The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

As Singapore approaches super-aged status by 2026, with over 21% of its population aged 65 and above, the need for robust financial planning for seniors becomes increasingly vital. What happens when you are retired? How can you continue to grow your nest egg? Susan Tan, Group Segment Head at OCBC, the longest established Singapore bank, shares insights into OCBC's holistic approach to empower seniors to age well and continue to accumulate wealth through its SeniorCare Programme, focusing on health, wealth, lifestyle, and literacy.  Tune to find out the pressing financial challenges seniors face and the ways industry players such as OCBC are playing a role to help you live your best life in your senior years!

Singapore is making waves in the global yachting scene with the return of the Singapore Yachting Festival 2025. Held from April 10 to 13 at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, the third edition of the annual event features over 100 brands, two world yacht premieres, and 10 Asia and Asia-Pacific premieres as well as a new Superyacht Lounge. In addition, Singapore Yachting Festival 2025 has positioned itself to be most anticipated luxury event in Asia with a lineup of supercars, luxury experiences, and industry innovations, Jonathan Sit, Regional General Manager of the Marina Division at SUTL Enterprise, shares more about Singapore’s growing prominence in the industry, investing opportunities and what to expect at this year’s show.

Machine identities, unique digital credentials, like digital certificates or keys, are becoming increasingly important as organisations accelerate digital transformation, adopt cloud services, and integrate automation. They are Yet, more often than not, they are poorly managed and dangerously exposed. According to global identity security firm CyberArk, over three-quarters of Asia Pacific security leaders have reported incidents linked to compromised machine identities. As enterprises scale their digital operations, how can they safeguard the growing network of bots, APIs, and AI agents interacting behind the scenes? Ssu Han Koh, Solutions Engineering Director for ASEAN, CyberArk, shares insights into the evolving threat landscape and why it is time companies give machines a seat at the identity table. 

The rise of precision medicine is transforming the healthcare landscape, offering personalised treatments based on genetic profiles, enhancing patient outcomes, and reducing costs. On Industry Insight, we explore how technologies like AI and big data are driving innovation in this space. Gena Nikitin, CEO of Norway-based Miphic, joins us to share the latest trends and the future of personalised healthcare. Miphic is a pioneering company with a focus on mitochondrial health and precision medicine.    

Following the announcement of Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated return to Singapore for her Mayhem Tour, hotel bookings have surged by over 200%. This mirrors the economic impact seen with Taylor Swift’s concerts, sparking discussions about “Gaganomics.” Edmund Ong, General Manager of Trip.com Singapore, joins us to explore the broader implications of major concerts on the hospitality and tourism sectors

President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement has sent shockwaves through global markets, with sweeping tariffs raising concerns over global growth. As ASEAN becomes increasingly central to both U.S. and China’s economic strategies, what will these trade moves mean for the region—and for Singapore? Antonio Fatas, Professor of Economics at INSEAD, shares his views on the implications of the new tariffs on Southeast Asia’s economies and why Trump's move could see more integration within Asia, and an isolated US.

AI powerhouses Databricks and Palantir have joined forces, merging their AI and data intelligence platforms to reshape AI integration for enterprises. How will this major industry move help businesses scale their AI roadmap more efficiently? In what way is this partnership different from other AI and data collaborations in the market? Which sectors in Singapore and Asia will benefit most? Nick Eayrs, Databricks' Vice President of Field Engineering for Asia Pacific & Japan, shares more about the significance of this strategic alliance and its impact on the AI industry especially for companies looking to scale AI-driven operations without the usual friction.

Singapore's financial institutions faced 22% more in regulatory fines in 2024 compared to 2023. As regulators turn up the enforcement heat, growth opportunities for companies looking to expand across borders could be impacted. What are the top tech trends in compliance? What should businesses consider when navigating increasing compliance complexities especially in terms of global expansion?  Simon Webster, CEO of global business consulting and corporate services provider Vistra, shares insights into the evolving complexities of compliance in the AI era, emerging trends, and how companies can navigate compliance, streamline operations, and drive global growth.

With geopolitical tensions, a changing U.S. administration, and the upcoming URA Master Plan 2025, how will the non-residential property market be affected? Which asset classes are the most promising this year, and why? According to Edith Tay, Executive Director of real estate agency PropertyBank, there was a 35.4% jump in non-residential property purchases from 2023 to 2024, driven by institutional buyers. Edith shares more insights into the latest trends in Singapore's commercial and industrial real estate.

US President Donald Trump's media group and Singapore-based Crypto.com have teamed up to offer 'Made in America' exchange-traded funds and other products through Trump's Truth.Fi brand.  According to a statement, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., which operates social-media platform Truth Social, will sell exchange-traded funds tied to digital assets and other US-focused investments on a platform owned by Crypto.com later this year. What will this collaboration mean for the world of digital assets? Kay Van-Petersen, Managing Partner at strategic advisory firm Ascent Capital, shares his perspectives on the implications of this move, from crypto adoption to emerging technologies in the future of digital currencies.