ASEAN-JAPAN CENTRE RELEASES REPORT ON LAO PDR RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT PATH

“Global Value Chains in ASEAN: Lao People’s Democratic Republic” is available for download on AJC website. (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Lao PDR is a country rich in natural resources and associated with underdeveloped manufacturing, according to the Global Value Chains in ASEAN: Lao People’s Democratic Republic, released by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC).

Based on the report, the country needs to acquire more technology and know-how in agriculture, manufacturing and services production by extending its engagement in global value chains (GVCs).

The report is also prepared in the context of celebrating the 65th anniversary of Japan-Laos diplomatic relations.

According to AJC in a statement, GVC participation is low as shown by the small share of foreign contents or foreign value added (FVA) in gross exports, which is only six per cent.

Domestic value added accounts for the balance of 94 per cent, because most value added products are resource-based (e.g., copper ores, electricity) and do not require inputs from foreign companies.

Lao PDR is categorised as a country with limited manufactured commodities. The manufacturing sector leads in GVC participation, though it is far smaller than that in other ASEAN countries.

It is followed by the extractive (agriculture and mining) sector, then the services sector. The low participation in GVCs implies that industrial development in the country has not reached the complicated technological production stage as in many advanced ASEAN member countries.

Thailand, China and Viet Nam are significant contributors to Lao FVA, while the European Union and Japan play smaller parts. These countries are also major contributors to Lao value added incorporated in other countries’ exports.

More details at https://www.asean.or.jp/en/centre-wide-info/gvc_database_paper5/

-- BERNAMA

GRADUATE BUSINESS DEGREE DEMAND INCREASES AS COVID-19 CONCERNS WANE - GMAC REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Interest in graduate management education (GME) programmes this year continues to grow among prospective students, a trend that coincides with waning concerns about the impact of COVID-19.

This is according to a new report published by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC™).

The Council’s 2021 mba.com Prospective Students Survey Report finds the proportion of respondents reporting they are extremely or very concerned about the pandemic declined from 41 to 33 per cent over the survey period.

In addition, three in four (73 per cent) international candidates planning to pursue an MBA outside their country of citizenship are not changing their original plans despite the pandemic.

According to a statement, women candidates are more receptive to remote learning than men.

They are willing to accept a higher proportion of their degree to be completed online and are more likely to agree that career opportunities gained through an on-campus graduate business degree are the same as those gained through an online degree.

GMAC president and chief executive officer, Sangeet Chowfla said: “As vaccines become increasingly available, prospective students around the world are seeing light at the end of the tunnel regarding the global pandemic.

“It is especially, encouraging to find female candidates seeking advanced business degrees for career advantages despite the unique challenges and barriers they face due to COVID-19.”

In addition, more candidates are considering GME to upgrade skills amidst COVID-19 uncertainties; international candidates still prefer mobility over online; and, the United States and the United Kingdom remain top destinations for international students.

More details on the report at www.gmac.com

-- BERNAMA

RUSH GOLD SEALS MAJOR PARTNERSHIP TO POWER GOLD PAYMENT SERVICES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Rush Gold Global (Rush Gold), the innovative fintech platform providing digital access to physical gold to retail and business markets, has signed an exciting new partnership with Malaysian-based ZAFA Group Sdn Bhd.

According to a statement, this is aimed at bringing gold savings and payments to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) across the ASEAN region.

Rush Gold’s agreement with ZAFA Group Sdn Bhd will enable MNOs across the 10 ASEAN nations to offer gold payment services using gold as a common currency.

The Dnar.Cash super-app, developed by ZAFA’s subsidiary MVNX Alliance, opens a potential market of 650 million mobile users across the ASEAN region, enabling them to invest in gold, use it to pay for mobile top-up and earn gold rewards and cashback.

“We built our platform to enable companies like ZAFA, as well as banks and loyalty programmes, to quickly integrate gold into their offerings,” said Rush Gold Director Mark Pey.

This partnership announcement is on the back of Rush Gold’s launch of its Rush Mastercard with EML through the major mobile wallets.

Rush Gold is a regulated gold-based payments platform enabling business and clients to save, gift, transfer and spend gold globally in real-time. It has customers across 13 countries including the US, China, India and the UAE.

More details at https://rush.gold/.

