MONEY FM 89.3 - Workday Afternoon with Claressa Monteiro

Chia Hock Lai calls himself the “Accidental President.” In 2016, he found himself leading the Singapore FinTech Association, and spent the next decade helping shape Singapore’s fintech, blockchain and digital assets ecosystem. Today, he is Co-Founder and Asia CEO of Embed Financial Group Holdings, building financial infrastructure for underserved communities across emerging Asia and Africa. On Suite Talk, Lynlee Foo sits down with the fintech pioneer to explore the person behind the role, the leadership lessons learned the hard way, the blind spots, the trade-offs, and the principle that has anchored everything he has built: before you can do good, you must first do well. Suite Talk - conversations with C-suite and senior leaders, exploring how they think, decide and operate, and the story behind the title.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Set! returns with a curated mix of weekend picks across Singapore, from dragon boat night races at Kallang Basin and rooftop nightlife at Cloudhouse, to vinyl hunting at Filmhouse's Bizarro Bazaar and family fun at K!DZ Pop Con Asia. Lynlee Foo and producer Alexandra Parada also compare which events they’d actually go for themselves; from junk journalling and farmers markets to vinyl crate digging at Golden Mile Tower.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As streaming, gaming, social media, and endless digital entertainment compete for attention, what still gets people to leave the house for an arts event? On Viewpoint, Lynlee Foo speaks with Corrie Tan, Arts Editor at independent magazine Jom, and Director of the Asian Dramaturgs’ Network, about the future of live arts experiences in Singapore. Can festivals like the Singapore International Festival of Arts offer something audiences cannot get digitally? Why do some people still feel the arts are “not for them”? And in a convenience-driven world, what makes a live performance feel worth the time, effort, and attention? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google unveils AI-powered design tools and smart glasses at I/O 2026. China’s telecom giants begin selling AI token plans like mobile data. OpenAI launches personal finance features for ChatGPT, and commits more than US$300 million to expanding applied AI in Singapore. On AI & Me - Week in AI, Lynlee Foo breaks down what these developments really mean, why AI is moving beyond chatbots into infrastructure, and the bigger questions around trust, privacy, work and who controls the systems increasingly shaping daily life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore heavily subsidises hearing aids, yet adoption rates remain surprisingly low, and many people who do get fitted eventually stop using them altogether. New research from WS Audiology points to an overlooked factor shaping hearing aid adoption, one that could redefine the future of hearing care across Asia Pacific. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks with James Benston, President of APAC at WS Audiology, about why the hearing care industry may be facing a deeper challenge than technology alone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singapore International Festival of Arts is in full swing, with stages across Singapore coming alive through performances shaped by years of human creativity and craft. But as audiences gather to experience theatre, music and art, another creative force is rapidly emerging: artificial intelligence, now capable of generating scripts, composing music and creating visuals in seconds. So when AI becomes part of the artistic process, who really is the creator? On AI & Me’s AI Dilemma, Lynlee Foo explores the growing role of AI in the arts scene, and asks where the line between human expression and machine-generated creativity begins to blur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. But a landmark new report from The Food Bank Singapore and the Institute of Policy Studies reveals a food support sector that is resourceful, quietly stretched and more fragmented than most people realise. On Viewpoint, Dr Seah Lay Hoon, Senior Research Fellow, NUS, and lead researcher behind Hunger Report III, joins Lyn Lee to unpack what the sector actually looks like from the inside. Why is storage, not funding — the single biggest operational bottleneck? Who is really using food support, and are resources reaching those who need them most? And what would it take to build a more coordinated, resilient system?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you fall for a Zoom call with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman, MAS officials and even global executives? That’s exactly what scammers used in a sophisticated AI deepfake scam that allegedly convinced one victim to transfer S$4.9 million. Using fake WhatsApp messages, AI-generated Zoom meetings and fabricated government briefings about the Strait of Hormuz, scammers created an incredibly convincing illusion involving senior Singapore officials and international figures. On AI & Me, Lynlee Foo puts AI to the test and breaks down the tell-tale signs people can look out for to spot deepfakes from unnatural lip-syncing and audio mismatches to suspicious meeting setups designed to appear legitimate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump. Xi. Beijing. The first US presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, and the world was watching. Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, former Singapore Ambassador to the United Nations and one of Asia's most influential foreign policy thinkers, joins Lynlee Foo to make sense of what actually happened. What did Xi mean by invoking the Thucydides Trap? Why is Taiwan the one issue that could trigger war between the US and China? And why does the Iran war give Beijing more leverage than Washington wants to admit? Also this week: Russia launched the largest drone and missile assault of the Ukraine war shortly after a Trump-brokered ceasefire ended. And a new Russian law that small states across the world should be watching very closely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does it feel like everyone else is ahead in life except me? From career milestones to relationships and social media highlight reels, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has life figured out while you’re struggling to keep up, but behind the achievements and curated posts are pressures, uncertainty, and personal timelines we rarely see. On Is It Just Me?, Lynlee Foo and Alexandra Parada explore why so many people feel left