Cashless payments have come in handy now more than ever due to the “no-touch” policy created by COVID-19. While the pandemic has fast-tracked the move to digital financing for many sectors, others such as hawkers and small businesses are still relying heavily on physical cash payments. In an effort to push app-based payments further, Singapore is now hiring hundreds of digital ambassadors to help stallholders transition to a more cashless way of doing business. 

Walmart, America’s biggest source of employment is cutting cashiers from one of its stores in a strategy that they say is to ‘limit human interaction’ and to ensure that customers can get in and out of the facility quicker. 

Southeast Asia is in the early stages of a takeoff in e-wallet adoption that is likely to transform the financial industry. The competition for market leadership is wide open and furious. But for digital finance to make the next big leap in scale, both incumbent banks and new digital challengers must overcome obstacles. We speak to Aparna Bharadwaj, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group; Global Leader for BCG’s Center for Consumer Insight on how we are driving the digital payment revolution here in South East Asia.

In a study conducted by IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) in cooperation with Oxford Economics, only 9% of C-Suite executives were dubbed as ‘Torchbearers’. This is a term for those who stood out as understanding that transparency, reciprocity and accountability are critical ingredients for earning trust among key stakeholders. Leaders that leverage data to build customer trust, create cultures of data-based decision makers and are adept at sharing data with ecosystem partners can gain a competitive edge. We speak to Catherine Lian, Managing Director of IBM Malaysia on the foundation of being a ‘torchbearer’.

The future of work has always been centered around the ways technology such as automation, AI and robotics will affect the way we do work. And while many sectors will benefit much from embracing this technology, McKinsey & Co discovered that 50% of work time in Malaysia is still spent on repetitive activities that are highly automatable, with far-reaching effects on a large pool of labour. We speak to Nimal Manuel, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company Malaysia on how to leverage automation for the future of work.

Behind the scenes of everyday life, applications and connected devices generate billions of “events.” These events enable the connected world around you. They ensure the train you’re riding safely reaches its destination, and they allow you to monitor your child’s data usage or make secure credit card payments, to name a few examples. We talk to Sumeet Puri about how these “events” impact our daily lives, and how they’re involved in the automotive industry of the future.

Passive versus active investing has gained more attention over the last decade, now especially with all the stock market activity.

So today Roshan explores the basics and merits of passive investing, the argument against stock picking and why not all ETFs are created equal.

Photo taken from past interview.

UWC Berhad looks to be one of the beneficiaries of COVID-19 with its stock price more than doubling since a low 3 months back. The company has come a long way from simply supplying wire cut machines and is now worth around RM2 billion on the back of the boom in the semiconductor supply chain. More recently UWC has been tapping into the increased demand in medical equipment and life sciences on the back of COVID-19. With that in mind, how far can UWC go and is it all smooth sailing going forward?

In a small media roundtable discussion, the CEO of the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia, Tunku Alizakri Raja Muhammad Alias reminded that EPF remains a long term fund manager with clear objectives. He however does acknowledge that changes are needed to how investments should be considered and that the ability to pivot is key to succeeding especially during these difficult times.

As schools re-open, the hygiene and safety of students, teachers, and other employees remains a pressing concern. Lyn Mak speaks to Ricky Lew, Vice President of Business Development at Kiplepay Sdn Bhd, about the solutions that Kiplepay has developed to increase the safety of schools as they open past the MCO.