Gebeng, using the refined rare earths produced by the Lynas' refinery plant.  -- Prakash discussed how Siemens has been handling the "transformation" after facing allegations of bribery in several countriesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNP Paribas Malaysia Bhd CEO Krishna Chetti discusses: - Full commercial license - wholesale banking - main business thrusts; - Whether retail; - Corporate finance - equities research - asset management - Islamic asset management; - Potential linkages - Europe; - Rivals: Mizuho - Sumitomo - ADCB - Mandiri - ICBC - differentiators; - Inter Asia-Europe trade - outlook - opportunities; - Client - sector - country - targets;- Islamic finance - details; - Pipeline: DCM - ECM - M&A; - Eurozone issues - Tier 1 Capital - Basel III rules - deleveraging; - Implications - Asia - EM business; - France - HQ - Politics - Left-Wing leanings - François Hollande - theats - universal banking model - checking speculative operations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Western Digital Director for Operation & Sales for SEA, Margaret Koh, discusses: - Supply chain discruption - Ayuthaya; - Clustering - issues - implications - lessons; - Inventory - normalisation - prices outlook; - Competition - solid-state drive makers -  market share loss; - Solid-state drive market - outlook - opportunities; - Hitachi acquisition - implications - effect; - Tablet market - "new" market segments; - Cloud - enterprise segment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DiGi Bhd CEO Henrik Clausen discusses: - "Internet for all": update on network modernisation; - LTE - update; - Service tax - 6% - update - implications;- Competition - marketing - migrant segment; - Strategy - price war concerns; - Impact - competition - margin compression; - (Perceived) marketing lethargy; - Financial outlook: revenue growth - margins guidance - capex spend; - Rivals - upping dividends - strategy; - India - licence revocation - corruption - implications - overseas Telenor subsidiaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2012 Breakfast Grille edition, AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani discusses: - "Portfolio reallocation" - ceasing services to Mumbai - Delhi - London - Paris - Christchurch - reasons; - (EU emissions cap-and-trade, jet fuel prices, downturn, competition, "exorbitant" government taxes) - straw that finally broke the camel's back; - How badly these European routes doing; - Repercussions: penalties - reputational damage - passenger deposits - assumption of transfer costs - outright vitriole; - Key lessons learnt; - Never say never? - Whether will fly Europe and India again; - Reported and alleged misrepresentation on advertising air fares in Australia - changes to AAX's ad and marketing campaign;- Outlook for next 12 months: demand - jet fuel - costs; - Staff costs - fuel bills;- Australia - Japan proposition; - Financial stabiility - profitability - capital needs and fundraising - IPO plans - valuations; - Plane deliveries; - MAS - AirAsia - share swap agreement - “anti-competitiveness” - synergies - political ramifications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greenyield Berhad Executive Chairman and GMD Tham Foo Keong discusses: - Its plantation related systems and products and services;- Expansion rubber plantations - Kelantan; - Outlook rubber prices; - Key drivers of rubber prices; - Challenges - skilled labor shortage; - Artstone plant pots - export - expansion; - Patent registration - competitition; - Exchange rate - fluctuations - hedging; - Capex needs - outlook; - Chairman and MD - same role - governance; - Cash plans; - Dividend policy; - Corporate activity - share capital; - Trading volume - reasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 2012 interview, Irish Ambassador Declan Kelly discusses: - The EU crisis - restructuring promissory notes worth €31bn; - What's at stake - highly politicised - Spain and Greece seem to be getting easier terms; - Olli Rehn - pacta sunt servanda – 'respect your commitments and obligations'; - Difficulty of budget deficit target; - The higher rates Ireland pays; - Irish support - new EU fiscal treaty - referendum; - Signs - economic recovery; - Whether - return - “Doheny & Nesbitt School of Economics”; - Lessons - low interest rates - inward immigration - bank lending spree; - Irish diaspora - efforts to lure back 70+m Irish overseas; - Asia strategy - 1999 - China - Asia-Pacific. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James G Rickards, lawyer, economist, investment banker and author of Currency Wars, discusses: - Signs - economic collapse; - 'Threat finance'; - Currency wars - economic or monetary concern - national security concern; - Threats - national security - clandestine gold purchases - hidden agendas - sovereign wealth funds - collapse of the dollar - substantiate; - "Greatest gamble in the history of finance" - printing money - trillion-dollar scale; - "Next crash overdue"; - Gold - fiat money - return to Gold Standard; - US Treasuries - U.S. dollar vulnerable attack - China; - IMF - SDR; - Fed - 'Elites' - Regulatory Oversight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hwang Investment Management CEO/ED Teng Chee Wai discusses: - Assets under management - growth - reasons - dynamics; - Foreign fund flows;- Retail rally; - Malaysia economy; - CG issues; - Fees - crippling - justify; - Case for reform; - Different rates - EPF - External - reasons; - Unit trusts - growth - outlook; - Performance of funds to-date; - New fund rollout: plans - strategy; - The thinking process; - Target areas;- Election - how to play; - External environment - startegy; - Experience - GFC 2008. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marshall Goldsmith, Executive Coach & author of the New York Times bestseller 'What Got You Here, Won't Get You There' discusses: --  A theme that runs through most of his writings: the very same beliefs that lead to success, can make it very difficult to change. He delves deeper into the why it can be so hard for successful leaders to change --  How Buddhism principles have deeply influenced his work --  How leadership has gotten more difficult today than in times past with globalisation  --  Why Marshall has made almost all of his material available free of charge on his website! --  Why ego is the biggest challenge facing leaders is the biggest challenge facing leaders today and how he had to get over his to truly help his clients --  And finally, find out who Marshall thinks constitute great leaders and why they made they made the cut for him      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moving objects nothing more than a thought has long been the purview of science-fiction. But Emotiv Lifescience's new computer interface reads its user's brainwaves, makes it possible to control virtual objects, and even physical electronics, with your thoughts. Tan Le, co-founder and president of Emotiv Lifescience talks about the development of the thought-conversion technology and breaks down how the headset works.  And find out if Tan Le thinks that one day the reverse would be true -- if the device that reads its user's brainwaves can be used to control the mind. She discusses the potential applications of the technology that can be used to radically change everyday life for people, especially in the areas concerning disabled patients, such as controlling an electric wheelchair, mind-keyboard or neuro-prothetics. Also a big area for potential is gaming and market research.  Tan has an anextraordinary story: she is a refugee from Vietnam at age 4, she entered college at 16, and has since become a leader in her home country of Australia. Listen to her immigration story as she tells us about her journey on the refugee boat and why her mother carried along a bottle of poison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soul Society Co-founder/Executive Director, Michele Kwok discusses - Start - how - funding - difficulties; - Getting to the first million; - No outlets now; - Biggest challenges; - Lessons - hurdles - mistakes; - Longevity - issues; - Challenges -- time commitment -- stamina - energy; - Ingredients to success - focus areas; - How industry evolving; - Demand - elasticity - pressure points; - Exit - IPO - private equity - trade sale; - H-W team -- pressures -- ways to smooth; - Work-life balance -- how -- tricks -- sacrifices; - Women's Day -- nuggets of wisdom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burson-Marsteller Asia-Pacific President & CEO Bob Pickard, discusses: - The biggest changes in the Asia-Pacific communications landscape since his 2011 interview; - Crisis communications - digital space - preparation levels; - Common crises- Management advisers - PR - operational improvement issues; - Natural disasters - crisis communications; - Lynas-type issues - preemptive fire-fighting; - His experience in public affairs; - Potential advice in Government-type issues - Erykah Badu - clothes that 'poke the eye' - cow's heads - etc; - National Feedlot - culpability on clients' part; - Global firm - racial - religious - cultural nuances; - How crisis communications is evolving in a digital age. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.