Under The Radar

Today we’re going to bring you an inside look into the private education business. Founded in 1907, ESSEC Business school is a major French business school with a tightly knit community of some 62,000 graduates. With the region, ESSEC Business School Asia-Pacific, was established in Singapore in 2005 to offer academic and executive programmes with Asian insights and Western perspectives. It has since welcomed over 5,000 managers and students.  But how does the school differentiate itself from other publicly funded institutions? Who are its target customers and how does it position itself against other players in the education market?  Meanwhile, ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific recently launched its Academy of Luxury to cater to professionals eager to elevate their knowledge and hone skills in luxury management and break into the coveted luxury sector.  The programme was touted as the first of its kind in APAC and seeks to address the ongoing talent shortage in the luxury sector — but to what extent is this shortage driven by a lack in training opportunities? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Prof Reetika Gupta, Deputy Dean of ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific. 

Mining for minerals used in farming, infrastructure and even in electric vehicles. That’s what we’re going to talk about on the segment today, with the world’s largest mining company BHP.  Founded in 1885, BHP is a leading resources company headquartered in Melbourne, with about 80,000 employees and contractors across 90 locations worldwide.  It produces essential commodities through its assets such as open-cut and underground mines, as well as gas production and processing facilities. The minerals include copper for renewable energy, nickel for electric vehicles, iron ore, as well as coal used to make steel.  But how does it operate exactly? What is demand like for the different types of minerals at this point in time?  And with China’s leading steelmakers warning of a challenging second half amid sluggish economic recovery – what will this mean for BHP’s iron and coal mining business? Meanwhile, BHP earlier announced plans to decarbonise its mining operations to achieve net-zero by 2050, but how does it balance financial viability and environmental goals? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Vandita Pant, Chief Commercial Officer, BHP for more.

We told you about the wholesale banking landscape in our conversation with ANEXT Bank a couple of months back. Now this time, we’re going to turn our attention to look at the digital retail banking sector.  Our guest for today is Trust Bank, which is the digital bank backed by Standard Chartered and FairPrice Group.  The bank had breached the S$1 billion mark in deposits in early May, with over 500,000 customers signing up, with over 70 per cent of customers coming through referrals.  Meanwhile, the company also set a goal to become the fourth largest retail bank in Singapore by customer numbers by the end of next year. It also intends to breakeven by 2025. Question is – how does it intend to do so with a focus on the mass market and how will it reduce its customer acquisition costs along the way? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down withDwaipayan Sadhu, CEO, Trust Bankfor more. 

Our guest for today is no stranger to Singaporeans. Founded in 1974, Temasek is a global investment company with 12 offices across eight countries.  The state investor has a long term horizon, where activities are guided by their views on long-term structural trends. It mostly invests in equities though it does not set limits for geographies, sectors or asset classes.  The firm released its latest annual review for FY 2023 today, where its net portfolio value dropped to S$382 billion from the S$403 billion seen in 2022.  Meanwhile, its 1-year total shareholder return was at negative 5% due to a fall in the valuation of public and private equities, though its 10-year and 20 year total shareholder returns remained robust at 6% and 9% respectively. So how does Temasek read into its latest performance? What is its current portfolio construction strategy and outlook for Singapore companies? Also – what is Temasek’s view on the crypto sector and new growth investments after its investment in FTX? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down withPng Chin Yee, Chief Financial Officer, Temasekfor more.

Today we’re going to give you a snippet into a South Korean startup that could rival Nvidia in the race to provide high-end AI-chips.  But not without some context about the AI chip prediction landscape. Currently, Nvidia dominates the AI computing market with analysts predicting a market share of between 80 and 95%. It provides graphics processors known as GPUs for users to run AI applications due to its computing power.  Now here’s the thing – GPUs were initially made for 3D gaming and are not optimised for specific AI functions. So that means it can be costly and less efficient to train and run AI models using Nvidia’s GPU.  This also opens up an opportunity for industry players to manufacture chips that cater to the boom in AI, and perhaps for a specific use case. Take for example, a chip made specifically for the use of AI in the finance industry.  And that’s exactly what our guest for today, Rebellions Inc is relying on to get a slice of the AI-pie.  But what opportunities lie ahead of the firm? Also, what are some expansion plans for the firm, which is backed by KT and Singapore’s Temasek Pavilion Capital? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Kyeong-Jae Lee, Business Development Lead, Rebellions Incorporated for more.

Have you ever wondered where the meat we eat comes from? That’s exactly what we are going to find out today.  Headquartered in Singapore, our guest Japfa specialises in producing protein staples and packaged food that feeds millions of people.  Put simply, the company produces animal feed such as poultry feed, cattle feed and aquaculture feed. It breeds animals such as chicken, pigs, fish and cows, fatten the animals, before processing and distributing them.   Japfa has a workforce of over 38,000 people across an integrated network of modern farming, processing and distribution facilities in Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. But what are the benefits of being vertically integrated, and which are the key markets for Japfa?  Also – how is the company diversifying its revenue streams in a post-pandemic world? And how does Japfa position itself in a high inflationary environment with consumers squeezed by price increases? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Tan Yong Nang, Chief Executive Officer, Japfa for more.

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 distribution platforms that provide end-to-end solutions for attractions and operators of tours and activities to grow, manage and connect tourist activities to travel agents.  How does it differ from your Klook or KKDay you might ask? Well, think of it this way, GlobalTix is not an online travel agency that manages and aggregates your tour bookings.  Instead, works as a wholesaler providing reservation and distribution platforms for clients such as Gardens by the Bay, Mandai Wildlife Group and the Singapore Airlines. That means all customer bookings and data goes are managed by the attractions or tour operators themselves rather than GlobalTix.  But how exactly does GlobalTix position itself in the ticketing business? And with tourism coming back in full swing, what does it mean for GlobalTix’s product offerings? On Under the Radar, Chee Kong Chan, COO, GlobalTix joined Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian in-studio for more.

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 just the headset, but also software applications for enterprises. Its devices are used to train advanced VR users such as astronauts, pilots, nuclear power plant operators, as well as for car design and pioneering research.  According to TechCrunch, Varjo’s customer base includes about a quarter of the Fortune 100 companies – think the likes of Boeing and Aston Martin. The firm also works with governments in the US and Europe.  But how does Varjo assess the demand for extended reality products and services from these big players?  And with Apple unveiling its Apple Vision Pro spatial computer, is competition heating up for Varjo? Does Varjo want Apple to succeed to aid the growth of the nascent industry? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Patrick Wyatt, Chief Product Officer, Varjo.

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 Reserve Bank, which is a potential customer for the logistics player.  But back to FedEx’s business, the firm recently reported fourth quarter earnings of US$4.94 per share, better than the analyst estimate of US$4.86.  Still, revenue came in below expectations. More recently, FedEx is also streamlining its air courier business by removing 29 aircrafts from its fleet to make its logistics network more flexible amid slowing global trade activities in the current economic climate.  So how will such efforts aid FedEx in becoming leaner and more competitive against industry peers and what is the road ahead for the firm? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Audrey Cheong, Vice President, Southeast Asia Operations, FedEx for more.

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, metals, life sciences, power generation, process automation to even pulp and paper and railway.  But how does it define the market it is in, and position itself differently for the different verticals or customer segments?  Also – what is in its order book for this year as far as Singapore is concerned? ABB, meanwhile, is investing US$1 million (check currency) to open a Digital Solutions and Training Centre in Singapore to train its staff to implement and operate digital solutions for electric systems. But what can we expect looking ahead? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Jerrica Chooi, Country Holding Officer at ABB.