-- BERNAMA

ACCA MALAYSIA WELCOMES 2,030 NEWLY QUALIFIED MEMBERS

As part of leading accountancy body worldwide, new members join acclaimed network of 227,000 finance professionals across 176 countries

 
KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- ACCA Malaysia’s annual celebration to welcome new members was doubly significant this year, as 2,030 Malaysians rejoiced in their achievement following a year that was marked by uncertainties and drastic change.

Having completed their ACCA qualifications, earning the right to call themselves ACCA-certified finance professionals, these new members of a global community were warmly welcomed by senior members of ACCA Malaysia which included Mark Millar, ACCA President; Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA; ACCA Council Members; and Lim Fen Nee, Chairman of ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee.

The ceremony was held virtually to ensure the safety of thousands of participants during this time of pandemic, marking their entry into a well-respected professional network. ACCA’s long and distinguished history opens the doors to many opportunities while providing a supportive environment that welcomes diversity at every level.

The global business environment is a cultural melting pot, with different voices and opinions being heard hence many organisations are coming to realise that success rests on embracing this diversity. Since its inception in 1904, ACCA has welcomed individuals from all walks of life who may otherwise have been barred from seeking professional qualifications.

“ACCA has always been dedicated to serving its members, both independently and with the support of our many partners. Even at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted our students and members, we took the necessary measures to serve the needs of all our members by offering online forums, webinars and developmental programmes, a virtual career fair, online hubs and much more,” said Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA. “These efforts underscore our commitment to our members and our profession that we continually strive to improve ourselves in order to provide more valuable service to our peers, employers, and society as a whole.”

With this forward-thinking view and strong dedication towards its members and partners, ACCA has built an impeccable reputation for highly-skilled professionalism among employers, government and academia.

ACCA’s corporate pillars are based on the principles of inclusion, integrity and innovation. The strength of this reputation is only matched by the broad scope of resources made available to ACCA members, drawing from global and regional expertise as well as Malaysian insights. Carefully curated to be relevant, practical and informative, these resources support members’ continuing professional development, including free access to resources such as online hubs to provide current information on situations, wide range of member networks for peer support such as Young Members Network and many more.

The icing on the cake was a special webinar by Guest Speaker Vishen Lakhiani, Co-Founder and CEO of innovative learning platform Mind Valley, to share his insights on creating a more resilient mindset.

“In these difficult times, resilience is an important quality for individuals as well as corporations. As a professional accountancy body, we hope for our members and partners as well as our nation to be resilient and to persevere through whatever challenges we face in the coming months of recovery,” added Ling. “To all our new members, rest assured that we – your new family – will be right there with you to weather the storm and emerge stronger on the other side.”


http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=39676

ED&F MAN CAPITAL MARKETS APPOINTS JAMES CURLEY AS HEAD OF CAPITAL INTRODUCTIONS

 CHICAGO, March 31 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- ED&F Man Capital Markets, the global financial brokerage firm, today announces the appointment of James Curley as Senior Vice President and Head of Capital Introductions.

James has been instrumental in securing significant allocations for investment managers who offer unique performance drivers to investors.

In this newly-created role for ED&F Man Capital Markets, James will be responsible for the management of the Firm’s Capital Introductions process. His mission will be to help commodity trading advisers and foreign exchange focused investment managers around the globe to expand their networks, matching them with investor preferences and a variety of allocators such as fund of funds, endowments, insurance companies, single family offices and independent wealth managers.

This is in line with ED&F Man Capital Markets’ positioning at the heart of the capital markets ecosystem and its strategy to provide access to multiple exchanges and clearing houses across multiple jurisdictions, offering an unrivalled breadth of products and services: across futures and options, metals, fixed income, equities, energy and foreign exchange.

Christopher Smith, Founder and Global Chief Executive of ED&F Man Capital Markets, commented:

“James brings over 30 years of top tier experience, working with Hedge Funds and Commodity Trading Advisers around the globe. With his appointment, we are underlining our commitment to providing our clients with the highest standards of service. James’ expertise and ability to truly understand the needs of his clients are essential components in our Capital Introduction offering and we look forward to bringing the benefits of this experience to our clients.”