behind in life, the pressure of trying to “keep up,” and how social media can quietly shape the way we measure our own success. With insights from Dr Perpetua Neo, Clinical Psychologist & Leadership Coach for High Performers Globally, they unpack how comparison affects our self-worth, why progress isn’t always visible, and how to stop measuring life against everyone else’s timeline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From shopping rewards and design fairs to pet-friendly festivals and arts performances, this weekend in Singapore is packed with things to do. Highlights include ShopperLink’s fifth birthday celebrations across HDB malls, Furkids Fiesta at Clarke Quay, Hitcheed’s Wedding Wonderland at Suntec Convention Centre, the Singapore International Festival of Arts across the Civic District, and Boutiques Singapore at the F1 Pit Building. On All Set, Lynlee Foo and Alexandra Parada break down this weekend’s biggest events, hidden gems, and must-visit happenings around Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christiane Schulz is COO Asia Pacific at Edelman, the world's largest communications firm — overseeing 15 markets and thousands of staff. Before that, her entire senior career was in Germany. Then, at a stage when most leaders are settling into what they've built, she moved to Singapore and started over. In Suite Talk, she gets candid with Lynlee about what reinvention actually feels like: rebuilding a leadership team from scratch, navigating one of the world's most diverse regions, and the personal reset that comes with moving your whole life to the other side of the world. She also opens up about ambition, the pressure high-achievers put on themselves, and what a Zen master once asked her that actually stuck. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI isn't a future story anymore. This week on AI & Me, Lynlee looks at three places artificial intelligence is showing up right now, and what it actually means for you. From OpenAI's latest enterprise push to Google's Gemini on Android, and one story from a Singapore worksite that quietly says it all. Three stories. One clear message: This is what AI actually looks like when it gets to work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a conflict thousands of kilometres away shows up in your grocery bill, your Batam ferry surcharge, and your school bus fee — fossil fuel dependence runs deeper than most of us realise. Alberto Salvo, Associate Professor and Dean’s Chair in the Department of Economics at the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, has a clear message: the real risk isn't moving too fast away from fossil fuels, it's moving too slowly. On Viewpoint, Salvo shares with Lynlee why Singapore is more exposed than it thinks, and what a genuine energy transition would need to look like. From EVs and Singapore's gas-powered electricity grid, to why fuel subsidies help the wrong people, the ASEAN Power Grid, Singapore's 2027 ASEAN chairmanship, carbon tax revenue, and whether the green transition can be fair for lower-income households. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recruiters increasingly use AI to sift through CVs, identify candidates, and streamline the hiring process. But as hiring becomes more automated, are qualified job seekers being overlooked before a human even sees their application? On AI & Me, Lynlee Foo discusses the growing role of AI in recruitment, its impact on job seekers, and how candidates can adapt to an increasingly automated hiring landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is often positioned as an AI frontrunner, backed by strong government support, growing investment and widespread enthusiasm around the technology. Yet beneath the optimism, adoption remains uneven. According to Deloitte’s 2026 Singapore findings, only a third of organisations have meaningfully redesigned workflows around AI. While many companies are experimenting with new tools and use cases, far fewer have successfully embedded AI into day-to-day operations at scale. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Jeremy Heng, Chief Commercial Officer of CloudMile, about why many organisations remain stuck between experimentation and transformation, what is slowing operational adoption, and what it takes to turn AI ambition into measurable business impact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore responded swiftly to a hantavirus scare linked to an expedition cruise, and the system held. But the bigger issue isn’t a single virus. It’s how travel itself is changing. As more Singaporeans head into remote, nature-heavy environments, exposure to unfamiliar pathogens is increasing, shaped by climate shifts, ecotourism, and closer contact with wildlife. On Viewpoint, Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease specialist at Rophi Clinic, explains why outbreaks like this are being detected more often, where the real risks lie for travellers, and why behaviour may be the weakest link. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the perfect Mother’s Day actually look like? On AI & Me, Lynlee asked an AI to plan her perfect Mother's Day, and then compared it against what actually happened. Good food, a great film, a family that mostly cooperated. AI got the broad strokes right. What it couldn't factor in was everything that already made the day good before any prompt was written. A grounded, honest look at where AI genuinely helps with everyday life, and where human context still wins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Hungry." It's the word that's been all over Singapore's feeds in recent days. A recruiter said companies are replacing local workers with regional hires. Not because they're more skilled, but because they're hungrier. The reaction was immediate, loud, and personal. But what does hungry actually mean — and are we even asking the right question? On Viewpoint, Lynlee Foo sits down with Dr Paul Lim, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Senior Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources at SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business, to unpack what's really going on. Is hunger a character trait or something the system builds in you, or takes away? What does organisational behaviour research actually say about workplace motivation? And if companies keep choosing cheaper overseas hires, is that a worker problem or a management failure dressed up as one?