The Breakfast Grille

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...

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 sinc...

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 wat...

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...

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...

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...

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 po...

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...

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-...

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  - Ma...

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 informat...

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...

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 Pre...

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 cur...

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...

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...

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...

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 diamond...

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 develo...

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:...

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 i...

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.