James Curley added:

“ED&F Man Capital Markets is one of the leading firms serving the Commodity Trading Advisor and Hedge Fund sectors. With over 12,000 clients representing over $4.2 billion in client assets on the Firm’s books, there exists significant opportunity to deliver value at scale. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, and the ongoing economic uncertainty and market volatility it entails, a robust Capital Introduction offering, designed to help navigate these choppy waters, is vital and offers significant benefits.”

-ends-

About ED&F Man Capital Markets

ED&F Man Capital Markets is a global financial brokerage business and the financial services division of ED&F Man. For more information, please visit www.edfmancapital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210330005525/en/

Contact

Emma Kane
SEC Newgate for ED&F Man Capital Markets
mcm@secnewgate.co.uk

Source : ED&F Man Capital Markets

AM BEST AFFIRMS SUN HUNG KAI PROPERTIES INSURANCE LIMITED CREDIT RATINGS

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a’ of Sun Hung Kai Properties Insurance Limited (SHKPI) Hong Kong.

The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable, reflecting SHKPI’s balance sheet strength, which the United States-headquartered AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

SHKPI’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, according to a statement.

As the company’s investment portfolio consists of higher risk assets including non-investment grade bonds and unlisted equities, SHKPI’s risk-adjusted capitalisation is exposed to considerable market and credit risks.

However, AM Best considers the company’s capital buffers sufficient to absorb the risks associated with those investments, while the company’s balance sheet strength also benefits from good quality of capital, strong liquidity and a well-diversified reinsurance panel that comprises reinsurers with good financial standing.

SHKPI’s operating performance has been consistently strong over the past five years, supported by a five-year average return on equity of 18 per cent (2016-2020), driven mainly by positive investment income and strong underwriting results.

SHKPI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, one of the largest property development and investment conglomerates in Hong Kong.

The stable outlooks reflect AM Best’s expectation that SHKPI will maintain its strong operating performance, supported by a continued profitable underwriting portfolio, low acquisition cost structure and positive investment returns.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

'STRENGTHENING SOCIAL SOLIDARITY ECONOMY POLICY IN ASIA - CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP' ENDS TOMORROW

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- The ‘Strengthening Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) Policy in Asia - Capacity Building Workshop' is being held from March 29 to 31.

It is co-hosted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), Republic of Korea, and the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency.

According to a statement, the workshop involves 38 professionals including government insiders and social entrepreneurs from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Korea.

It is a part of the ‘Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy Policy in Asia’ Project conducted through a joint agreement on Sept 5, 2019 between the ILO and the MOEL.

ILO focused on the role and importance of decent job creation and SSE and signed a joint agreement with the MOEL, Korea.

The project continues from 2019 to 2021, consists of mapping (comparative) studies of six Asian countries, an international academic conference, and capacity building workshop.

The programme is for understanding the challenges of post-COVID-19 SSE by policy practices and cases in Asia particularly about the COVID-19, informal economy, and rural areas, boosting the stakeholder capacity and building a network.

Particularly, the workshop invites the policy stakeholders in the Philippines, where a national level of policy amendment is ongoing regarding the SSE. It is anticipated to be meaningful to develop the Asia SSE by sharing Korea's experiences.

-- BERNAMA

TOW CO LTD RELEASES VIDEO INTRODUCING SYSTEM FOR JAPANESE CUISINE COOKING SKILLS CERTIFICATION

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- TOW Co Ltd has released a video introducing the system for certification of Japanese cuisine cooking skills.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has established Guidelines for the Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries, as of April 2016.

This system lays out specific standards that private bodies may use to recognise foreign chefs who have acquired given levels of knowledge and cooking skills necessary for Japanese cuisine preparation.

According to a statement, this is to help ensure that the appeals of Japanese food and dietary culture, as well as of Japanese agricultural and marine products, are appropriately and effectively communicated worldwide.

And through it, the private sector is able to position itself as a driving force in promoting efforts to certify Japanese cuisine cooking skills, increasing the number of certified individuals, and fostering further growth in foreign chefs who have acquired the appropriate knowledge and skills for preparation of Japanese cuisine.

This is all with the ultimate goal of further strengthening the global reputation of Japanese food and dietary culture and expanding consumption of Japanese agricultural and marine products.

To that end, TOW Co Ltd is actively engaged as the Application/Management Body of the Certification System.

As of this month, it has approbated 11 certifying bodies, which have in turn recognised 14 individual chefs as meeting Gold Certification standards, 187 meeting Silver, and 389 meeting Bronze.

