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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 the Value Prop Show is delighted and proud to have PBEC intern Rhea Mehta as our guest host, interviewing one of our most famous youth ambassadors at PBEC Natalie Chung. Natalie is a passionate environmentalist and social entrepreneur. Natalie has devoted her life to taking climate action. She is an inspiration to our peers and the next generation of young leaders coming up in tackling a truly global issue of concern for humanity. Natalie’s day job is working for one of the largest retail groups in Asia Pacific on their sustainability strategy. She was also recently appointed by the HKSAR Government as a member at the Council for Carbon neutrality & Sustainable Development from 1st May 2023 for a 2 year term which she shares in this episode more about what the HK Govt plans are.  Natalie’s advocacy and climate action initiatives have brought her into contact with the likes of World Bank, World Economic Forum Global Shapers, UNSDSN, Kadoorie Conservation and of course Think Tanks such as PBEC. Rhea our guest host, is someone we would put into the next generation of leaders category. An highly motivated and intelligent individual who equally has a passion for climate action and data analytics around impactful initiatives that business leaders can and should be supporting to reduce their emissions.  Sit back, grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee and take the next 21 minutes out of your day to listen to an highly engaging episode from the Value Prop on all things sustainability has to offer.

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.

We are joined this episode by Anson Chan Chairman and CEO of Bonds Group of Companies. A respected Hong Kong businessman, Mr. Anson Chan has accumulated a variety of management and investment experience. Bonds Group of Companies owns both commercial and residential properties in prime locations of Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Britain, Canada, USA and Singapore. Before joining his family business, Mr. Chan was an associate director in the proprietary investment group of Nomura International, the Japanese leading investment bank, from 2000 to 2004, and of AIG Investment Corporation from 1998 to 2000. He was responsible for developing new investment opportunities and business relationships in Greater China. In addition, Mr. Anson Chan is a seed investor and director of the Evenstar Fund Management Co., which manages an Asia-focused hedge fund with assets under management of US$100 million. From 2005 to 2008, he also served as a senior advisor to Elliott Associates, which is a U.S. based activist investment fund with assets under management in excess of US$7.5 billion. He recently co-sponsored an IPO of a SPAC on Nasdaq which successfully raised US$200 million for targeting  fast-growth companies in the new economy sector, such as sizeable FinTech and PropTech companies.    Areas we talk about on this episode: 04-08 Mins -  Anson provides a global and regional view on the state of the markets – referring to the Goldilocks Economy period. 09-10 Mins – World Economy scenario back to the 1970’s, tipping point on a changed view on China by the perceived West. 11-13 Mins – Discuss China, authoritarianism v perceived democracy Governance, the G2 China and US, Obama administration period of when it started to change. 14-16 Mins – When President Xi came to power in 2012 and then Trump in 2016, China became more assertive, BRIC’s, Belt and Road initiative to compete. 16 Mins  - Ukraine/Russia conflict, President Putin and the affect on Asia. 17-20 Mins – Bringing it back to Hong Kong and the One Country/Two Systems policy. Its continued role and importance as a IFC. 21-26 Mins – The fear for Japan if there is another Asian Financial crisis, Anson predicts it will start with Japan, with some political strife between factions within the Democratic ruling party. 27-29 Mins  - Western sanctions, energy market and commodities crisis and Japan & Europe’s predicament having sided with the US against Russia. China will likely be the beneficiary. Germany mining coal again. 30-31 Mins – Saudia Arabia importing crude oil from Russia, brokering the same crude to sell it on at a higher price. 32- 33 Mins – Idealism tempered with pragmatism is what the US and the Western nations need to resume to considering. 34 -40 Mins – Anson shares his experience in Chinese-Taipei’s domestic economy having visited the country and claims its humming. Investment areas to consider. 41-43 Mins – Disintermediation – from the shopfront store to online store. 43- 44 Mins  - One sector still not disrupted by change overtime is the banking sector, in particular commercial banking. 45 – 49 Mins – AI, 5G under Proptech and blockchain technology – giving examples of how digital online firms competing with the traditional brands. A review on real-estate and housing crisis in places like Hong Kong. 50-53 Mins – Increased scrutiny on Chinese and SAR investors on listed firms in the USA by the US Financial market. Board and shareholder requirements for SPAC’s etc…. Target companies from the funds raised cannot be invested into China either. 54 Mins - Who are the winners of the decoupling, less scrutiny and less time required, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore are four target markets for investors. 55 Mins  - Chinese regulation on foreign firms operating in Mainland China.    55-58