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quote by Bill Gates puts it simply: “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world… if you do so, you are insulting yourself.” It’s a strong statement, but there’s truth in it. When we compare, we ignore our own journey - the effort, the setbacks, the growth that no one else sees. We reduce our story to a side-by-side snapshot that was never meant to be equal in the first place. On Is It Just Me?, Lynlee Foo explores why we constantly compare ourselves to others, and why it can be so difficult to stop, with insights from Sharmishtha Gupta, Counsellor and Psychotherapist at A Space Between.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reports of a possible US-Iran truce and renewed hopes of calmer passage through the Strait of Hormuz have sparked wider questions about global stability, energy security and whether the world is becoming increasingly conditioned to living with uncertainty. At the same time, attention is turning to the upcoming Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, where trade, technology, Taiwan and geopolitical tensions are all expected to feature prominently. On Viewpoint Friday, Lynlee Foo speaks to Vishnu Varathan, Managing Director and Head of Macro Research for Asia ex-Japan at Mizuho Bank, about shifting global dynamics, uncertainty in everyday life and what these developments could mean for the world ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Set! is your new weekly shortcut to what’s actually worth doing in Singapore. This week: a last-minute Mother’s Day save, the return of Fire Disco, and a curated mix of culture, community, and weekend picks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does motherhood actually change about the way you lead? For Cassandra Riene Tan — entrepreneur, Group CEO of The Well Group, and co-founder of Amber, a next-generation preschool — the answer starts with a word most people aren't using: unbecoming. In the inaugural edition of Suite Talk, host Lynlee Foo sits down with Cassandra ahead of Mother's Day to explore how stepping back from conditioned thinking shaped her leadership, why she now filters decisions by energy and not just ROI, and what drove her to bet on emotional resilience over academic performance in an age of AI. Candid, personal, and anything but the usual founder story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode of AI & Me, we explore Instagram’s new “AI Creator” labels, Meta’s push toward powerful AI assistants that can handle everyday tasks, and Apple’s plans to let users choose third-party AI models across iOS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drones aren’t new but how we think about them is changing. As the technology becomes more widespread and capable, the focus is shifting from what drones can do to how they’re managed, especially in dense cities like Singapore. On Industry Insight, Dan Hermansen, CEO of MyDefence, a defence tech firm focused on drone detection, explains why detection is becoming more complex, where the real risks are emerging, and why regulation alone isn’t enough. A conversation about what’s actually changing and what it means for organisations on the ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning on Money FM 89.3, Neil Humphries and Audrey Siek unpacked a familiar parenting dilemma: should you monitor your child’s phone? But that’s only part of the story, because beyond parental control lies a more complex reality which is that your child’s device is already being monitored. From the moment they get their first smartphone, AI systems are at work where one designed to detect harm and comply with regulations, and another built to keep them engaged for as long as possible. On AI & Me, Lynlee Foo explores this deeper tension: when does protection become surveillance and who is really in control?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore animation has reached a major milestone — with a local film selected for the main competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the first time in the festival’s 65-year history. Behind that recognition lies a more complicated reality. It took close to a decade, cross-border partnerships, and significant public funding to bring a single project to life — and even then, it may not have been possible on purely commercial terms. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks with Justin Deimen, Executive Producer of The Violinist and Executive Director at Singapore’s Intercultural Theatre Institute, to examine what it really takes to build animation at scale — from financing structures and talent constraints to the role of international co-productions and distribution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Were you a victim of ride-hailing app cancellations that left you stranded? On this episode of AI Tried It on AI & Me, Lynlee Foo puts AI to the test with a real-world task by writing a complaint letter about ride-hailing cancellations Can AI strike the right tone and actually get results or does it fall short where it matters?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The headlines have focused on shifting power in global oil markets but the deeper impact is playing out in Asia. The region imports around 60% of its crude from the Middle East, a dependency embedded in everything from refinery design to pricing structures. And in Singapore, a key refining and trading hub, the effects are especially pronounced, shaping business costs, fuel prices, and broader economic pressures. On Viewpoint, Lynlee Foo speaks to Jaime Brito, Executive Director of Refining and Oil Products at Dow Jones Energy, about Asia’s dependence on Middle Eastern crude, the challenges of switching supply, and what a more fragmented oil market could mean for the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Property has long been seen as a safe place for global capital. But with higher financing costs, tighter policies, and shifting demand, that assumption is under pressure. So where is global capital going today, and how does Singapore compare? On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Victoria Garrett, Head, Global Residential at Savills to look at where investment is flowing, how markets like Dubai, Tokyo and Sydney are competing, and whether property still holds up as a reliable store of value.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynlee Foo is joined by Producer Nazirul Asrar as they look back at the year so far on how Good Tech has spotlighted many different inventions that people all over Singapore have built. From gamified fitness routines personalised using AI, newly improved medical braces for open-heart surgery patients and even a companion app for National Servicemen — they break it down to find out how much tech has improved our community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI adoption is rising fast but turning those early successes into something that runs at scale is proving far more difficult. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Mingcheng Lim, Country Head, Singapore, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres about why many AI projects stall when they move from pilots into real-world deployment. While most organisations have already started their AI journey, far fewer have been able to scale it in a way that delivers consistent value. From infrastructure limits and rising compute demands to less visible constraints like power, cooling, and operational complexity, the conversation explores what actually gets in the way — and what it takes to move beyond experimentationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As more investors explore digital asset markets, gold is increasingly being traded in tokenised form. But what’s actually happening beneath the surface? On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Jason Tay, CEO, HashKey Technology Services, HashKey Group about who’s buying tokenised gold, how it’s being used, and what’s driving the recent surge in interest. Is this the start of broader adoption or still early days?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Office markets across Asia Pacific are tightening, with rising rents, limited new supply, and higher fit-out costs reshaping how companies think about space. According to CBRE’s Office Portfolio Optimisation: Top 10 Strategies for Occupiers report, businesses are rethinking how much space they need and what that space should deliver. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Ada Choi, Head of Research for Asia Pacific, CBRE to find out how companies are navigating these shifts; from balancing cost and talent considerations to making longer-term decisions on space in an increasingly constrained market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is often held up as a leader in digital payments. But the data show that cash hasn’t really gone away. It is still widely used, especially in everyday places like hawker centres and neighbourhood shops. On Viewpoint, Lynlee Foo speaks to Sheila Chiang, Business Correspondent, The Straits Times about why digital payments haven’t replaced cash, and whether having more ways to pay is actually making things more complicated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with World Book Day, Viewpoint takes a closer look at how reading is evolving in an age of constant information and competing attention. Lynlee Foo speaks with Warren Fernandez, Deputy Chairman, National Library Board, drawing on insights from his new book What We Read, and Why. They discuss the gap between information and understanding, how platforms shape what we read, and why reading still matters in a more complex world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As more business moves online, identity and verification are becoming critical points of failure. How do you prove who actually signed a digital agreement and whether it holds up? On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Kartik Krishnamurthy, Vice President of Docusign Asiato examine how businesses in APAC manage digital agreements, and where gaps in identity verification, documentation, and audit trails can leave them exposed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Singapore, there’s no shortage of volunteers willing to help students. The real challenge is making sure that help actually reaches those who need it, and stays consistent. On Good Tech, Lynlee Foo speaks to Anvay Mathur, Project Lead of Edukit, a volunteer-driven initiative under Better.sg. They unpack why matching students with tutors is more complex than it seems, and how many nonprofits still rely on manual processes that can take up to a week—delaying support and leaving some students waiting. Edukit aims to streamline this by improving coordination and visibility, helping organisations serve more students with the same resources.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cyber threats are not just getting more sophisticated, they’re getting harder to detect. As businesses grow more complex, attackers are finding ways to hide within normal internet activity, often long before any alarm is triggered. What does this mean for organisations in Asia Pacific, and are companies focusing on the right areas? On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Wai Kit Cheah, APAC CISO & Connected Ecosystem Leader, Lumen Technologies, a global network operator with visibility into internet traffic at scale, about how the threat landscape is shifting and why traditional approaches to cybersecurity may no longer be enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is crypto becoming a true pillar of personal finance, or still driven by sentiment? As Singapore’s “sandwich class” faces rising costs, more are turning to crypto as part of broader wealth strategies and not just speculation. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Lasanka Perera, CEO of Independent Reserve Singapore as they discuss the latest Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index to look at what is really changing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A workforce shift is starting to affect how companies perform. New research from Robert Walters points to an “engagement recession”, revealing a quieter but more dangerous shift in today’s workforce. Employees are still showing up but investing less, as pressure builds beneath the surface. If organisations are reading stability as a sign of strength, what might they be getting wrong? On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks to Kirsty Poltock, Country Manager, Robert Walters Singapore to find out how does disengagement reshape execution, decision-making, and growth over time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From patient to pioneer— a lived experience can spark life-changing innovation. Auxobrace, a vest-like rehabilitation device designed for post–open heart surgery patients, is reimagining recovery by making it safer, faster, and more comfortable. On Good Tech, Lynlee Foo speaks to Ian Siew, Inventor of Auxobrace and James Dyson Award 2023 Singapore National Winner to find out how empathy-driven design and real-world insight is shaping the future of healthcare technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.