More details at https://tow.co.jp/certification/

-- BERNAMA

RIPPLE ACQUIRES 40 PER CENT STAKE IN TRANGLO

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Ripple, the leading provider of enterprise blockchain solutions for global payments, has agreed to acquire 40 per cent of Asia’s leading cross-border payments specialist Tranglo.

This partnership will allow Ripple to meet growing customer demand in the region and expand the reach of On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), which uses the digital asset XRP to send money instantly and reduce working capital needs, according to a statement.

Tranglo will play a critical role in supporting existing corridors, such as the Philippines, and introducing new ODL corridors within its current network.

 “Tranglo’s robust payments infrastructure coupled with their unparalleled customer service and quality makes them an ideal partner to support our expansion of On-Demand Liquidity starting with the Southeast Asia region,” said General Manager of RippleNet at Ripple, Asheesh Birla.

As Ripple broadens its ODL footprint in the region, RippleNet customers using ODL will also be able to leverage Ripple’s Line of Credit to free up working capital and scale cross-border payments into more markets than ever before.

Ripple’s investment in Tranglo is a reflection of the company’s deepened commitment to enriching the payments ecosystem in Southeast Asia, the fastest-growing region for RippleNet adoption.

Completion of this transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in 2021. Upon completion, Amir Sarhangi, VP of Product and Delivery at Ripple, and Brooks Entwistle will join Tranglo’s board of directors.

In addition, TNG Fintech Group will remain the majority shareholder in Tranglo and will work with Ripple to further expand Tranglo’s global remittances network.

-- BERNAMA

DTU USES TIGERGRAPH’S ADVANCED GRAPH ANALYTICS TO IMPROVE ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- TigerGraph, provider of the leading graph analytics platform, has announced that the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is using TigerGraph’s advanced graph analytics with machine learning and AI techniques to improve treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Researchers at DTU are part of a major project across Denmark and Sweden to map genetic material for everyone with childhood cancer, according to a statement.

As part of a larger collaboration through the EU-funded iCOPE (Interregional Childhood Oncology Precision Medicine Exploration), the process starts with patient blood tests that through Whole Genome Sequencing paired with RNA-seq expression data are used to find aberrant expression patterns correlated or possibly caused by enhancer mutations.

The long term goal of iCOPE is to improve diagnostics, treatment, cure rates, and the overall life situation of children with cancer.

This process generates enormous amounts of data that using TigerGraph will be linked together with various other data points about the patient's life, illness, and treatment in order to understand to a much greater extent why children get cancer, provide earlier diagnosis and far more effective treatment.

DTU is in the final stages of bringing the full system online and it is already being used in a specific project that combines the fields of AI, machine learning and translational bioinformatics to create models that can predict the risk of relapse and toxicity within acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatments.

TigerGraph’s upcoming Graph + AI Summit, the industry’s only open conference for accelerating analytics, AI, and machine learning with graph, will feature customer use case sessions and speakers from the world’s largest companies and most innovative startups and universities.

-- BERNAMA

INVNT® UNVEILS GROWTH OF CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAMS IN SINGAPORE, SYDNEY

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- INVNT, the global live brand storytelling agency® has expanded its APAC operations with the appointment of new creative and production talent in Singapore and Sydney.

Based in Singapore, Sarah Bailey joins INVNT as Creative Director, where she is responsible for devising compelling campaign ideas for clients across the APAC region, according to a statement.

Bailey brings over 10 years’ experience to the role, where she has worked in agency and client-side roles at companies including Freeman and Publicis Singapore. She is joined by Karen Ho in the creative team, who is coming onboard as a Junior Designer in Sydney.

The agency has further built out its production expertise following ongoing demand from clients for high-end virtual and hybrid experiences.

Meanwhile, based in Sydney, Ema Wakeford has been appointed Executive Producer and joins from George P. Johnson. She has worked on events including the renowned Light, Music & Ideas Festival, and with brands such as Cadbury and Johnson & Johnson.

The team also welcomes Caroline Bubb as Senior Producer, who has over 10 years' experience delivering events in both Australia and the UK; Producer, Rebecca Wheatley, whose background lies in consumer-facing festivals and events; and, Production Coordinator, Lauren Moorhouse, who joins from CWT Meetings & Events.

