TAIWAN'S CTBC HOLDING CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE IN 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- Taiwan financial firm, CTBC Financial Holding Co Ltd (CTBC) won a record 290 major accolades in 2022, including seven Taiwan Banking and Finance Best Practice Awards. 

Its president James Chen was also the first Taiwanese business leader to be named Asia-Pacific Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Year by the International Data Corp, a leading global analytical company specialising in information technology market research. 

In a statement today, Chen said that the firm has been ahead of the curve in adopting new initiatives and offering a comprehensive suite of financial services through integrating resources from its subsidiaries to serve the needs of customers.

“Of the 290 awards won by CTBC, 41 were prestigious international and regional awards, while (our subsidiary) CTBC Bank showed outstanding performance by taking home over 180 awards.

“The bank also won the awards for Renewable Energy M&A (mergers and acquisitions) Deal of the Year, Global as well as Global Finance’s Sustainable Finance Awards,” the company said.

CTBC’s commitment to innovation in digital finance has continued via the implementation of "Phygital Banking" at 152 branches across Taiwan in response to the demand for digital financial services in the post-pandemic era.

Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the credit ratings of CTBC Financial and CTBC Bank at A3 and A1, respectively, thus maintaining CTBC’s place as a top brand in terms of business quality and professional competence. 

“The operating performance of CTBC Bank remained stable throughout 2022, and it was the only bank that met the capital surcharge requirement for Taiwan’s domestic systemically important banks before 2025, occupying the leading position in Taiwan’s banking industry. 

“As a member of the Alliance of Sustainable Finance Pioneers, CTBC Holding is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations and promoting sustainable development in Taiwan,” it added. 

-- BERNAMA

Prepay Nation promotes Paolo Montessori to CEO

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Prepay Nation, a leading global business-to-business (B2B) prepaid products marketplace, has appointed Paolo Montessori as new chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding A.J. Hanna, effective this month.

After over three and a half years at Prepay Nation, Hanna vacated his role as CEO and chairman by Dec 31, 2022, and continues to support the transition as special adviser to the board of directors and the newly appointed CEO.

In a statement, Prepay Nation said Montessori's primary goals as CEO would be to strengthen Prepay Nation's financial position and solid foundation of assets, including a worldwide interconnected distribution network and place, as well as to accelerate the company's growth plans and expand its payment alternatives.

“Being selected to lead such a well-respected organisation as Prepay Nation, a global technology and prepaid global marketplace, serving more than 150 countries and over five billion users is a great honour and a tremendously exciting opportunity.

“I look forward to leading the team at Prepay Nation and working together to chart a future of growth, creating value for our shareholders while supplying essential prepaid services to our global audience,” said Montessori.

Montessori joined Prepay Nation in October 2021 as the chief revenue officer and throughout his more than 25-year career, has established a solid record of accomplishments leading telecom and financial services firms on a wide range of strategic and business-building possibilities during a time of constant evolution in the financial services and payments world.

Prepay Nation boasts an operational presence in 150 plus countries, with more than 600 mobile operator’s partnerships across more than 300,000 retail locations – backed by a globally distributed team in the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

