PBEC's Podcast

ESG factors have become mainstream and are now a top concern for Boards of Directors. Proper ESG implementation can help businesses and regional Government authorities address current social cohesion challenges and seize future opportunities. On this episode of the Value Prop, we are joined by David Ching Heng Hoe, CEO of Ong & Ong Vietnam and a board member of the PBEC, who shares his insights, challenges and opportunities on the real estate sector and major infrastructure developments in the Mekong region, in particular in Vietnam and Laos, including the company's pioneering work in social housing projects since 2007 which is now firmly on the agenda of regional Governments in SE Asia.

We are delighted to have Andrew Weir our Chairman and Senior Partner and Vice Chairman of KPMG China join us on our latest episode of the Value Prop, where he provides us with some excellent commentary on the big topics concerning his clients and sharing some of his insights on the current status of APAC’s economy and where its heading into the latter part of 2023. 

Q2 felt like a cautious quarter overall in terms of business leaders sentiment I have had the opportunity to speak to, partly due to uncertainty in financial markets. Further weakness in the financial sector, on-going uncertainty regarding monetary policy and continued geopolitical risk, all created a complex environment for investors to navigate. But in every perceived reality there are the exceptions. I.E. Japan’s economy came into focus: The market hit the highest level in 33 years with the Nikkei reaching to 33,700 yen in June. That has partly been driven by continuous buying from foreign investors since April. In addition, the gains have come amid ongoing expectations of corporate governance reforms and structural shifts in the Japanese macro economy and the continuing appetite from foreign investors seeking alternatives to China Mainland.

In this episode PBEC is joined by Mr. Thomas Wong one of the two co-founding partners of CW CPA, an international mid-sized professional accounting and advisory firm based in Hong Kong with offices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai of Mainland China as well as having liaison offices in Barcelona of Spain, London of UK, Bogotá of Colombia, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte of Brazil. He looks after many areas of CW CPA, particularly the business development and strategies of the firm.

Developing overseas markets is always at the top of Thomas’ agenda. In line with the dynamism of the economic and trade relations between China and Latin America. Thomas often organizes events to promote Hong Kong and Mainland China. Thomas and his team also regularly travel to Latin America, Spain and Portugal with the aim of continually gaining market insights into these markets and seeking new business opportunities which have made an invaluable contribution to the PBEC Community.

Riding on the wave of technological innovation, Thomas has become a fervent believer in the power of digitalization in business. Over the past few years, he has become a diligent preacher of innovation and entrepreneurship, creating his own ecosystem of business partners that provide resources to start-ups that possess the potential to drive sustainable growth in our societies. His persistence in working closely with his technology partners, including the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Cyberport, Xero, Airwallex, Kingdee etc., has become an essential strategy in guiding his professional practice into a new era.

In this episode PBEC is joined by Father and Son President Yasuhiro Kunieda and Eita Kunieda of Suzuran Medical Inc a Japanese family business established for over180 years in the manufacturing of cotton products such as cotton bedding, sanitary, childcare, hygiene and cosmetic lines.

We talk to Eita about the challenges faced in their supply chains during covid, with majority of production taking place within Mainland China. Rising costs and shifts in consumer purchasing from in shops to online. How this has taken over bricks and mortar distribution in a short space of time. How the group is adjusting to tackle these changing trends but also climate change and reducing their carbon footprint in the processing of their products. Many exciting initiatives are shared and the groups future strategy in the region. A fascinating insight at first-hand with a leading manufacturer from Japan in their relevant field of cotton goods. This compliments are provided an example interview of the many that were conducted to reach our conclusions of the recently published PBEC Chartering a New Course in Asia Pacific trade report together with Monash University Malaysia and KPMG Int’l.

In this episode PBEC is joined by the co-authors Dr. Neale O’Connor Professor of Accounting previously of Monash University Malaysia from his new University Edith Cowan in Perth and Anson Bailey Head of Consumer and Retail AsPAC & Head of Technology at KPMG in China, of our most recent and comprehensive trade report on regional trends in Global Sourcing entitled “Chartering a New Course in Asia Pacific”. Supply chain operability affects every organization and sits highly on the list of concerns of CEOs whose businesses rely heavily on this. The newly released report between the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), KPMG and Monash University Malaysia reviews the most recent supply chain and sourcing movements in the region, and provides insights into the key trends and factors which no business leader should ignore.

The data in this report comprises a sample of 132 companies that are considering changing or have already altered their supply chain destinations between 2018 and 2023, covering 232 sourcing market moves.  

You can access the full report on PBEC’s website: Charting a new course in Asia Pacific – Pacific Basin Economic Council (pbec.org)

In this episode PBEC is joined by prominent scholar and intellect Dr. Evodio Kaltenecker an Assistant Professor of business focused on management research and executive education. Where we discuss the merits of Brazil, Mexico and Chile’s economies and track the covid economic recovery of trade stories of each. We discuss the geopolitical instabilities and radical nationalist sentiments that are playing out. We seek Professor Evodio’s outlook and predictions over the coming quarter and even discuss religious influences and the perceived resurgence of believers and followers in the region and what this could mean.