"As a strategy and creative-led agency, I’m thrilled to have Sarah and Karen join our team to ensure we continue to surprise and delight clients with our out-of-the-box thinking and striking designs, and a talented team of producers in Ema, Caroline, Rebecca and Lauren, who will bring this thinking to life across virtual, hybrid and in-person experiences as the pandemic evolves across the APAC region,” said INVNT APAC Managing Director, Laura Roberts.

More details at www.invnt.com.

-- BERNAMA

ECOSLOPS UNVEILS ‘SCARABOX®’ MAIDEN SALES CONTRACT WITH CAMEROONIAN COMPANY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Ecoslops has announced the signature of a first sales contract for its ‘Scarabox®’, a containerised unit for upcycling used lube oil and oil residues.

Following the signature of a letter of intent on June 24, last year, this contract was signed with the Cameroonian company Valtech Energy, which belongs to the SCIN group and headed by Ismaël NJoya, an established Cameroonian entrepreneur.

In 2020, Valtech Energy successfully opened a MARPOL maritime oil waste reception facility in the Kribi port area, Cameroon’s new deep-water port inaugurated in 2019.

According to a statement, the contract comprises turnkey equipment and an operating licence provided with eight years of technical support by Ecoslops.

Delivery of the unit is anticipated in October, with a start before year-end. This is subject to setting up financing arrangements with the SCIN group’s long-standing banks, which have shown a keen interest in the project.

With the effective launch of this new activity as a provider of circular solutions, Ecoslops stands by its mission: ‘to contribute to the energy transition and to preserve the environment through innovations that help to preserve natural resources and avoid pollution’.

The Scarabox® is set to expand rapidly in a potential global market of several hundred units - gathering particular momentum from 2022 on - and become a key activity of the Ecoslops group, alongside the building and operation of its own micro-refineries.

This new containerised solution draws on the experience acquired by the company and its teams at the Sines site in Portugal, where it has treated over 100,000 tonnes of oil residues since 2015.

More details at www.ecoslops.com.

-- BERNAMA

GALLUP MCKINLEY COUNTY SCHOOLS SELECTS BLUE OCEAN ROBOTICS TO SUPPLY 37 UVD ROBOTS

 

Students from GMCS’ Twin Lakes School participated in a naming contest for the robot to help with socialization and morale. The school’s robot will now be known as Mr. Fox. UVD Robots were originally developed to fight Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI’s) and are now deployed in more than 60 countries worldwide in the healthcare sector, the hospitality industry, office complexes and educational facilities, meeting new and heightened expectations for safety and cleanliness. (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Blue Ocean Robotics has been selected by Gallup McKinley County Schools (GMCS) in New Mexico to supply 37 UVD Robots to the districts’ schools to help fight the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases

Blue Ocean Robotics is the manufacturer of the autonomous disinfecting robot UVD Robots equipped with UV-C light, according to a statement.

“Unlike stationary disinfection robots, the UVD Robot is a fully autonomous robot. It integrates UV-C light to disinfect against viruses and bacteria on surfaces and the air, killing 99.99 per cent of microorganisms within approximately 10 minutes in every room it disinfects,” said Blue Ocean Robotics Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Claus Risager.

Meanwhile, Gallup McKinley Superintendent Michael Hyatt said: “We selected UVD Robots after rigorous review of numerous disinfecting robots. UVD Robots delivered on all of our requirements including technical excellence, maturity and track record, quality of deployment, technical support and maintenance, and overall value.”

GMCS covers a community with many rural areas facing infrastructure issues that make virtual learning a challenge, approximately 1,500 students have no internet at home. The district also educates many special education students who learn better in the classroom.

“We are honoured to work with GMCS to go beyond COVID, bringing hospital-grade disinfection to the school district,” said UVD Robots CEO, Per Juul Nielsen.

UVD Robots is part of one of the world's leading groups in development of service robots, Blue Ocean Robotics, that includes brands GoBe Robots and PTR Robots.

-- BERNAMA

JAPAN’S CHIBA PREFECTURAL GOVERNMENT COMPLETES FIGHT SONG FOR CHI-BA+KUN MASCOT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Chiba Prefectural Government has completed a new fight song, ‘CHI-BA Mystery Expedition!’ for the prefecture's mascot named CHI-BA+KUN.

