The Breakfast Grille

Norway is the second largest seafood exporter in the world, serving the world some 37 million meals of seafood every day. Some 99% of salmon eaten by Malaysians are from Norway. We speak to Jon Erik Steenslid, Regional Director for Southeast Asia of the Norwegian Seafood Council on the growing demand for Norwegian seafood in Asia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Efficient E-Solutions Berhad provides integrated business process outsourcing services. Having sold its core business to Canon in 2015 it is now looking to cybersecurity to power its growth over the next 5 years. We speak to its CEO Victor Cheah to get more insights into the company's strategy moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johan Ishak just took on the hot driving seat at Media Prima Television Networks five months ago at very challenging time for the business. The TV business just fell into the red in FY2017 registering losses to the tune of RM113 million. What happened there? And what are his plans to turnaround this business in a challenging operating landscape? Johan shares his journey so far and his pl...

The European Union is looking to ban palm oil imports for biofuels. Meanwhile, local industry players are having to contend with seemingly competing sustainability certifications. The RSPO shares its current stance on these industry developments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year's Italian election marked the defeat of the centre-left government and the rise of the Eurosceptic centre-right coalition headed by the Lega Nord and the Five Star Movement. Appealing to very different demographics, the two leading parties are seen as unlikely coalition partners - one pushing for tax cuts and the other pushing for massive public spending. With significant levels of debt,...

When we talk of conflict situations women are often spoken about primarily as victims. But what about the positive role of women in resolving conflicts? And within particular faith and ecumenical traditions we ask what women in particular bring to the table when it comes to conflict resolution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children are often an overlooked demographic in the national discourse on rising cost of living and economic inequality. And yet, the effects of poverty on children - particularly those living in urban areas - have long-term consequences. Dr. Amjad Rabi, Deputy UNICEF Representative and Dr. Muhammad Khalid, Managing Director of local policy research firm, DM Analytics, share the findings of a rece...

Mooted over a hundred years ago, International Women’s Day gives us pause in our busy year to take stock of where women are in terms of their lives and conditions. From global to local conversations, we speak to stalwarts of the Malaysian women’s movement, about the gains as well as challenges.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8, we speak to a young, up-and-coming female leader in Corporate Malaysia - Mah Xian-Zhen. Xian gets honest and shares the challenges she faced, and is still facing, being a young female board member. We also talk tech and business. Omesti - a listed tech company that develops technology solutions - fell into the red in FY2015 and remains...

Norway was one of the first countries to introduce a gender equality law in the 1970s and the first to impose gender quotas for corporate boardrooms, which it did in 2008. We speak to the Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Marianne Hagen, on Norway’s experience and efforts to empower women through legislation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

With RM61.6 billion allocated for the Education Ministry under Budget 2018, is money all that's required for Malaysia to achieve academic success? Khadijah sheds light on the progress made under the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Established as a strategic unit in the Prime Minister's Department with the purpose of leading the Bumiputera agenda as part of the National Transformation Plan, to date TERAJU has provided business opportunities, financing and human capital development exceeding RM 117 billion. We speak to Special Projects Director, Junady Nawawi, on the various initiatives championed by the unit, such as the "Ca...

Vijay gives his perspective on the Workspace-as-a-Service industry and how Regus is evolving to meet stiff competition from new market entrants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

QES is involved in the distribution of inspection, test, and measurement equipment, materials, and engineering solutions. Ahead of its anticipated listing on on the ACE Market on March 8, Chew speaks about the company's growth prospects and the associated risks, both domestic and global. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephane Garelli is a world authority on competitiveness. Besides being an academic and author of several books, he was also the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum and of the Davos Annual meetings. He shares his insights into what defines competitiveness, as well as the challenges businesses and nations will be facing moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Less than two weeks ago, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh named him Distinguished Professor for 2017. Its the fifth such award given. In naming Rajah Rasiah, the Minister noted that he was being honoured for his contributions to informing economic policy with his research. Also noted were the many awards he has been over including the Brain Gain Award in 2004, to the Celso Furtado...

Estee Lauder turns 72 years old this year. Since the group first started shop in 1946, the operating landscape for the beauty retail business has changed drastically and competition has intensified greatly. What are the group's strategies to navigate itself through this tougher operating landscape today? Paul shares them with us and the measures undertaken to keep its traditional brands relevant t...

For many Malaysians, Bata has long been associated with school shoes and affordable footwear. What’s their strategy for remaining relevant in an increasingly crowded and competitive retail landscape? Ajay shares insights into Bata's strategy to remain a value brand, while at the same time positioning some of their offerings at higher price points.   See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

John D'Agostino is Managing Director of DMS Governance, the world's largest governance fund. He founded Digital Asset Group, an industry association that aims to create best practices for institutional trading of crypto-assets, and also regularly advises global regulators on best practices. He joins us on The Breakfast Grille to share his insights on the future of cryptocurrencies and digital asse...

When Donald Trump took the White House, he promised to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, from the North American Free-Trade Agreement, he disavowed the global climate change accord, and criticized global institutions including the United Nations and NATO. He has delivered on some of these promises while still negotiating others, and might even change his mind on at least one (...

We speak to Tan Sri Munir Majid about the direction of the country, challenges to its multicultural fabric, as well as the rise of China and how best to negotiate the best deal for ourselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to S&P, the value of Shariah-compliant assets globally is expected to reach up to USD3 trillion within the next decade. Dato' Rafique talks about the industry's growth potential, as well as the challenges, as Islamic finance strives towards greater mainstream acceptance. The CEO of Maybank Islamic, Malaysia's largest Islamic commercial bank, also shares his outlook on the sukuk marke...

Described by some as the 'bad boy of European politics', Yanis Varoufakis was the Greek Finance Minister in 2015 at the height of its debt crisis. On the sidelines of the World Capital Markets Symposium 2018, we speak to Yanis on his account of the events -  chronicled in his book 'Adults in the Room' - as well as his thoughts on the future of the EU and global capitalism. See omnystudio.com/...

The UNDP champions 17 sustainable development goals, touching on the climate change, gender equality, and poverty. Do market structures have to be revamped? Does rising protectionism threaten this global agenda? How much has Malaysia achieved in this framework? Ms. Clark outlines the challenges and the costs in striving towards equality and sustainability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

In the run-up to the GE14, analysts and observers are sharpening their tools to better interpret political dynamics. From redelineation to seat allocation to the dynamics of building a coalition, Malaysians are witnessing a range of issues, not all of which are immediately understandable to the lay person. Today we ask what we need to be attentive in the next 100 days. See omnystudio.com/listener...