The Breakfast Grille

Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd MD/CEO Datuk Md. Zubir Ansori Yahaya discusses: - Business model - rates - tenures - details; - VC model - equity participation - exit options; - Process - time of application; - No. of applicants, award rate; - Total fund size currently -- utility of cash before disbursement; - What has the Malaysian taxpayer received from a decade of funding; - How police disbursements...

The main objective of the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MFCCI) is to promote the development of business relations between Malaysian and French Companies. On the Breakfast Grille, Pierre Cheyron, the president of MFCCI, discusses why more and more French companies are saying "Bonjour!" to Malaysia. He also examines Malaysia's competitiveness and the bilateral trade between the...

On the Breakfast Grille Altran's Chairman and CEO Philippe Salle comes on to talk about the group's aspirations for Malaysia and Asia in general. The French company is better known in Europe, where  its main business is outsourcing R&D for company's starting from the conception of their projects to the end. Altran has just opened its office in Kuala Lumpur and plans to make Malaysia's its...

Horst Schulze, legendary hotelier, former executive of the Ritz Carlton, and founder of Capella Hotels talks about where ultra-luxury hospitality is headed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westports Malaysia Dragons president and co-founded Datuk Wira Dani Daim and co-founder and deputy president and co-owner Ruben Emir Gnanalingam talk about what drove them to form a professional basketball team given that Malaysians interests seem to be skewed more towards football and single person sports. They give a history on how it all started, together with Datuk Robin Tan and where they wan...

Wipro-Unza's Managing Director for Southeast Asia Kumar Chander returns to the Breakfast Grille to give an update on how the company has been doing in the region and the new markets the company is eyeing. The group has a portfolio of 48 brands comprising familar names such as Enchanteur, Aiken and Carrie. On the Breakfast Grille Kumar discusses - How the company keeps ahead in a highly competitive...

The world’s most powerful bank is one most people have probably never heard of.  It’s not Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, HSBC or Bank of America.  According to this book, it is China Development Bank. Henry Sanderson Beijing-based Bloomberg journalist and co-author of ‘China's Superbank: Debt, Oil and Influence - How China Development Bank is Rewriting the Rules of Finance&r...

On the Breakfast Grille, Joey Yap, the founder of Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics gives us a preview of what to expect in the Year of the Snake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some 7.4 million people worldwide are estimated to have Parkinson's Disease -- almost one person in every 500 will get this condition.  Currently there are no biomarkers, no simple bloodtest that you can take to diagnose this neurological disorder. But soon, thanks to research by Dr Max Little and his team, a mere 30-second phone call to a computer could very well tell you whether or not you...

His Excellency, Dr Guenter Gruber, the German ambassador to Malaysia, discusses: -- If the worst of the Eurozone crisis over -- An expected time frame for a meaningful recovery -- Growing Euroscepticism, especially in the UK -- German sentiment towards the EU, as the biggest contributor to the bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal-- Cyprus as the next point of contention in the Eurozone crisis...

Redberry Group CEO Datuk Siew Ka Wei is on the Breakfast Grille. Listen to the podcast for the expanded version, as he discusses: -- his plans for the media division -- the outdoor advertising business -- the performance of the Malay Mail since its reincarnation on January 30th, 2012 -- editorial policy -- coverage on GE -- rationale of distributing one million copies of the Malay Mail on December...

F. William Engdahl, the author of 'Gods of Money: Wall Street and the Death of the American Century', discusses the history of money as an instrument of power and the evolution of that power in the hands of a tiny elite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While not the biggest player on the block, construction and property concern Crest Builder Holdings Bhd is looking to stand with the big boys. With two major projects in the pipeline, namely the redevelopment of the Dang Wangi station and the Malaysian Rubber Board land in Ampang with a combined GDV of RM2.3 billion, the company is poised to break into the big time. However, given the close politi...