The song was produced by ‘Charat’, a musical unit which composes, sings, and choreographs theme songs for regional characters throughout Japan.

The lyrics and choreography, which incorporate an upbeat tempo, cheerful and trendy melody, with characteristics of CHI-BA+KUN and charms of Chiba Prefecture, are nicely combined, projecting CHI-BA+KUN's cheerful and energetic image.

According to a statement, the song is scheduled to be performed at various places.

CHI-BA+KUN is a curious creature born and living in Chiba Prefecture. Full of curiosity, he loves to challenge everything. When he ventures into the unknown, courage and passion spring afresh, making his body glow with red.

The mascot’s side profile represents the shape of Chiba Prefecture.

Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug32ROQJa8k

-- BERNAMA

Stibo DX-Sophi.io partnership strengthening automation on CUE publishing platform

 KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 -- Stibo DX and Sophi.io are partnering to integrate Sophi, The Globe and Mail’s automation, prediction and optimisation tools, into Stibo DX’s publishing platform, CUE.

According to a statement, Sophi will be a native extension in CUE’s user interface.

“As a publisher with years of experience working with Stibo DX, The Globe and Mail understands the needs of both Stibo DX and its customers,” said The Globe and Mail Publisher and Chief Executive Officer, Phillip Crawley.

“This new partnership between Stibo DX and Sophi builds on that understanding and offers easy to use, cutting-edge automation and predictive analytics to CUE’s many customers around the world, from media organisations to content-focused brands.”

Meanwhile, Stibo DX Chief Innovation Officer, Mark van de Kamp said: “As an open and extensible publishing platform, CUE is meant to be integrated with best-of-breed tools. Sophi will enable CUE users to make smarter content decisions based on real-time data and insights.”

Sophi.io is a suite of AI solutions, including Sophi Automation, which autonomously curates content to optimise webpages, and Sophi Analytics, which provides decision-making support to newsrooms and content publishers.

The Sophi team develops a custom Sophi Score in conjunction with every client to ensure that each piece of content properly reflects the value it contributes to the customer’s desired business outcomes, such as increasing conversions, loyalty and engagement.

All these capabilities will soon be available to Stibo DX’s global customer base as seamless, add-on extensions. 

Sophi.io was developed by The Globe and Mail to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. More details at https://www.sophi.io.

-- BERNAMA

SEA ELECTRIC TO PURCHASE 1,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES FROM SOUNDON

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Global automotive technology company SEA Electric, along with its proprietary SEA-Drive® technology, has expanded its global reach through the purchase of 1,000 electric vehicle batteries from Soundon New Energy Technology Co.

According to a statement, the newly-formed arrangement immediately follows SEA Electric’s recently announced US$42 million in equity financing news. (US$1 = RM4.146)

Soundon, SEA Electric’s sole battery provider since 2012, developed seven SEA-Drive® battery solutions during the two companies’ shared journey in the electric commercial vehicle space.

Through this new relationship, SEA Electric is realising the cost benefits of Soundon’s battery and power electronics technical expertise, as well as their production efficiencies.

As a result, battery production is underway with fulfillment completion expected sometime in Q2 this year, whereby the deal also allows SEA Electric to realise a significant 36 per cent reduction in kilowatt hour (kWh) unit cost.

SEA Electric president and founder, Tony Fairweather said: “Our long-term relationship with Soundon has been a very successful commercial journey and we anticipate continuing to share our global successes along the way.”

“Receiving this 1,000-unit order not only facilitates SEA Electric’s substantial global growth, but it also positions Soundon as a leader in the export market for commercial electric vehicles,” said Soundon Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Wu Peng.

While the majority of the initial 1,000 battery units are slated for the United States, the balance will go to SEA Electric inventories in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, along with the company’s first entry into the European market.

With global headquarters and key leadership in Los Angeles, SEA Electric currently has operations in five countries and more than one million miles of independent Original Equipment Manufacturer testing and in-service operation in all markets.

-- BERNAMA

NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS LIMITED HAS STABLE RATINGS OUTLOOK - AM BEST

 KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb-’ of New Zealand Medical Professionals Limited (NZMPL) New Zealand, making stable outlook of the ratings.

The ratings reflect NZMPL’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as adequate, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

NZMPL’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, which remains at the strongest level.

