The Breakfast Grille

Chery Automobile Malaysia CEO Paul Ng discusses: - Auto industry as a ‘strategic industry’ - - local partner - (BSA MAlaysia's) Tan Sri Cam Soh Thiam Hong - LTAT; - Details on Chery’s history in Malaysia; - Partners' value - insights car industry - expectations - exit plans - IPO; - Current revenues - target production - outlook; - Investments - capex spending - 250 million ringg...

In this 2012 interview, Padini Holdings Bhd Executive Director Chan Kwai Heng discusses: - Padini - vision statement .. "to be the best fashion company ever”; - Design - trend spotting - mechanics; - Manufacturing - quality matters - outsourced - issues; - Fashion - snobby - value chain - Vincci Plus - problems - issues; - A&P - Branding - spend - typical ratio - trend details; - A&P...

How will Scoot, the new low cost, medium/long haul carrier backed by Singapore Airlines give AirAsia X and Jetstar a run for their money? Interview with Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Scoot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HTC Corporation President of South Asia Pacific Lennard Hoornik discusses: - Expectations - achievements since leaving Sony Ericsson; - Applying turnaround skills @ HTC; - Telco - cut throat; - “short-term difficulties” - new launches - issues; - Profits warnings; - Competition: Samsung - Apple; - Marketing - Distribution - channel - deficiencies? - Patent lawsuits - implications - com...

Tan Kien Eng, CEO of Leo Burnett Group Malaysia & Singapore discusses: -- the HumanKind philosophy at the heart of Leo Burnett Group -- its numerous industry accolades -- Yasmin Ahmad's legacy -- The talent shortage in the industry -- Its efforts to become the employer of choice -- Creative brain drain to 'mature' advertising markets -- The pressure for fresh creative ideas -- If the industry...

Fortis Healthcare CEO Vishal Bali discusses: - India - conducive elements for health care; - Indian plans to become regional medical destination - chances of, challenges to; - Comparing and contrasting IHH, whose footprint is Singapore and Malaysia. Their India interest is an associate stake in Apollo, which is the biggest in India; - Regional plans - investments - targets - countries- dynamics; -...

Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Yergin discusses his book "The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World" He talks about: -- Important changes that have shaped the landscape of the energy industry -- Threats to energy security -- The Peak Oil debate -- Growth of shale gas and the impact of fracking -- The electricity generation industry -- The growing role of natural gas -- Nuclea...

In this 2012 interview, F&N CEO Dato' Ng Jui Sia discusses: - The loss of Coke - September 2011 - progress - planning for future; - Whether F&N is in for a “massive restructuring” (as he did for the Malaysian soft drinks business over a 6-year period from 2000 - 2006); - Competition - Coke - spent nearly a billion ringgit to build their own 30-acre plant in Nilai to sell Coke a...

In this 2012 interview, Dato' Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, discusses: - The Unifi / broadband business: customer base - installation coverage - take-up rates - Streamyx migration - milestones - deliverables - required capex; - Competition - Maxis - aggressive promotions - cheaper and faster products despite riding on TM's network - reasons; - Wh...

In this 2012 interview, Metro Kajang Holdings Bhd MD/ED Datuk Eddy Chen Lok Loi discusses: - Re-branding - reasons - whether lived up to expectations; - The "internationalisation" of the business; - Becoming Shariah-compliant - why - implications - benefits; - Busines lines - property development, investment, construction, palm oil, furniture manufacturing - valuation issues; - Property developmen...

Top Glove Corporation Bhd MD KM Lee discusses: - Recent purchase of 30,000 ha of greenfield rubber plantations; - Use of hedging or other financial instruments - address price variability; - Whether longer-term plan to buy even more land to plant rubber; - Time to fruiting - time to supply meaningful portion - latex needs; - Expertise - challenges; - Costs management; - Rubber prices - hedging - q...

Continental Tires Malaysia Sdn Bhd CEO Benoit Henry discusses: - May acquisition by Continental AG, of the remaining 30 per cent stake it didn’t already own in Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd from joint venture partner Sime Darby; - Whether amicable - price paid for the stake; - 100 per cent foreign ownership - whether allowed; - First ASEAN office - in a rubber-producing country - proposition today...

Pua Khein-Seng, Chairmain & CEO of Taiwanese manufacturer of controllers for NAND flash memory chips, Phison Electronics. He discusses growing up in Sekichan, Selangor and his journey to becoming the CEO leading one of the leading players in the flash drive business in Taiwan. He also talks about the outlook for NAND flash prices, and if the market for memory cards and drives is already satura...