-- BERNAMA

TESSA THERAPEUTICS PROVIDES STRATEGIC OUTLOOK AND CORPORATE UPDATE FOR 2023

Tessa to prioritize allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy platform following strong safety and efficacy data presented during ASH 2022 SINGAPORE, Jan 4 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd. (Tessa), a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing next-generation cancer treatments for hematological malignancies and solid tumors, announced today that the company will prioritize development of its allogeneic “off-the-shelf” CD30.CAR-modified Epstein-Barr virus-specific T-cell (EBVST) therapy platform, while seeking strategic options for the development of its TT11 autologous CAR-T platform with other companies. The decision to prioritize the allogeneic or “off-the-shelf-approach” over the autologous platform followed progress and new data with its TT11X clinical program, including strong safety and efficacy data presented in an oral podium presentation at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The data demonstrated TT11X to be well-tolerated at all dosing levels, eliciting a 79% overall response rate and 43% complete response rate among 14 heavily pre-treated CD30-positve Hodgkin lymphoma patients. These developments are the first of what is expected to be a milestone-rich year ahead for Tessa as the company seeks to build the value of its pipeline to its fullest potential with available resources. “I believe that this strategic refocus on our allogeneic platform positions the company at the forefront of CAR-T innovation during 2023 and beyond,” stated Thomas Willemsen, President and CEO of Tessa Therapeutics. “This optimism is based on the compelling safety and efficacy data that continue to be generated by our TT11X program and the potential patient benefit in treating CD30-positive lymphomas, and potentially solid tumors where there is significant unmet medical need.”   “Our scientific efforts are directed toward enhancing cell performance and durability of our allogeneic EBVST cells - a key challenge faced by current allogeneic approaches, and hence a key differentiating factor in our platform approach.” stated Ivan Horak, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Tessa Therapeutics. Tessa Corporate Update During 2022, Tessa enhanced its executive management team with the appointment of Thomas Willemsen as President and CEO and Wilson W. Cheung as CFO. The company also expanded its board with the addition of Amy Schulman and Darren Carroll from Polaris Partners, which led the company’s US$126M Series A round. Today, Tessa has announced that Steve Krognes will serve as the company’s new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Krognes, who was previously a director on Tessa’s Board, replaces Dr. Göran Ando as Chairman after nearly three years. “We are very pleased to welcome Steve Krognes to Chairman of the Board. Steve brings a deep background in business development and partnering and will work closely with management as we embark on this important period in the company’s evolution,” stated Mr. Willemsen. “We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Ando for his leadership and contribution to the growth and development of Tessa. He has been instrumental in our company’s success and his influence will be felt at Tessa for years to come.” Tessa Therapeutics at “JPM Week 2023” The Tessa executive team will be in San Francisco during “JPM Week 2023” and available for one-on-one meetings with accredited investors, as well as biotech and pharmaceutical companies to discuss partnering opportunities and to execute its plan for the manufacturing facility divestiture. For those interested in scheduling meetings, please contact Jonathan Nugent (jnugent@tiberend.com) and Daniel Kontoh-Boateng (dboateng@tiberend.com). About Tessa Therapeutics Singapore-based Tessa Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation cell therapies for the treatment of hematological cancers and solid tumors. Tessa’s CAR-T portfolio is highlighted by a proprietary allogeneic “off-the-shelf” cell therapy platform targeting a broad range of cancers in which Epstein Barr Virus Specific T Cells (EBVSTs) are augmented with CD30-CAR. A therapy using this platform, TT11X, is currently the subject of a Phase 1 clinical trial in CD30-positive lymphomas. Tessa’s pipeline also includes TT11, an autologous CD30-CAR-T therapy being investigated as a potential treatment for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma as both a monotherapy (Phase 2) and combination therapy (Phase 1b). For more information on Tessa, visit www.tessacell.com. Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, to the fullest extent applicable) including, without limitation, with respect to various regulatory filings or clinical study developments of the Company. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “target”, “may”, “assume” or similar expressions. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those related to the Company’s financial results, the ability to raise capital, dependence on strategic partnerships and licensees, the applicability of patents and proprietary technology, the timing for completion of the clinical trials of its product candidates, whether and when, if at all, the Company’s product candidates will receive marketing approval, and competition from other biopharmaceutical companies. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, and disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company’s products are expressly for investigational use pursuant to a relevant investigational device exemption granted by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, or equivalent competent body. Tessa Therapeutics Investor Contact  Wilson W. Cheung  Chief Financial Officer  wcheung@tessacell.com  Tessa Therapeutics Media Contact  Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.  Bill Borden  +1-732-910-1620  bborden@tiberend.com  Dave Schemelia  +1-609-468-9325  dschemelia@tiberend.com   SOURCE : Tessa Therapeutics Ltd

Synchronoss secures contract worth US$3.6 mln

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- Synchronoss Technologies Inc (Synchronoss) has inked a US$3.6 million (US$1=RM4.40) contract with one of the largest mobile and telecom operators in the Asia Pacific region to support significant growth in the messaging subscriber base.

Building on a long-standing relationship spanning over 20 years, the Synchronoss Email Suite will now support over 50 million users, Synchronoss said in a statement today.

“Designed to be fault tolerant, the Synchronoss Email Suite includes the Mx9 core messaging platform that is highly scalable with a stateless architecture, which integrates encryption to ensure the utmost in security and data privacy.

“Mx9 offers an intuitive web user interface for email, contacts, and calendar. Through the Huge Mail feature, Mx9 supports large file exchanges, and integrates Razorgate, an unparalleled message filtering capability designed to remove spam and mitigate the threat of phishing and viruses,” it said.