In addition, the balance sheet assessment is supported by the company’s reinsurance programme placed with a highly rated counterparty, which protects NZMPL against large single losses and aggregate exposure.

Based on a statement, AM Best also considers the company to have limited financial flexibility.

The global credit rating agency also views NZMPL’s operating performance as adequate, as demonstrated by a five-year average return-on-equity ratio of 10.1 per cent (fiscal-years 2016-2020).

Prospectively, AM Best expects the company to report positive earnings over the medium term, despite near-term challenging investment landscape.

AM Best views NZMPL’s business profile as limited. The company is a small and niche insurer in New Zealand focused on providing medical indemnity insurance to medical practitioners and health professionals.

 NZMPL’s access to new business is supported by its affiliation with the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association. More details on the rating at www.ambest.com

-- BERNAMA

MINNA BANK TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS IN MAY 2021 AS JAPAN'S FIRST DIGITAL BANK

 

^{Brand image of Minna Bank (Graphic: Business Wire)}


Core banking system developed in partnership with Accenture and running on Google Cloud will power global expansion as an embedded finance provider


TOKYO, March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Minna Bank, Ltd. today announced they have acquired a banking license on December 22, 2020 from the Financial Services Agency of Japan and will commence commercial operations in May 2021. A wholly owned subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (FFG, TOKYO:8354), Minna Bank represents FFG’s digital growth strategy.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210325005038/en/

 

As Japan’s first Digital Bank, Minna Bank’s services are designed to cater to the needs and sensibilities of digital natives - a segment traditionally underserved by the financial services industry. “Minna” means “Everyone” in Japanese and exemplifies the bank’s ethos of inclusiveness. Minna Bank’s services are exclusively and entirely accessible by smartphone, where customers can easily open an account and deposit, withdraw and transfer funds 24/7.

Minna Bank will run on a next generation banking system developed in partnership with Accenture and running on Google Cloud. Running entirely on the public cloud - a first in Japan - Minna Bank will deliver an entirely new and technologically advanced banking experience. Minna Bank’s core banking system will not only run their retail operations, but will also be made available to third parties who wish to leverage the highly flexible system to power discrete embedded finance offerings or even run comprehensive branded banking services.

“Minna Bank’s mission is to ‘Deliver valuable connections to everyone’,” said Koji Yokota, President, Minna Bank, Ltd. “Together with our partners, we will widely offer our banking system as a service (BaaS). We have built our system based on the ideas of digital natives and a flexible API architecture, making it possible for everyone to create and deliver embedded finance offerings. We aim to be a pioneer in this space, and plan to deliver this cloud native banking system to Asia and other regions of the globe.”

“Customers want an on-demand experience from their banks that is automated, seamless, and easy-to-use. We’re proud to work with Minna Bank which is embracing the cloud as an early adopter in the Japan financial services industry, and building its core banking systems on Google Cloud for innovation, speed and scalability,” said Rob Enslin, President, Google Cloud.

“As consumers increasingly manage their lives using digital technology, banks' legacy systems make it difficult to provide highly personalized services and connect to diverse ecosystems,” said Alan McIntyre, head of Accenture’s global banking industry group. “Minna Bank’s cloud-first approach provides human-centered products and services that deliver more value; Accenture is helping it deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity – allowing the bank to emerge as an industry leader.”

About Minna Bank

Minna Bank, Ltd. is Japan’s first digital bank which acquired a banking license on December 22, 2020. Minna Bank means “a bank for everyone” in Japanese. Its mission is to “Deliver valuable connections to everyone.” Minna Bank strives to become a pioneer in the financial services industry, creating and connecting ecosystems including consumer and business customers and various communities. Minna Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group. For more information, visit https://corporate.minna-no-ginko.com/information/corporate/2021/01/14/14/?wovn=en

About Fukuoka Financial Group

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (FFG, TOKYO:8354), established in 2007, is Japan’s largest regional financial group. With The Bank of Fukuoka, The Kumamoto Bank, and The Juhachi-Shinwa Bank as its subsidiaries, FFG has a wide network covering the entire Kyushu region. FFG is actively pursuing a Digital Transformation (DX) strategy, and established Minna Bank, Japan’s first digital bank architected from the ground up. For more information, visit https://www.fukuoka-fg.com/en/

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210325005038/en/

Contact

Media Relations Contact:
Minna Bank, Ltd. Corporate Communications
Sachiko Ichihara
Yumi Imamura
Junichi Nakahara
press@minna-no-ginko.com
+81-92-791-9231

Source : Minna Bank, Ltd.

