Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

2021 saw the largest cohort of new directors in five years as STI companies regained their appetite for board refreshment in search of bolder leadership, but compared to Hong Kong’s Hang Seng companies, a higher share of Singapore boards opted for directors who are retired and have previous public board experience. Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Jiat-Hui Wu, Partner in charge at the Heidrick & Struggles Singapore office and a member of the Financial Services Practice about trends in top leadership and board appointments in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. What best practices should boards adopt as they move forward? Highlights from the conversation: 01:25: Bolder leadership observed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as the role of boards evolve 03:57: How the background of board members that companies are seeking have changed over time  06:24: What more needs to be done to address gender diversity in top leadership and board appointments? 11:12: Incorporating future business strategies and scenarios into succession planning

U.S. markets started the month strong, after the broad based S&P 500 and the tech-rich NASDAQ registered their first three-quarter losing streak since the global financial crisis. With October widely seen as a “bear market killer” based on historically strong returns, we’ll find out whether stock movements can keep up with the expectations. On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with A.J. Kahling, Head of International Education at TD Ameritrade for more

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu has recently said that businesses must embrace sustainability to keep up with the effects of climate change on supply chains and rising consumer demand for greener goods and services. But not all consumers or businesses are able or ready to go green. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Christopher Ong, Managing Director, DHL Express Singapore about the benefits of prioritising green initiatives and decisions for companies in Singapore. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Trading volumes in non-fungible tokens or NFTs for short, have tumbled 97% from a record high in January this year, as part of a wipeout in the crypto sector.  Despite the ongoing headwinds in the NFT scene, one company making toy collectibles believes that opportunities do exist in the industry. It says the key is to mix digital assets like NFTs with real-life privileges that benefits us in our reality. But what will this look like? On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Darryl Tan, Head of Meta at Mighty Jaxx. Mighty Jaxx is a physical collectibles manufacturer and designer and have ventured into the NFT scene in recent years.

With uncertainties over renewed lockdowns and a worsening debt crisis in China, dealmakers in Asia are increasingly shifting their focus to Southeast Asia. There is also a growing group of affluent and emerging affluent Asians that are looking to invest in the region. But yet some financial services firms believe the group is underserved at this point in time, and that digital advisory services are key to bridging that gap. So what are some investment opportunities in Southeast Asia, and how can digital advisory services help?  On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with  Eddy Kwong, Director of Digital Business, Asia Pacific at Allianz Global Investors to find out.

The UK government has done an abrupt U-turn by dropping its plan to cut taxes for the highest earners just 10 days after announcing it. This comes after widespread criticism and a growing backlash. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Pete Ross,Producer/Presenter at the BBC, on what's next for Liz Truss and her team, plus the latest developments in Ukraine's accession to Nato as well as the tensions in the South China Sea, with Taiwan's deepening relationship with Lithuania.

How can companies leverage new technologies amid the continued decoupling of US-China relations, persistent semiconductor shortages and increased adoption of new technologies? Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Ravi Vijayaraghavan, head of Bain & Company’s APAC Technology & Cloud Services to find out.

Is Britain in a self-inflicted financial crisis that threatens to accelerate the economy’s dive into recession?  Can Liz Truss and her team restore its credibility with its people and investors? In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks wtih Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD to look at what’s next for the UK economy, what will the spillover effect be, as well as the latest on the Russia-Ukraine front.   Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Singapore's electric vehicle revolution is coming. With Singapore aiming to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, should there be a ban on petrol or diesel-based vehicle sales? Will there be sufficient charging stations? How will the government ensure affordability for the average driver? Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish speaks with Satya Ramamurthy, Partner, Global Co-Head of Public Transport, KPMG Singapore about the future of electric vehicles in Singapore.