With over 4000 iconic apple green taxis on the roads, Sunlight Taxi Group of Companies has grown was tremendously since it was established in 1996. The company has operations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor & Johor Bahru. Choi Wei Yee, the Executive Director for Sunlight Taxi Group of Companies, joins us on the Breakfast Grille to discuss: -- What influenced her to go into the taxi business and how...

 Protasco Bhd GMD Datuk Chong Ket Pen discusses: - Early beginnings - catalyst to striking out in 1992 - engineering consultancy practice;  - Diversified play: Construction / engineering/ trading / property / education and now oil and - mish-mash - issues;  - Construction division: new business in road build or maintenance - pipeline new jobs - Bumi / non-Bumi issues;  - Conces...

Omnicom Media Group, MD Andreas Vogiatzakis 2013 - Gold award - Campaign Week - Agency of the Year - 2012; - Basis for award - metrics; - Biggest clients - outlook; - Ad spend - ratios - issues; - Industry challenges- - clients putting accounts up for pitch - 'ruthless price undercutting' - 'aggressive poaching' of staff; - Strategy - keep the ship steady; - Customer retention - update; - New busi...

Leighton Offshore's new CEO Boyd Merrett talks abouth the group's strategy for the region and in the Middle East. Leighton Offshore is in the business of building and maintaining offshore structures, which is seeing an intense increase in competition. In the interview he talks about:  - The outlook for the region and how Leighton Offshore is finding its niche in a competitive market. Merrett...

Andy Khoo, Country Manager for NetApp for Malaysia and Brunei discusses the current importance of data storage management. NetApp is one of the world's leading storage and data management vendors and its US parent is listed on the Nasdaq, with contracts with the US government. On the Breakfast Grille, he talked about:  -The importance of data management storage and how companies are going abo...

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Managing Partner, Anthonie Versluis, discusses: - Roland Berger - German origins - Europe-based strategy consultants - competitors BCGs, McKinseys and Bains;  - The European Psyche - how European businesses think, act and speak;  - What Asian businessmen and the companies they run need to know about how Europeans conduct business - the 'Essential Europ...

Eversendai Corp Bhd's Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director Datuk AK Nathan talks about the company's direction in the UAE and projects that the company is eyeing in the pipeline. He also talks about the company's foray into oil and gas through Singapore-listed Technics Oil and Gas Ltd and what it will mean for Eversendai's earnings profile in the coming years.  He also expresses his...

CHEP President of South East Asia, Nigel Branch, discusses: - CHEP's business segments - global footprint - geographic distribution - biggest clients - CHEP proposition;  - Southeast Asia responsibilities - sector coverage - business and trade perspective;  - Malaysia participation - investment amounts - staff size -- sectors served - business trajectory - pros and cons;  - Vew: ove...

Spritzer Group is the largest bottled water producer in Malaysia, with about 30% of market share in the bottled water industry.  Although the Spritzer name is synonymous with mineral water, the full range of products also encompasses sparkling natural mineral water, distilled drinking water, carbonated fruit flavoured drink, non-carbonated fruit flavoured drink and functional water. On the Br...

Franklin Templeton Malaysia Country Head Sandeep Singh discusses: - Business update - Assets Under Management - investment professionals; - Growth - government-linked mandates - private sector asset managers and insurance companies - focus - interplay;  - USP - intense competition for mandates;  - Local / foreign mix - equity / fixed income mix - reasons;  - Growth rates - KPIs;&nbs...

Alfred Schopf, the CEO of Leica Camera AG, tells how the iconic camera brand is holding its ground as the technology for camera phones and apps improve.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarawak Energy Bhd's CEO Torstein Dale Sjotveit talks about how the state-owned utility has progressed in helping SCORE take off. Among the topics discussed include the future plans for planting up in the state, and what is the fuel mix that Sarawak Energy has set its sights on going forward. He also talks about the possibility of exporting power to West Malaysia in the future and the challenges i...