Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

It has been slightly more than six months since our interview with Tapestry, or the fashion group behind Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.  A lot has happened since then. Perhaps the most important development of all is Tapestry’s US$8.5 billion acquisition of its competitor Capri Holdings in August.  Capri, as we know, owns the brands Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors.  Tapestry says the acquisition brings together six highly complementary brands with global reach, powered by Tapestry’s data-rich customer engagement platform, and diversified, direct-to-consumer operating model.  Just to give you a sense of how big the combined company is – it generated global annual sales in excess of US$12 billion with a presence in over 75 countries and achieved nearly $2 billion in adjusted operating profit in the prior fiscal year. But what are the financial reasons behind acquiring Capri? What will the mega fashion merger look like operationally?  And how will the creation of a US fashion powerhouse position Tapestry against larger European rivals such as LVMH? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with  Yann Bozec, President, Tapestry Asia Pacific; Chief Executive Officer & President, Coach China for more.

SGX Cares Bull Charge is the only corporate charity initiative that brings together the financial community and SGX-listed companies to support the needs of underprivileged children and families, persons with disabilities, as well as the elderly. Through fundraising events like Charity Golf, Charity Futsal and Charity Run, SGX Cares has raised over S$48 million for over 50 charities since 2004. ​ We speak to Pol de Win, Chairperson of our SGX Cares Bull Charge to find out more! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

UltraLuxe supported by the Singapore Tourism Board goes beyond the iconic TENT@Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza for the first time to debut the Singapore Watch Fair at the Resorts World Sentosa. The highly anticipated festival will be the ultimate venue for connoisseurs and collectors of exceptional design seeking the best in craft and investible style. We speak to Angela Loh, Founder and Festival Director of UltraLuxe to find out more about the world's only festival that converges international and Singaporean independent designers and artisans into a collective brand of niche luxury. 

Singapore shares started the day nearly flat, tracking a more subdued performance across the US and Europe as investors anticipate the Federal Reserve’s next rate hike decision. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) inched up 0.03 per cent to 3,264.42 points after 27 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Singapore Post, after the postal service provider said it is introducing a significant rate increment for the first time in almost a decade.  Elsewhere, more on NIO to Sunac and Country Garden forging debt deals with creditors, more corporate headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked these developments with  James Cheo, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia at HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth.

Supply chains, the vital global connections between the making of products and their delivery to customers worldwide have been tested in recent years. After a series of shocks, including the Covd-19 pandemic and the continued deterioration of multilateral trade relations, have damaged the reliability of global supply chains So how can a country like the Philippines strengthen its participation in the global supply chain?  Alfredo Pascual, Secretary (Minister) of Trade and Industry, Philippines shares his views. 

And then there were two, it has been reported China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for more than three weeks, where could he be? Plus US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan quietly holding “candid” talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi over the weekend in Malta.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Do you know that Singapore actually builds electric motorbikes? Yes you’ve heard it right.  While such bikes are not on the roads of Singapore, they are exported to other Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia.  Our guest for today is one of these electric motorbike manufacturers. Founded in 2019, Ion Mobility is a Singapore-based startup that aims to tap the growing appetite for electric vehicles in Southeast Asia.  The firm launched its M1-S electric scooter in Jakarta in November last year and closed its US$18.7 million Series A round in February this year.  More notably, it also brought in the world’s leading two and three-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company as one of its strategic investors, to further its growth in the electric two wheeler space within Singapore and Indonesia.  So what is Ion Mobility’s growth trajectory like in the near future with this partnership?  Meanwhile, how is the firm working with authorities and agencies within Singapore to open up new business models and develop other products that can be sold within the country? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to James Chan, CEO of Ion Mobility and Lee Pak Sing, Assistant Chief Executive for Trade and Connectivity, EnterpriseSG.

Famed for being much more than just about car racing, the Singapore Grand Prix has long prided itself on providing a blockbuster weekend of glitz, glam and entertainment. But is the Lion City losing it's lustre with the likes of Las Vegas and Miami now on the F1 calendar? JJ Lin & the fans weigh in! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Is Formula 1 boring? Not if the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix was anything to go by! We recap the pulsating race that saw Ferrari paint the Lion city red, as Carlos Sainz won his first race for the Scuderia. We hear from Sains as well as Toto Wolff, Helmut Marko, Will Buxton and the fans as we look back on the 14th edition of the spectacular night race! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Have you ever wondered what it is like to live on the 'fast lane'? We spoke to an up and coming motorsport star who has competed in international karting competitions since the age of 5. Racing is something she loves because apart from the feeling of victory, it also gave her a passion to share with her father.  Bianca Bustamante, F1 Academy Driver, PREMA Racing shares her story.