The Breakfast Grille

Loke Kah Meng, CEO of Axa Affin Life Insurance, talks about the strategies to double premiums and get into the big insurance boys' league. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Cheah, Managing Director of SAS Malaysia, talks about how its mothership, SAS Institute Inc. is the "most important software company folks have never heard of", discusses the company ethos, the Malaysian experience and whether he replicates the culture here, the perks in Malaysia and whether local employees have taken unfair advantage of the perks. He also discusses the next Big Thing: predictive intelligence -- and how SAS is staying at the front of this curve, in the context of local clients like Gentubg, the Inland Revenue, as well as in other Asian nations.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chi Oi Meng, Executive Chairperson of Hing Yiap Group, explains why the group focuses on active, sporty and casual wear segment, why the group recorded lower sales in 2009 compared to competitiors, the use of the Diesel name and the rationale for diversifying into an unrelated business (Theobrama Chocolate Lounge) though it is targeting the same mass market. Fashion brandnames under Hing Yiap Group are BUM Equipment, Antioni, Bontton, Diesel (not to be confused with the Spanish brand) and Union Bay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Ng, Country Manager of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei, tells how the logistics company managed the volcano ash crisis in Europe, and the Malaysian business performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Schwartz, author of 'The Future of Finance', talks about the evolution of the private equity industry in Asia, how it is different from the US or Europe, how it can transform the current shareholder–driven corporate governance model, who funds PE nowadays, exit strategies, risk appetite, trade sales how PE can play a role in rebuilding the financial system, the pan-Asia, India and South Korea markets. He ends with the top 3 sectors to get the best returns in future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Ruoss, Managing Director of Envision and a consultant and advisor on solar energy solutions, gives some insights into the solar energy industry in Malaysia. Salient points are: 1. Global demand for solar energy is estimated to be worth RM150 billion and Malaysia is poised to become a major player. In 2009, Malaysia's market share is 7% (fifth largest producer). It has the potential to go up to 11% in 2010 when the solar energy companies ramp up production. China is the production leader with a 40% market share. 2. In terms of cost, solar energy can be at parity with power from conventional sources like fossil fuels if subsidies for the latter are removed not just in Malaysia but also others parts of the world. He believes Malaysia could get there in five years if there is earnest effort to remove subsidies. 3. Europe is the biggest consumer of solar energy due to incentives given to solar energy producers and also the introduction of a feed-in tariff system. 4. Under the feed-in tariff system, individual owners of solar panels can claim a rebate from the utilities companies on the solar energy they (individuals) generate. The rebate is in turn paid out from a fund, set up by the government. Households therefore can get a guaranteed return on their solar panels which could cost about RM40,000. This investment cost could be part of the purchase cost of homes. The payback for the individual could be about 15-20 years. 5. In Malaysia, a Renewable Energy Action Plan is expected to be tabled in October but Daniel says a source of debate is funding it. In Europe, households pay a levy into this fund. In Malaysia, this would probably not be popular measure despite good intentions to become greener. 6. Some of the biggers producers of solar energy panels or components like Sunpower, Q-cells and First Solar have set up production plants in Malaysia due to incentives and access to qualified workforce. Here, Daniel emphasises for Malaysia to move up the rankings as a market leader, it need to beef up its education to supply the necessary talent, and also be able to learn from these producers and get into R&D. 7. It's also important for Malaysia to have a robust domestic market and also to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs. Otherwise, Malaysia would just be a producer for multinational companies and there'll be no significant added value to the economy nor will there be transfer of high level expertise. 7. Daniel also says there could be more joint ventures between local and foreign companies to encourage further investments in this industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fermin Fautsch, South East Asia CEO of FTSE-listed Logica Plc, talks about the size and scale of the Malaysian market, working with global clients government procurement in Malaysia, discusses global issues facing Logica's business model, perceptions of being a low-margin, cyclical and crowded industry, financials such as revenue growth, main service sectors, profit margins and group contribution, its Asia value propositions and discloses his efforts in growing the Asia / SEA business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Wee, Founder and CEO of True Group, talks about the ownership structure of the True Group, when, how and why he started, how he differentiates effectively, talks about the market value of the health and fitness industry, who his competition is, market share and target growth. He also talks about his market research, what percentage of the firm Dubai Investment Corp owns, his financial performance, how many members, churn rate, growth  plans, outlook for fitness in Malaysia, and how hard it is to get good people. He also fields questions on poor customer service.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chow Yuen Liong, the Managing Director of Tomypak Bhd, addresses concernas that it is too reliant on the food packaging industry, discusses his main clients , whether he has plans to expand away from mainly food industry clients. He also discusses growth plans and order pipeline. He also discusses raw material prices, oil prices, whether he hedges costs, as well as its news metallisation technologues and provides an outlook for earnings. He also talks about the company's outlook, and whether its shares can still rise, given that they have risen 8-fold in one year. He also addresses concerns that liquidity is still very low and whether he has any plans to increase the company's share capital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eugene Goh, CEO of MTouche Technology Bhd talks about the challenges of doing business in China, where global businesses are moving towards. He also provides some insights into the current trends of the mobile solutions industry and discusses on what could the future have in store not only for MTouche, but for the industry as a whole.