Its president and chief executive officer, Jeff Miller said Synchronoss Email Suite provides the capability to deliver a powerful and easy-to-use communications suite that is scalable and capable of supporting millions of users, supporting on-premise and cloud deployments.

Synchronoss Email Suite currently supports 20 major email deployments through service providers in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, and hosts more than 180 million mailboxes.

A global leader and innovator in cloud, messaging and digital products and platforms, Synchronoss builds software that empowers companies around the world to connect with their subscribers in trusted and meaningful ways.

-- BERNAMA

Matthews International secures orders worth over US$200 mln in Q1

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) -- Matthews International Corp, a global provider of industrial technologies and renewable energy equipment, has received over US$200 million (US$1=RM4.396) in total orders for its energy storage solutions business during the first quarter (Q1) of the financial year 2023 (FY2023).

In a statement, Matthews International said the order intake is more than twice the fiscal year 2022 revenues, solidifying its position as a leader in the growing electric vehicle (EV) energy storage solutions industry.

The company received orders from multiple manufacturers of EV, battery and hydrogen fuel cell components to provide equipment and services to the fast-growing business.

“Over the past two fiscal years, our energy storage solutions business has tripled.

“With these orders, we are potentially on track this fiscal year for another year of significant growth,” said president and chief executive officer Joseph Bartolacci.

The US-based Matthews International has approximately 12,000 employees in more than 26 countries on six continents.

-- BERNAMA

Executive aviation industry going through biggest transition: Jetex

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The executive aviation industry is going through its biggest-ever transition with businesses and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) travellers developing a greater awareness of the huge time and convenience benefits it offers, said executive aviation services provider, Jetex.

Its founder and chief executive officer Adel Mardini said the industry has shown its ability to adapt and remain connected to its customers, spurring their desire to travel and discover within an environment of luxury and supreme service.

In the company’s 2022 annual review, Mardini said data from aviation data research firm, Wingx, revealed that 2021 saw 3.3 million private flights globally, the most on record, and the industry is set to grow by 10 per cent in the post-pandemic period.

“A much larger number of ultra-premium passengers continue to fly private rather than returning to first or business class. There has also been an increase in first-time private flyers for both business and family travel.

“As a result, sales demand for both new and pre-owned jets has climbed to record levels and is expected to continue, with 8,400-8,500 new business jet deliveries between 2022 and 2031 at an estimated value of US$264-US$274 billion (US$1=RM4.415),” he said.

Mardini said demand for private air travel is expected to grow further year-on-year (y-o-y), and Jetex is thrilled to be part of the growth.

“With more flexibility, time efficiency, and a larger possible reach, the demand for private air travel is expected to grow further y-o-y and Jetex is thrilled to be part of this ongoing success story,” he said.

Jetex is recognised for delivering flexible, best-in-class trip support solutions to customers worldwide, and its services include private terminals, aircraft fueling, ground handling and global trip planning.

The Jetex 2002 review on the executive aviation industry can be accessed here.

-- BERNAMA

2022 CTBC Invitational Golf Tournament to kick off in Kaohsiung

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- CTBC Bank will host the 2022 CTBC Invitational, an annual women’s golf tournament at the Kaohsiung Golf and Country Club from Dec 29, with total prize money of NT$5 million up for grabs. (NT$100=RM14.37)

In a statement, the bank said the three-day tournament is open to the public for free and it can also be watched online or on television via Facebook and YouTube.

The CTBC lady golf stars namely, Teresa Lu, Cheng Ssu-chia, Hou Yu-sang, Vivian Hou, An Ho-yu, Jessica Peng, June Ting and Heather Lin are among the 64 players from Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand to vie for the championship and the top prize of NT$1 million.

Addressing the pre-tournament news conference on Dec 26, CTBC Holding vice chairman, Thomas Chen said that CTBC has been working on five areas of welfare focus namely charity, anti-drug, sports, education, and arts and culture.

“Through sponsorship of various sports such as golf, baseball, basketball, and e-sports as well as a long-term investment in charity, anti-drug, arts, and education, CTBC encourages and supports disadvantaged young people and students in Taiwan for them to have more opportunities to achieve their dreams in life,” said Chen.

CTBC has hosted the women's golf tournament since 2012, and this year is the first time it will take place in Kaohsiung, where a star-studded lineup of players is set to compete.

-- BERNAMA