TOMMY HILFIGER APPOINTS ALEGRA O'HARE AS GLOBAL CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

 

^{Alegra O’Hare, Chief Marketing Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Global (Photo: Business Wire)}


AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH], is pleased to announce the appointment of Alegra O’Hare as Chief Marketing Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Global effective April 12, 2021. Within the role, O’Hare will develop and execute innovative global marketing strategies to reach and engage existing and upcoming generations of TOMMY HILFIGER consumers.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210325005086/en/

 

“Alegra’s appointment is a crucial next step in this new era for TOMMY HILFIGER,” said Avery Baker, President and Chief Brand Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Global. “She will be a driving force in bringing our new brand vision to life through world-class creative, digital and omnichannel marketing strategies. Her deep connection to culture and proven experience in growing both relevance and business with global consumers will be a great asset. I am very excited to have Alegra join our team to play a leading role in building the next generation of Tommy fans.”

“TOMMY HILFIGER has always been a brand that’s ahead of the curve, and I’m excited to embark on this new journey with the team amid a drastically changed consumer landscape,” said O’Hare. “Together, we will meet these new realities head on, with a focus on creating engaging and surprising brand experiences for all consumers, further evolving our position as world class marketers by pushing cultural and creative boundaries.”

O’Hare brings over 25 years’ marketing experience, working with global consumer brands including adidas, Bang & Olufsen, Champion, Lee and Wrangler. Most recently, she held the role of Chief Marketing Officer at GAP, where she led the global marketing team to inspire consumers across all brand touchpoints, including communications, retail, digital, social media and PR, through digital-first marketing and an omnichannel retail approach. Prior to this, O’Hare led marketing for the adidas Originals brand where she was responsible for all brand campaigns, collaborations with partners such as Pharrell Williams, Alexander Wang and Childish Gambino, and all marcomms activations globally.

TOMMY HILFIGER is one of the world’s leading lifestyle brands, with a globally recognized name and identity. The company’s marketing initiatives have been instrumental to the increasing footprint of TOMMY HILFIGER through the consistent growth of global brand awareness and consumer-centric strategies that build and retain a loyal fan base. Today, brand exposure is at an all-time high as a result of standout collections, campaigns, partnerships and impactful consumer activations.

About Tommy Hilfiger

With a brand portfolio that includes TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS, Tommy Hilfiger is one of the world’s most recognized premium designer lifestyle groups. Its focus is designing and marketing high-quality men’s tailored clothing and sportswear, women’s collection apparel and sportswear, kidswear, denim collections, underwear (including robes, sleepwear and loungewear), footwear and accessories. Through select licensees, Tommy Hilfiger offers complementary lifestyle products such as eyewear, watches, fragrance, swimwear, socks, small leather goods, home goods and luggage. The TOMMY JEANS product line consists of jeanswear and footwear for men and women, accessories, and fragrance. Merchandise under the TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS brands is available to consumers worldwide through an extensive network of TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS retail stores, leading specialty and department stores, select online retailers, and at tommy.com.

About PVH Corp.

PVH is one of the most admired fashion and lifestyle companies in the world. We power brands that drive fashion forward – for good. Our brand portfolio includes the iconic Calvin Klein, TOMMY HILFIGER, Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Warner’s, Olga and Geoffrey Beene brands, as well as the digital-centric True&Co. intimates brand. We market a variety of goods to consumers under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands in over 40 countries. That's the Power of Us. That’s the Power of PVH.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995: Forward-looking statements in this press release, including, without limitation, statements relating to the Company’s strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not be anticipated, including, without limitation, (i) the Company’s strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the Company; (ii) the Company may be considered to be highly leveraged and uses a significant portion of its cash flows to service its indebtedness, as a result of which the Company might not have sufficient funds to operate its businesses in the manner it intends or has operated in the past; and (iii) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210325005086/en/

Contact

Tommy Hilfiger:
Virginia Ritchie
Vice President, Global Communications
E-mail: virginia.ritchie@tommy.com
Tel: +31 6 4318 4870

Source : PVH Corp.