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ba U Shan-Ting, the COO of Dommal Food Services, tells us what's cooking at Domino's Pizza. The most popular product line is still the Aloha Chicken because it's a safe choice especially for families with children. And unlike Americans, Malaysians do not usually mix their toppings. Sales in 2009 for Domino's pizza business in Malaysia was RM75 million, exceeding the target of RM50 million. This was in part due to the strategy of offering value meals in the form of Indredible Meals for RM10 per person - proven to be effective in an economic slowdown. Domino's business really took off from 2005 onwards when the present shareholders acquired the assets. Ting says the market needed time to appreciate Domino's concept and a certain scale had to be achieved. Ting also clarified that Dommal Food Services reported a loss in 2008 due to intercompany charges, and the group as a whole is profitable. Ting is expecting sales to grow by 20% in 2010 and this would be achieved through an addition of 10 new outlets. Expected number of outlets is 52 by end 2010. On outlets with dine-in customers, he says it's not a conscious strategy to do so and is dependent on the space that is made available. Domino's wants to continue to focus on delivery services. Domino's will also be expanding into Singapore - plans to have 10 outlets by end 2010. During the Asian crisis, the previous franchisee (different owner) had pulled out of the market and Ting believes that they will succeed this time because they have the experience. Dommal Food Services is the master franchisee of the Domino's pizza business and is owned by Mikenwill Sdn Bhd. Dato' George Ting, former director of KFC Holdings, is a major shareholder of Mikenwill. While Shan-Ting is Dato' George's son-in-law, he explains that qualified business managers are placed to run the business professionally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tan Sri Amirsham A Aziz, Chairman of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) and former CEO of Maybank, on the new economic model (NEM). Salient points addressed by Tan Sri Amirsham: 1. The government is not obliged to adopt all of NEAC's recommendations on the NEM but based on coversations with the Prime Minister, Tan Sri believes he is commited in pushing for reforms. 2. Malaysia has produced nine Malaysian plans and poured billions of dollars on infrastructure and supporting affirmative action. Yet our GDP per capita is only $7,000 while countries that were on par or behind us decades ago like Singapore ($37,000), Taiwan ($15,000) and South Korea ($16,000) have surpassed us. Our income per capita is also the lowest among oil producing nations. The question is why should Malaysians believe the administration can deliver on its promises. 3. The NEM report acknowledges political will is needed to push through reforms. The question is what are the real obstacles and why is political will so difficult to muster. And is this a good time for the Prime Minister to push for changes? According to the Merdeka Poll, his approval rating has risen to 68% but more Malaysians place their trust in the Prime Minister (31%) rather than in Umno (22%). 4. Recent events have raised doubts on the government's commitment to make changes. For example, GST (goods and services tax), subsidy reforms and tariff increases have been delayed. Tan Sri says it is justified to do more consultation and education because it will affect the poorest groups. 5. On errors in the contracts disclosed in the Myprocurement website - Tan Sri says it is a new portal and a good idea but it needs more time to develop. Earlier the value of food ration contracts were reported to be worth RM6.4 billion and was subsequently modified to RM6.4 million. Another contract was reported to be worth RM78 million to build a 200 room hostel - the amount was modified to RM7.8 million. 6. Private investments have been lagging in Malaysia. As an indication, the country has fallen to where Indonesia was in the Asian crisis years (1997-99) in terms of investment as a percentage of GDP (20%). The NEAC says it's because the government and GLC involvement in business had crowded out opportunities for the private sector. In going forward, the private sector should take charge in dictating the course of the nation's growth. But in unveiling the NEM, the Prime Minister then announced that EPF will jointly develop 3,000 acres of land in Sungai Buloh. MRCB, another GLC, is expected to be the frontrunner in developing the project. Property players question why there is no beauty contest in managing the development. And questions are raised whether EPF has the necessary experience to be a township developer. Tan Sri says more information is needed to clarify EPF and MRCBs' role in this project. 7. Also the government had set up Danajamin to ensure companies can continue to access the bond market. In effect, the government will be guaranteeing debt securities of issuers. In turn, these issuers will receive AAA rating when previously they wouldn't have qualified for it. Recently, Danajamin announced that it would be guaranteeing Kencana's bond issuance. The question is whether it's necessary for a government-owned organisation to guarantee the debt of a fundamentally strong companies like Kencana. Tan Sri Amirsham believes this government intervention is justified to help the bond market, and he points out that such guarantees do require a commercial fee. 8. Tan Sri Amirsham explains that it's not a misnomer to have market-friendly affirmative action. To achieve this, one needs to build the capacity and capability of 40% of the bottom of the population through education. The NEM report also says some schemes for tilting government tenders towards the bottom 40% will have to be considered but it has to be done on an open and competitive basis. Tan Sri justifies this recommendation of giving out contracts to a select group as common practice in other countries. 9. On the government's goal of achieving income per capita of $15,000 in 10 years time and calling it high income level - Tan Sri explains this is now classified as high income by World Bank standards. 10. On why 80% of the working population only have qualifications up to SPM, and where did our system fail, Tan Sri says what is important is to look forward rather than dwell on the past. On the decision to revert teaching Math and Science in Bahasa Malaysia, he says these subjects are taught in the national language in South Korea too. So the issue is not language, but the quality of teachers. 11. While oil money accounts for 40% of the budget's revenue, Tan Sri is optimistic that the country wil

Tjark Auerbach shares the story of Avira, which grew from being a humble anti-virus shareware distributed on magazines into one of the world's biggest and most well-known anti-virus solutions. With over 130 million customers worldwide, Avira commands a respectable position and is known for up-to-the-minute software security solutions. He also talks about the Auerbach Foundation which he had set up personally to benefit the underprivileged.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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