Professor Kaltenecker currently works in the International Faculty at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey and EGADE Business School in Mexico. Originally born and raised in Brazil, Dr. Evodio is a regular commentator on Latin America issues, geopolitics, systemic risks, assessment and management, strategic planning, and investor advisory services in the Latam region.

Dr. Evodio is also a regular guest lecturer at Fundacao Dom Cabral, FDC - Brazil, faculty-in-residence at the Austral Education Group in Chile, research fellow at the Johnson Graduate School at Cornell University (USA), and academic leader - Management Strategy at the Management Center Innsbruck MCI  in Austria.

Professor Kaltenecker has published articles in the Critical Perspectives on International Business, Journal of Education for Business, and Journal of Teaching in International Business. He is an acclaimed author of “Quality According to Garvin”, listed among the ten must-read books on quality management in the Portuguese language. Dr. Evodio also has an MBA from Harvard University (the Harvard Business School) and a Ph.D. in internationalization strategy from the University of São Paulo (USP) Brazil.

“Success Stories: Winning in the APAC Region - Vietnam”

This special episode is taken from one of the recorded sessions from PBEC’s Annual Dialogues Summit 2022, with a focus on Vietnam’s economy – we hope you find it as interesting as we do  - Sit back and enjoy.

In this episode PBEC is joined by prominent business leaders and commentators on Vietnam’s continued rise over the past decade. Namely, Warrick Cleine Chairman and CEO KPMG Vietnam & Michael Kokalari Chief Economist of VinaCapital, in Vietnam. Both business leaders  share their perspectives on the overall state of the Vietnam economy, manufacturing, DFI, real estate, stock market, education, availability of labour as well as frankly answer concerns about some of the impending risks that could derail this growth story. They provide an honest viewpoint for investors and interested parties which is well worth listening to. Buckle in for this quick fire 30 minute dialogue courtesy of our recent PBEC Annual Dialogues Summit 2022. You can catch all our recorded sessions on our official PBEC YouTube channel here: 

Our annual dialogues summit provides a series of in-depth roundtable format discussions, that are wonderfully honest in nature. They showcase some refreshing insights from a diverse expertise pool of speakers on the same subject or topic. It really highlights new areas of growth and opportunities in advancing regional markets across Asia Pacific. Capitalizing on investment opportunities with forward-looking growth strategies/predictions in today’s APAC market. It certainly compliments the Value Prop series 1 to 1 format. We gathered 75 speakers from 21 countries on 22 uniquely curated topical sessions.

For more of the PBEC Annual Dialogues Summit 2022:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU9DiegC1Zio5EXLvGK-R8i7tIU9yhqAy 

We are joined in this episode by WAIFC Managing Director Jochen Biedermann to explain and share his views on the world of finance ahead of his trip to Asia.

Since 2018, Jochen Biedermann has served as Managing Director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), an international non-profit association registered in Brussels, representing 28 leading international financial centers across five continents. WAIFC members are government agencies, associations, and similar institutions developing and promoting their financial centers. WAIFC facilitates cooperation between its members, exchanging best practices, and communication with the general public.

Jochen is also the CEO of Blockchain Asia Ltd., a Blockchain company founded in Hong Kong in 2016. He serves as an expert to the Sino-German Center for Finance and Economics in Frankfurt, backed by the central banks, government institutions, and leading universities in China and Germany. He is also a Fellow of the Think Tank of the Asian Financial Cooperation Association, based in Beijing.

Jochen is a long-standing advisor at Frankfurt Main Finance, the Frankfurt financial center initiative. Furthermore, he is a mentor at OneEleven in Toronto, the Plug and Play Tech Center, and the Accelerator Frankfurt.

From 1999 to 2013, Jochen worked for Deutsche Boerse Group. As SVP for International Affairs, he oversaw its business in emerging markets. He holds a diploma in mathematics & computer science from the University of Goettingen and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cottbus, Germany.

A rich and fruitful discussion – definitely worth a listen to over a coffee, whilst working or exercising. Enjoy! 

We are joined in this episode by Lei Yu CEO North Asia and Regional Head of Distribution, Asia at QBE Asia Pacific.

Lei Yiu is an award winning leader in her respected field of general insurance. In 2021 Lei was awarded Insurance Business Asia Elite Woman of the Year. Yu is a big advocate of digitisation and leveraging technology to create a better claims experience and helping customers get back on their feet as quickly as possible. Lei also seeks to foster relationships through partnerships in tackling the net zero economy targets with more regular engagement and accelerated digitally enabled solutions.

QBE Insurance Group Limited is a general insurance and reinsurance company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and headquartered in Sydney. The company employs more than 11,700 people in over 27 countries. Across its operations, QBE offers commercial, personal and specialty products and risk management products.