Legras & Haas Champagne Brand Ambassador Jerome LeGras discusses: - Relatively new entrant - withstanding financial crises; - State of wine and champagne markets; - Demand from emerging markets; - Luxury habits - Asia; - Basing vineyards in France - necessity - issues; - Family business - three sons issues; - European - family business dynasties - secret sauce; - Legras clan - conflicts - reso...

Google Malaysia Country Head, Sajith Sivanandan, discusses: --  the global structure of the company and the Malaysia business --  significance of Malaysia as a market --  engagement on Google sites --  active users on Google Plus  --  if Google's average "cost per click" is on a downward trend --  mobile advertising --  why some of Google products are not su...

In this 2012 interview, Khind Holdings Group CEO Cheng Ping Keat discusses: - Journey from electrical repair shop in Sekinchan to reseller to brand owner; - Main challenge along the way; - Consumer appliances - outlook - 2012; - Move into premium home appliances - prospects - discussion;   - Singapore market impact; - Industrial appliances - prospects - pricing - margins - revenue contributio...

In this 2012 interview, Prestariang Founder & CEO Dr. Abu Hasan Ismail discusses: - Life as a listed company; - Software licensing business - projects pipeline; - Outlook for margins - software trading; - Certification and training business - margins - demand - jobs pipeline; - Plans for in-house developed certifications - owned I.P.; - In-house titles - 75:25 revenue ratio - outlook; - Comput...

AIG Global Services Malaysia Chief Representative of AIG Malaysia, Matt Harris discusses: - Broad overview - update - business - focus areas - since last interview; - Agency workforce - Geographical distribution - age - duration as agent - expertise - professionalism; - The ‘Barbecue Test’; - 27 licensed general insurance companies - competition - how address; - Chartis’ ranking...

Asiasons Capital Group MD/Co-founder Datuk Jared Lim discusses: - Founding Asiasons with Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim and chartered accountant Ng Teck Wah back in 2007; - How the group got together - age and cultural differences - circumstances; - Investment focus - themes - focus; - Timeframe for exit - prefered routes; - Originating ideas: how, typically; - Performance - historically; - Different...

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Aireen Omar discusses: - Appointment - AirAsia Malaysia CEO - shell-shocked - Oscar moment - insights; - KPIs - targets; - Costs management; - 'Low Cost' - attacked as not cheap - issues; - Load factors - ASKs - delays - issues; - ‘Big shoe to fill’ - marketing - Tony Fernandes a 'natural' - free publicity - the Aireen Omar way; - Tony - detractors - brilliant job...

In this 2012 interview, Volvo Cars Malaysia President Goran Larsson, discusses: - Clarifies global structure - Malaysia proposition; - Ownership - complex - issues; - Sales - support - issues; - Current situation - after-sales and support - marketing; - KL - regional office - roles - staffing - revenues and contributions; - Car sales outlook - drivers; - Branding - marketing - budget (as percentag...

Mark Rozario, CEO of the National Innovation Agency or Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) discusses:  --  AIM's mandate to narrow the gap between innovators and industry --  The difference between AIM and the Special Innovations Unit (Unit Innovasi Khas) as well as Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) --  If something as fluid and conceptual and se...

Our Father's Day Special on the Breakfast Grille: Andrew Reddy, Managing Director of restaurant operators Chaswood Resources, and his son Nicol Reddy, the Director of Operations. Chaswood operates 13 brands including T.G.I. Friday's and Watami. It also owns and operates proprietary brands like Italiannies, The Apartment, Market Hall, Bedroom, Teh Tarik Place, Baci Italian Café, Re...

RHB Capital Bhd Group Managing Director Kellee Kam discusses: - Declining Net Interest Margins - escalating overheads - management’s two main areas of focus - 2012 - strategy; - Operating expenses - personnel costs - staff retention expenses - alignment of salaries; - Cost/income ratios - outlook - growth - future; - Loan growth of >12% - target - 2012 - details; - Non-fee business - IPO...

Al Chalabi, author of 'Cracking the Code: Understand and Profit from the Biotech Revolution that will Transform Our Lives and Generate Fortunes' discusses: -- Breakthroughs in emerging bio-technology will enhance the quality and length of human life. In the future, it is expected that we are able to live longer and healthier -- Early adopters and believers of biopharma can make a lot of money...