Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Pan Pacific Hotels Group is looking at doubling its serviced suites portfolio by 2023,  with new openings in key gateway cities. Why did the Group specifically decide to expand its serviced suites portfolio in a post Covid-19 world? And with China reopening its borders for travel, what are the opportunities present for the hotel industry?  Marcel Holman, Vice President of Operations for China, Indonesia and Japan & General Manager for Pan Pacific Orchard shares his views. 

In focus this week, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping visits Moscow, on a three day state visit plus Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou expected to visit China this month.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

If you recall, we spoke with used car marketplace Carro some time last month. Today we’re going to bring you an inside look into yet another marketplace - but for alternative investments.  According to the company, Alta is Southeast Asia’s largest digital marketplace for alternative investments ranging from direct investments to late stage private companies, private equity and VC funds, asset backed securities of luxury assets, real estate and more. Since 2016, the marketplace has completed over 1,000 transactions valued in excess of US$600 million and has created access for investors to invest in over US$22 billion worth of mandated opportunities globally.  But the question is - how will the ongoing turmoil in the global financial sectors and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank affected demand for alternative investments on the platform? And what does this mean for Alta in screening investment opportunities available on its platform? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Kelvin Lee, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alta.

Singapore shares opened lower today, tracking losses in global markets following ongoing banking woes worldwide. The Straits Times Index fell 0.32 per cent in early trade to 3,173.17 points after 46.3 million securities worth S$55.1 million changed hands.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, after a unit of the company that used to hold 43 subsidiaries has been ordered by Singapore’s High Court to wind up. What’s happening there? Meanwhile, investors continue to mull the state of the global financial sector after news that UBS had agreed to buy rival Credit Suisse in an eleventh-hour merger by Swiss authorities. But to what extent will this prevent a crisis of confidence from spilling over into the broader financial system? On Market View, the Drive Time team posed these questions to David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

The Great Resignation is a term that we’ve heard a lot over the past year.  The term, which was coined in May 2021, described the phenomenon where workers quit their jobs after deferring their decisions to do so early on in the pandemic.  There’s a reason why I’m bringing this term up again - because the hiring scene is what we’re going to talk about on the segment today. According to Statista, the global executive search industry grew some 17 billion euros between 2012 and 2021. But how sustainable is this trend amid the current state of the current economy, and what does this mean for headhunters? Also - what does the ongoing series of tech layoffs and the banking crisis in the US mean for companies in the executive search industry?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Sam Belcher, Managing Partner, Asia Pacific, and Katherine Ho, Executive Director, Corporate Governance, Financial Services at The Edge Partnership for more. 

Where do we draw the line between football and politics? Are us fans to blame for football's increasing influence? European football writer, Kaustubh Panday joins Elliot & Raushan to discuss this and much more. Read more here: https://sportskhabri.com/why-footballs-increasing-influence-is-not-good-for-the-fans/

Despite national conversations about gender diversity in tech, numbers are showing that women are still underrepresented, underpaid, and often discriminated against in the tech industry.  But without many companies realising it, diversity is critical to a company's performance. Priya Lakshmi, Head of Startup Business, ASEAN, Amazon Web Services (AWS) shares how greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace can benefit a business. 

Former US President Donald Trump could be charged in New York as soon as this week for allegedly covering up hush money payments to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign, nearly seven years after the money changed hands. If he is indicted, it would be the first criminal case ever brought against a former US president. What happens next?  On Washington Report, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Steve Okun, Senior Advisor, Mclarty Associates to find out more. 

Saudi Arabia is in the spotlight on this episode, with Lewis Hamilton indicating his unease over return to the country for the Jeddah Grand Prix - after the 2022 edition was marred by missile strikes on an oil facility near the circuit. Gianni Infantino has also been speaking about the gulf-state, with the FIFA President discussing Saudi sponsorship for football events.

Singapore stocks opened higher today, tracking solid gains in global markets following several major developments in the banking sector worldwide. Back home, data from Enterprise Singapore also showed key exports contracted for the fifth straight month in February, albeit at a slower pace than the month before, as the decline in non-electronic shipments eased. The Straits Times Index rose 0.5 per cent to 3,170.38 points in early trade after 148.9 million securities changed hands. The banking sector in Singapore continues to be in focus today after the Monetary Authority of Singapore said yesterday that the trio of Singapore banks’ exposures to Credit Suisse are insignificant and that the banks are well-capitalised and conduct regular stress tests against credit and other risks.  On Market View, the Drive Time team got down to the details with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.