Anthony Chan CEO of Isola Capital a Private Investment, an Asset Management and Family Office Platform founded by a group of shareholder families from Asia and Europe shares his huge depth of knowledge and expertise on a broad range of investment related topics. If you enjoy the latest finance matters and receiving investment tips then this is an in-depth and honest look at how multi-family offices operate and which sectors, products they are currently focusing their attention on. Isola Capital was recently awarded ‘A Caring Company’ in 2022. They have just launched their Fund 7,  a co-investment together with the Hong Kong Governments Innovation and Technology Venture Fund (ITVF), a USD2 Billion fund investing in local innovation and technology and HK start-ups.    In this episode of the Value Prop I get to ask Anthony about their PE, VC, direct investments to alternative investments, private credit, digital assets products and strategies and the different push and pull factors between Singapore and HK. We discuss the merits of both and why both cities looking ahead are playing an increasingly important destination role for accessing capital markets and expertise. Anthony is a true leader in his field and its another fantastically insightful episode brought to you by PBEC. The race is on in this important and fast growing sector to serve the region’s wealthiest families and Isola already have an impressive jump on many of its competitors, in this episode you get to see why.     “Hong Kong with its international status plus the cross-border Wealth Management Connect scheme in the Greater Bay Area offers further opportunities for Isola to develop asset management and wealth management services in Hong Kong, focusing on international and local family offices and UHNW investors that seek sustainable solutions. We also believe the proximity to Mainland China and the leading capital markets of Hong Kong ensure that the venture capital eco-system will continue to grow exponentially, and we are committed to investing further to participate in this development.” Anthony Chan CEO Isola Capital.   Disclaimer: PBEC is not a financial advisor or licensed to provide investment advice. All content shared in this episode are opinion-based and in confidence that the listener is able to make up their own minds.

Miguel Aboitiz is back as our co-host for this episode of the ‘Value Prop’ with Co-Founders Gabriel Benito and Miguel Bernas of NEXPLAY™ a regional esports ecosystem and technology start-up. We hear from both founder about Nexplay’s product offering and strategy in this episode, their latest developments in creating a unique esports ecosystem for players, coaches, sponsors and gaming fans in the Asian region. They share how they manage players profiles, influence and engage with the fanbases through tailored events, to have become commercially viable and attract multiple brand sponsorship deals already. Currently they are busily raising capital, in the middle of a Series A. So if anyone listening and is interested in this area, they can get in touch with PBEC directly. It will likely close by early June.   “The Jerry Maguire school of player management for the Esports industry in Asia.” www.nexplay.gg   Gabriel Benito kicks things off talking about his baby NEXPLAY™, being seen as an Entrepreneur, CEO & Co-Founder. NEXPLAY™ is the Ultimate Gaming Technology & Esports Ecosystem for Next-Generation Gamers. Gabriel is focused on transforming and revolutionising the whole gaming ecosystem across connected touch points from entertainment, communications, content delivery, stream technology, e-commerce, media and games distribution. He has led Nexplay to be one to the top esports brand and ecosystem in SEA, amassing over 800m viewership monthly, and a total of 200m fan base in just 3 years.    We then hear from Miguel Bernas is President & Co-Founder of NEXPLAY™. Miguel is a veteran executive and business leader, with over 25 years of global media industry experience, having worked with some of the world’s best-known media brands such as television networks MTV, CNBC, Singapore’s Mediacorp, and digital media pioneer Yahoo! He has also led marketing teams in global and the Asia Pacific roles at Nokia, Singtel and PayPal.   In between our co-hosts Miguel Aboitiz and Michael Walsh ask the questions that we all want to know which results in another compelling and educational episode of the Value Prop.   PBEC is not a financial advisor or licensed to provide investment advice. All content shared in this episode are opinion-based and in confidence that the listener is able to make up their own minds.