Under The Radar

Do you still remember the time when every eligible Singaporean could book for attraction tickets, hotel stay-cations and local tours using the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers?  Well, we are bringing this up because our guest for today is one of the industry players that helped to facilitate your SingapoRediscovers voucher redemption.  Founded in 2013, GlobalTix is one of the leading reservation and di...

Extended reality solutions - the umbrella term for virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality solutions – are at the heart of our conversation today.  Our guest for today is from Varjo. The Finnish firm that – by the way consists of veterans who previously came from Nokia Cast – makes what it calls the highest immersion virtual and mixed reality products and services that includes not ju...

Today we’re going to talk about one of the world’s largest express transportation companies.  Our guest for today is from FedEx, a company that was founded by Frederick W Smith as the Federal Express Corporation in 1971.  And here’s a fun fact about the company’s name. The word “federal” suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity in the US and was meant to resonate with the US Federal R...

Today we’re going to talk to a company that hires over 105,000 employees around the world.  With over 130 years of history, ABB is a Switzerland-based technology leader in electrification and automation to drive industrial transformation and enable a more sustainable and resource efficient future.  The firm serves a wider range of clients from industries ranging from automotive, mining, marine, me...

What is the first thing you would do once you get to the airport?  Well, if you’re like me, you might make a beeline to some of the fast food outlets or traditional kopi kiosks to grab a quick bite or your daily dose of caffeine.  On that note, did you know that the franchise branded stores for Subway and Killiney across all four airport terminals in Singapore, as well as at The Jewel are all mana...

Studying the microorganisms in our gut and developing solutions to address health issues and developing probiotics supplements – that is what we’re going to talk about today.  Our guest for today is AMILI. The company says it is Southeast Asia’s first and only precision gut microbiome company and houses the region’s first and only gut microbiome transplant bank.  It is also in the process of build...

Today we want to look at how high-net-worth individuals preserve their wealth after they experience a major liquidity event, such as when they sell off their companies and receive a large sum of money.  Our guests for today are from Tiger 21. This is a membership community that provides individuals – individuals with over US$20 million in liquid assets,  that is,  – their personal board of directo...

We’ve heard of commercial REITs, residential REITs and industrial REITs. But how about a REIT focused on outlet malls in China specifically? Our guest for today is from Sasseur REIT which is an SGX-listed REIT since March 2018, and the first outlet REIT listed in Asia. The firm’s portfolio consists of four outlets in China, namely in Chongqing, Kunming and Hefei.  But why did the company focus on...

Today we’re going to talk about a fashion brand or company that would come to mind when we mention the phrase ‘heat-tech’.  Bingo if you guessed UNIQLO! With over 2,400 stores in 25 markets including Japan, UNIQLO is the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group, which is one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies.  The company attributes its success to unifying the entire cloth...

Water is an essential part of our lives, but ever wondered who are the ones behind the clean water we use and drink everyday? Our guest for today is Memiontec, a Catalist-listed water treatment company that designs and builds systems and water treatment plants in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and China.  Recently, the company also moved into financing, operating and maintaining plants and...

Imagine building a platform where you can search, book and meet mentors from around the world to seek career advice.  That’s what our guest for today did during the pandemic to make mentorship accessible for everyone.  Founded in 2020, ADPList is a global community of mentors and learners, and so far, the community has grown to over 14,000 people with over 15 million minutes mentored in about 140...

The accounting and professional services sector is at the centre of our conversation today.  According to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, Singapore projects 6,000 to 7,000 new accounting jobs by 2025, adding on to the current workforce of over 100,000 employees.  Globally, the Big Four accounting firms also went on hiring sprees of their own last year, with the companies already...

Today we’re going to give you an overview of one of the largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world.  Founded in 1957, Hines is a real estate investment, development and management firm with presence in 395 cities across 30 countries and US$95.79 billion of investment assets under management as of the end of last year.  The company has historically developed, redeveloped...

We’re going to talk all about the buses we take to get to and off work every other day.  Our guest for today is from Volvo Buses, which is one of the world’s leading providers of sustainable people transport solutions.  Offering premium city and intercity buses, coaches, and chassis, Volvo Buses has sales in 85 countries and a global service network with more than 1,500 dealerships and workshops. ...

Classic cars – or those that are at least 35-years-old from their original registration date - that’s on our agenda today.  Such vehicles have gained increased popularity in recent years. According to Forbes citing collectible car website Classic.com, a sizable list of desirable up-and-comers have appreciated in value by as much as 88%. But really, what is driving the market?  Also – with Statista...

We’re going to talk all about succession and business leadership development today.  While departments such as human resources may be labelled as cost centres, effective talent development and management can reap tangible outcomes for businesses when it comes to the dollars and cents.  According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group in 2015,” talent magnets” – or companies that rated themselv...

India’s retail scene is at the heart of our conversation, with the country being the fifth largest global destination in the retail space and expected to reach US$2 trillion in value by 2032 based on an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group. So how do international brands get a slice of the booming Indian market? Well perhaps the answer lies in licensees who operate and manage the brand in their...

Can you imagine that it has been about three-and-a-half-years since the pandemic started and when all of us had to work remotely from home using video conferencing tools?  As the dust settles and as face-to-face meetings resume, we want to find out what’s next for companies providing video conferencing solutions, such as Zoom.  Speaking of Zoom, the company seems to be betting big on AI and enterp...

What comes to mind when you put shopping and the airport together? How does duty free shopping sound?  Well, our guest for today is from The Shilla Duty Free Singapore, which operates over 20 Cosmetics and Perfume stores across four terminals in Singapore’s Changi International Airport.  The company is part of Shilla Duty Free, and an affiliate of Samsung. In South Korea, Shilla Duty Free operates...

When it comes to a franchise business, one would think of fast food chains to the likes of McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, and so forth. Instead of that we are going to talk about an unconventional franchise business that doesn’t quite come to mind when we think of franchises.  With a network of over 300 highly connected, mutually supporting businesses and organisations in 92 countries, the World...

The retail investment landscape in the region is in focus today as we look at how industry players are tapping growing numbers of retail investors during the pandemic.  Our guest for today is from financial services firm CMC Markets, which serves over 80,000 clients globally in areas such as equity, commodities and indices trading.  The firm is present in a number of geographies including Singapor...

Today we’re going to talk all about being a modern farmer in Singapore.  Armed with technology from Israel that has turned strips of deserts into fruit orchards, our guest from today is Netatech Group, which is known for building farms and growing some of the most commonly eaten vegetables in Singapore including Nai bai, Kailan and water spinach.  Unlike traditional farms, Netatech uses drip irrig...

Let’s talk about telcos today. And we want to focus our attention on mainboard-listed StarHub which had released its Q1 results just about a couple of weeks ago.  The company posted a 26 per cent rise in net profits to S$37.5 million for the first quarter ended March.  StarHub attributed its Q1’s performance to higher service revenue, which grew 11 per cent year-on-year, despite sustained market c...

We want to talk about the banking sector and in particular the digital banking sector which has gained traction in recent years.  You may be familiar with Grab and Singtel’s GXS, Sea Group’s MariBank, as well as Standard Chartered and FairPrice Group backed Trust Bank.  Aside from these banks catering to retail customers, Singapore also has two wholesale digital banks, namely Ant Group’s ANEXT Ban...

Bringing London's West End to the far reaches of the world. That’s what we are going to talk about today.  Our guest for today is the British Theatre Playhouse, a Singapore-incorporated theatre production company that has produced and presented a series of highly successful British productions in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and the UK. Since its foundi...