Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Highlights from a rare meeting between former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese President Xi Jinping to a "new chapter" of Beijing-Pyongyang relations. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

After nearly 20 years heading Singapore’s government, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is set to step down on May 15. And as part of a long-planned succession, Singapore will be ushering in a new era led by current Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as our fourth prime minister. So what can we expect from DPM Wong when he takes over the reins of Prime Minister? Based on his leadership style, what have we learnt about him, how will he lead Singapore? How will he position Singapore moving forward?  Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University shares his views. 

Bayer Leverkusen lifted the Bundesliga title for the first time in their 120-year history breaking Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the German top flight. Under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, their dominance has been relentless, unbeaten in 43 matches across 3 competitions this season. How has Alonso achieved this in under 18 months at the helm? Plus, we discuss a potentially decisive weekend in the Premier League too! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

The term "corporate ladder" is a conceptualised view of a company's employment hierarchy in which career advancement is considered to follow higher rungs on a ladder with of course upper management positions at the top.  Our guest is only 28 years old and has recently been announced as CEO of True Global Ventures. This milestone is a testament to her remarkable journey which started when she was 21 years old and her dedication to the firm as a General Partner, has resulted into being board member / observer on 4 of True Global Ventures portfolio companies. Beatrice Lion, CEO and General Partner, True Global Ventures shares her journey to becoming CEO.

Singapore shares opened lower today, tracking losses in the US market amid worries over tension and conflict in the Middle East. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.9 per cent to 3,186.89 points after 69.5 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Elite Commercial Reit, after the manager said today that the Reit will expand its investment strategy to include other asset sectors in the UK in addition to its current focus on social infrastructure assets.  Elsewhere from Singapore developer’s sales jumping to the highest level in four months in March, to China’ central bank leaving a key policy rate unchanged, more corporate and international headlines are in focus.  Also on deck – Apple’s Tim Cook arrived in Vietnam, but what’s on his agenda? On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

In today's interconnected world, expanding your company and its offerings internationally can open up a world of opportunities for your business.  Going global offers access to new markets, diverse customer bases, and increased revenue potential. However, international expansion is not without its challenges. So how can businesses explore advanced strategies for expanding themselves internationally? How does cultivating global leaders and teams play a part in all this?  Charles Ferguson, General Manager - Asia Pacific, G-P shares his views. 

Using technology to change the way people innovate from concept to commercialisation – that’s what we’re going to talk about today.  Founded in Singapore in 2007, our guest is called Patsnap –  or the short form for the phrase “patents in a snap”. The company’s products help businesses analyse competitor patents, identify the white space open for innovation, validate ideas, assess the patentability of ideas and more.  This is done by using AI-powered technology and machine learning to comb through billions of data sets – over 180 million patents and millions of pieces of literature and reports to be specific – to help innovators connect the dots.  Patsnap currently serves over 12,000 companies and organisations across 50 countries worldwide, including big players like Colgate-Palmolive, Xiaomi, Walt Disney, PayPal and even the University of Oxford.  It achieved its unicorn status in March 2021 after a US$300 million Series E round featuring notable investors such as SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Tencent Investment, Sequoia China, Vertex Ventures. But what is valuation looking like three years down the road and how does it intend to help early investors cash out?  Meanwhile, Patsnap is doubling down on expanding its suite of AI products, launching its AI assistant CoPilot early this year. But how far is CoPilot expected to contribute to the firm’s top and bottom lines?  The unicorn is also expanding rapidly in Japan, with an annual growth rate of over 100 per cent over the past two years – so what can we look out for on this front? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Guan Dian, Co-founder and APAC General Manager, Patsnap.

Iran launched hundreds of attack drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday, in what officials from Iran described as retaliation for the airstrike on the country's consulate in Syria nearly two weeks ago.  Now that the Middle East is on high alert with the threat of open warfare erupting between Iran and Israel, what is the risk of the US being dragged into it? Dr John Donaldson, Associate Professor of Political Science,  School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University weighs in.

Singapore will have a new prime minister on May 15, with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set to take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on that day.The date for the handover was announced in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on April 15, a key detail in Singapore’s long-planned leadership transition from the third-generation to the fourth-generation (4G) political team. After he is sworn in at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, DPM Wong, who entered politics 13 years ago, will be Singapore’s fourth prime minister. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/dpm-lawrence-wong-to-take-over-from-pm-lee-on-may-15

Richard Wee’s journey from the regional head of a multinational corporation to now a full time BJJ volunteer trainer at Evolve is as unconventional as it gets. Stumbling into the martial arts scene at age 55, he earned his blackbelt aged 67. He now volunteers at Evolve’s FUNFIT programme which looks to support less privileged youths through MMA. Inspiring, much? Tune in to find out more! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg