Podcasts about Apac

APAC stocks sold off heavily with global markets rattled after the Iran war entered a second week with no signs of abating; US equity futures extended on their post-NFP declines.Oil prices surged some 30% at one point to just shy of USD 120/bbl as the continued Iran conflict forces producers to begin cutting output.Crude futures pulled back following FT reports that the G7 is to discuss a joint release of emergency oil reserves in an emergency meeting on Monday.European equity futures indicate a much lower cash market open, with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 2.1% after the cash market closed with losses of 1.1% on Friday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Industrial Production (Jan), US NY Fed SCE, Australian Westpac Consumer Confidence (Mar), & Japanese GDP Final (Q4). Speakers include ECB's Elderson & Cipollone.US clocks moved forward an hour over the weekend to Daylight Saving Time, with the London-NY time difference at 4 hours.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this episode of Talking Trek Live, DJz and the crew welcome UltraVetika for a special content creator showcase, diving into his background in streaming, his APAC-based channel, and the Star Trek fandom that helped shape both his content and his connection to Star Trek Fleet Command. From community-driven gameplay and mid-ops progression talk to the wild charm of duck races, the first part of the show is a fun and personal look at one of the game's standout creators. In the second half, the panel breaks down the latest GM Conor roadmap update, including galactic anomalies, planetary bases, Starfleet Academy content, open armadas, dreadnoughts, alliance gameplay changes, quality-of-life improvements, and more. It's a lively mix of analysis, skepticism, optimism, and classic Talking Trek chaos as the crew explores what 2026 could mean for the future of STFC.   01:06 Opening intro, roadmap tease, and UltraVetika welcome 09:15 UltraVetika introduces himself, APAC life, and stream schedule 17:05 How content creators turn community knowledge into usable gameplay tips 24:05 Fresh Ops 70 life, staying put, and avoiding extra squishiness 32:10 Mid-ops nostalgia, MaCo experience, and why old content still hits 41:34 Speeding through ops, AI building buffs, and account catch-up talk 50:01 Field training, player learning curves, and creator influence in STFC 58:22 Raids, relationships, and why the Star Trek community keeps creators connected 01:03:17 Why UltraVetika's channel works so well as both learning and hangout content 01:06:35 Duck races, channel personality, and community engagement magic 01:12:24 Mid-show reset and pivot into Ultra's Star Trek fandom 01:13:01 Growing up on TNG in Australia and recording episodes on VHS 01:14:02 Finding Fleet Command through ads and never looking back 01:32:35 Roadmap segment begins with galactic anomalies 01:33:37 Planetary bases, customization, and social-space ambitions 01:35:15 Open armadas, alliance tournaments, and social gameplay focus 01:35:56 Dreadnoughts, creator programs, and bigger Trek holiday events 01:47:30 Roadmap reactions: cautious optimism on planetary bases 01:49:05 Maverick tasks, alliance teamwork, and Connor's team-oriented vision 01:58:28 Challenge track choices and playing the game on your own terms 02:03:03 Effort vs spending, legacy officers, and why game knowledge still matters 02:05:15 Galactic anomalies compared to hazards and deeper roadmap analysis 02:48:30 Final reflections, future arc hype, Ultra shoutout, and sign-off

APAC stocks traded somewhat mixed following the risk-averse mood in the US as geopolitics continued to dominate headlines, and with participants also cautious heading into key US jobs data.US and Israel have increased airstrikes on Iran's border with Iraq as US President Trump calls on the Kurdish minority there to rise up against Iran's government, according to the Washington Post.US Secretary of War Hegseth said the US has just begun to fight in Iran and that Iran is wrong in its calculations if it thinks the US can't continue the war, while he added that the firepower used in Iran is to increase significantly.European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 1.0% after the cash market closed with losses of 1.5% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include EZ GDP 3rd Est (Q4), US NFP (Feb), Retail Sales (Jan), Speakers including ECB President Lagarde, Cipollone & Schnabel, Fed's Daly, Collins & Hammack, RBA's Hauser, Credit Review including Fitch on France, DBRS on Greece.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Retail is moving fast, and this episode breaks down five of the clearest signals shaping the high street right now.Alex and Simone Oloman, Co-Founder of Need It For Tonight, unpack Molly-Mae's International Women's Day activation, Marks & Spencer's new Putney store format, Greggs' vending machine move, the Dove x Bridgerton activation at Battersea Power Station, and EE's new Oxford Street experience store. The thread running through all of it is clear: physical retail is becoming more experiential, more community-led, and more intentional.The episode also opens with reflections from EuroShop and ITAB Group, then closes on personal shopping, colour analysis, and what confidence-led retail experiences could mean for men's fashion.00:00 Intro + EuroShop / ITAB Group opening00:01 EuroShop reflections and expo scale00:02 Alex and Simone introduction00:03 Molly-Mae pop-up for International Women's Day00:05 Marks & Spencer's new store format in Putney00:06 Greggs vending machine expansion00:07 Dove x Bridgerton at Battersea Power Station00:08 EE's Oxford Street experience store00:09 The shift from transaction to experience00:09 Men's personal shopping event recap00:10 Colour analysis and confidence in menswear00:11 Outro

APAC stocks rebounded from yesterday's sell-off as the region took impetus from the positive handover from Wall Street, where the Nasdaq led the advances on tech strength, while geopolitics remained in focus.US President Trump said they are in a very strong position, and that Iran's missiles and launchers are being wiped out, while he added that they will continue forward.Iranian Foreign Minister says Washington will regret targeting Iranian frigate in international waters, Sky News Arabia reported.China set its 2026 GDP growth target at 4.5%-5.0%, as expected (prev. ‘around 5%'), and CPI at around 2%, while it plans to issue CNY 800bln in new policy financing tools and aims to create more than 12mln urban jobs.European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.9% after the cash market closed with gains of 1.7% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include Swedish CPIF prelim. (Feb), EZ Retail Sales (Jan), US Challenger Job Cuts (Feb), US Export/Import Prices (Jan), Jobless Claims, South Korean CPI (Feb), ECB Minutes (Feb) & BoE's DMP, Speakers including ECB President Lagarde, de Guindos & Fed's Bowman, Supply from Spain, France & UK, Earnings from Marvell, Costco, Kroger, JD.com & Victoria's Secret.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this episode of Great Women in Compliance, Lisa Fine talks with Trish Ashman, Senior Director of Ethics & Compliance (AMEA & APAC) at Cushman & Wakefield, about resilience, integrity, and knowing when it's time to move on. Trish shares her journey from private practice in London to Singapore and into the Ethics and Compliance space. Trish was at Wirecard and then at Twitter, both of which had her working through two major corporate crises – the fraud at Wirecard and the ownership change at Twitter. Trish candidly shares her experiences and lessons learned from both of those roles. At Wirecard, she stayed to support employees during the collapse, focused on fairness and doing what she could to make a difference. At Twitter, after the acquisition dramatically reshaped the company and its compliance function, she considered whether she could still meaningfully influence ethical decision-making and if this role aligned with her values. This episode is an honest conversation about ethics and compliance as a calling, resilience as a muscle, and how these experiences shaped Trish and helped her become resilient and find a role where she would thrive.

APAC stocks extended on losses with markets roiled by the widening conflict in the Middle East; KOSPI saw a double-digit percentage drop and had triggered a circuit breaker with declines led by shipbuilders and shipping firms.Iran hit more than 10 tankers that ignored warnings and warns ships against transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to FARS.US President Trump said, "If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible".US President Trump announced with immediate effect that the US is to provide political risk insurance and guarantees (at a very reasonable price) for the financial security of all maritime trade, especially energy, travelling through the Gulf.European equity futures indicate a slightly lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.4% after the cash market closed with losses of 3.6% on Tuesday.Looking ahead, highlights include Swiss CPI (Feb), Global Final Composite/Services PMIs (Feb), EZ Unemployment (Jan), PPI (Jan), US ISM Services PMI (Feb), NBP Policy Announcement. Speakers include ECB's Cipollone, de Guindos & BoC's Macklem. Supply from Germany, Earnings from Broadcom, Merck & Deutsche Post.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Dan Wiliams started his entrepreneurial journey at age 10 earning money as a paperboy and local lawnmower kid.The thrill of the enterprise always meant more to him than the money. He started building and selling computers at the age of 15 and became the go-to for all technology needs for all friends and family. He eventually had his first experience running and owning a business after joining a small IT business at the age of 21. He helped grow it to over $20M in revenue and replaced himself in it and exited. He has done about 5 mergers, sales and acquisitions throughout that time and started his own advisory in 2017 to share his experiences with other business owners. These days he is a director in a software company, a fulfillment company and has his own EOS practice.In this episode, Dan shares with me his journey to exit & how it's important to elevate those around you in order to really let go!The Formal BioDan is a Certified EOS® Implementer and has more than 20 years experience in the IT industry. He is the former CEO of Australian MSP and certified Great Place to Work, Powernet.He has facilitated hundreds of sessions globally on leadership, growth, and culture. Dan is driven by his passion for helping others and lifting the tide across the IT industry. Dan is a facilitator in the IT Nation Evolve program and former peer group member.Dan spends the majority of his time pursuing his purpose of connecting people with possibilities to unlock potential. As a lifelong entrepreneur himself, Dan now works with over 25 technology service providers across the APAC region as their EOS Implementer and Coach on their journey.

US President Trump said the US continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran, while he added that Iran could have missiles capable of reaching America soon and had refused to cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons.The US is said to be preparing for a 'pickup' in attacks in Iran during the next 24 hours, according to a senior unnamed official cited by CNN.US and China trade negotiators are to meet mid-March prior to the Trump-Xi summit, with Treasury Secretary Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng expected to convene in Paris at the end of next week to discuss bilateral matters.APAC stocks were pressured with risk appetite weighed down by geopolitics as the Iranian conflict entered a fourth day, and with US President Trump warning of larger strikes to come.European equity futures indicate a negative cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 1.0% after the cash market closed with losses of 2.5% on Monday.Looking highlights include EZ Flash HICP (Feb), US RCM/TIPP (Mar), New Zealand Export/Import Prices, Australian Composite PMI Final (Feb). Speakers include Fed's Williams & Kashkari, UK Spring Statement. Supply from the Netherlands & Germany, Earnings from CrowdStrike, Best Buy, Target, AutoZone, Bayer, Adidas, & Continental.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Maria Solodilova, Head of Business Development at Yango Ads.(00:00) - Intro (01:17) - In This Episode (04:23) - Mobile Ad Mediation Business Development Explained (09:58) - AI Credibility In Ad Tech Sales (18:42) - Why Adtech is Really a Marketplace With Its Own Economics (30:30) - Programmatic Ad Auctions And Inventory Dynamics (35:22) - Building Trust in Programmatic Advertising Transparency (43:39) - The Future of Contextual Advertising (46:47) - Buy-in Tip (48:03) - Books Recommendations (51:07) - Happiness System Summary: Maria takes us on a guided tour across the adtech landscape from a bird's-eye view, describing a real-time marketplace where mobile ad mediation converts app usage into revenue through auctions that price every impression. She explains how supply-side work at Yango Ads centers on SDK integration, auction behavior, and performance tradeoffs that directly shape earnings once systems operate in production. The conversation frames adtech as a market governed by supply, demand, and incentives, which explains why performance shifts often outrun planning models and attribution frameworks. She grounds AI and transparency in observable mechanics, showing how reconciled data, clear ownership, and contextual execution support trust and durable monetization.About MariaMaria Solodilova leads global business development at Yango Ads, where she oversees revenue growth and strategic partnerships for an AI-driven mobile ad monetization platform. She manages distributed teams across the United States, China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, with consistent delivery of seven-figure quarterly revenue and sustained performance above enterprise sales targets.Her career spans more than a decade across North America, Europe, and Latin America, with senior roles in AdTech, SaaS, and LegalTech. Before joining Yango Ads, Maria led international business development at Yandex, where she launched AI-based B2B products into APAC, LATAM, and MENA markets, shortened sales cycles through stronger qualification, and increased average contract value.Earlier roles at BrandMonitor and KidZania placed her in direct collaboration with Fortune 500 brands and executive leadership teams on complex, multi-market commercial partnerships. Her work consistently centers on enterprise sales execution, partner ecosystems, and monetization strategy in competitive mobile and platform-driven markets.Mobile Ad Mediation Business Development ExplainedMobile ad mediation explains how free apps generate revenue without charging users directly. The system converts attention into income through auctions that run inside apps every time an impression becomes available. Maria frames the work in plain terms when she talks to people outside adtech. Users open familiar apps, skip payment screens, and still participate in a transaction. Attention becomes the currency, and ads become the exchange mechanism.“When you are not paying for the product, chances are you might be one. You are paying with your attention.”Mediation platforms sit at the center of that exchange. Multiple ad networks bid for each impression in real time, and the highest bid wins access to a specific user. Maria's role focuses on the supply side at Yango Ads, where her team works with mobile app developers and game studios. They integrate the SDK, tune performance, and make sure the auction behaves in ways that maximize revenue without degrading the app experience.The work demands technical fluency because developers expect concrete answers. A normal week includes discussions about factors that materially affect earnings, such as:SDK weight and its impact on app performance.Latency and how slow auctions affect fill rates.Competition density across ad networks.User experience tradeoffs that influence retention and ad tolerance.These conversations move quickly from high-level strategy to implementation details. Credibility depends on understanding how the auction behaves in production, not how it sounds in a pitch.The revenue dynamics often surprise people. Large payouts do not always come from enterprise publishers with recognizable logos. Maria has seen individual developers build a single game, monetize through ads, and generate seven-figure income. These outcomes come from timing, execution, and exposure to competitive bidding, rather than procurement cycles or brand recognition. That possibility keeps many operators engaged in the space, even as the vocabulary around ads grows tired and recycled.Business development in mediation operates as a bridge between market mechanics and human outcomes. The role connects developers who want predictable income with systems that price attention at scale. Clear explanations, technical competence, and realistic expectations shape long-term partnerships more than lofty promises ever could.Key takeaway: Mobile ad mediation monetizes attention through real-time auctions between ad networks. If you work with apps or monetization platforms, learn how bidding dynamics, SDK choices, and latency affect revenue in production. That understanding helps you evaluate partners faster, ask better technical questions, and make monetization decisions that hold up after launch.AI Credibility In Ad Tech SalesAI credibility in programmatic advertising depends on how clearly people describe what the systems actually do. Many sales and marketing conversations drift into abstraction because AI gets framed as something mystical or unknowable. Maria grounds the discussion in operational reality. Machine learning already drives decisions across ad tech, including bidding, ranking, fraud detection, and optimization. Those systems learn from patterns in data and apply them repeatedly at scale, which makes them useful in everyday workflows rather than theoretical debates.Maria's confidence comes from repetition and exposure across roles. Before working at Yango Ads, she spent years explaining machine learning in brand protection environments where trust mattered. Clients wanted to know how models learned, where signals came from, and why outputs behaved the way they did. That experience shaped how she talks about AI today. Credibility grows when explanations stay concrete and connected to observable behavior.“You can build transparency around where the artificial intelligence pulls information from, how it learns patterns, and how it supports the work of an everyday marketer.”That same philosophy shapes how Maria coaches her business development team. Everyone is expected to understand a shared vocabulary that shows practical fluency. The goal is not academic depth. The goal is conversational confidence around the mechanics that influence outcomes:Precision and recall explain how models balance accuracy and coverage.Gradient boosting explains how multiple weak signals combine into stronger predictions.Feedback loops explain how systems improve over time based on results.Programmatic advertising gives those concepts a clear home. Programmatic systems coordinate monetization at a scale that direct sales teams cannot match. Large platforms with massive audiences can sell inventory directly. Smaller developers ship many apps and need automated ways to monetize each one without maintaining advertiser relationships. AI-driven auctions price impressions, select creatives, and allocate demand across millions of opportunities every second. That coordination happens continuously and quietly, which makes it easy to underestimate.Maria pays closest attention to AI applications that operate below the hype line...

US and Israel launched a large-scale joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, 28th February; Iranian state television officially confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran launched immediate retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel, and multiple US military installations across the Gulf and multiple Gulf states, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.Iran's IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to international navigation until further notice; IRGC also announced on Sunday that they hit 3 US and UK oil tankers with missiles in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.US President Trump suggested that the fighting with Iran could go on for four weeks; US Secretary of War Hegseth is to hold a press conference at 08:00EST/13:00GMT.Crude futures surged at the reopen but retreated from best levels, spot gold rallied on a haven bid but then mildly pulled back. APAC stocks were mostly pressured, while European equity futures indicate a drop at the cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 1.5%.Russia is said to consider a halt in peace talks unless Ukraine cedes land. Talks planned for the week ahead will be decisive on whether or not the sides can agree on terms to end the war.Looking ahead, highlights include German Retail Sales (Jan), EZ/UK/US Final Manufacturing PMIs (Feb), US ISM Manufacturing PMI (Feb), Japanese Unemployment Rate (Jan), Speakers including BoE's Taylor & Ramsden, BoC's Kozicki & Macklem, Earnings from Riot Platforms, Norwegian Cruise Line & ASM International.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet speaks with Brent Conkle (President and CEO) and Dan Ring of Global Leadership Solutions about the high cost of leadership mishires, especially their impact on morale, engagement, and turnover. They discuss Japan's tight talent market and introduce their Second Opinion Service (SOS), which uses the Garuda AS suite of assessments to measure universal leadership competencies, stress sensitivity, and role fit with reliable, evidence-based results that can be customized to company and local culture. The conversation covers common hiring biases (prestige, likability, referrals), the value of data to align local and HQ decisions, and how the same methodology can support selection for management programs, succession planning, and onboarding through transition coaching. They also discuss AI's role in hiring and share advice on making better critical hires.The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary GuideIn this episode you will hear:The underestimated impact of leadership on team morale and engagementThe critical role of the Second Opinion Service in improving recruitment outcomesStrategies for successful onboarding and reducing turnoverThe relevance of stress sensitivity in high-pressure work environments like JapanThe future of strategic HR and how AI could reshape candidate assessmentAbout Brent:Brent Conkle is the President and CEO of Global Leadership Solutions Co., Ltd., bringing over 25 years of global experience in HR leadership, consulting, talent acquisition, and executive coaching across North America, Europe, and Asia. A certified HR professional and executive, leadership, and career coach, Brent is known for helping leaders cut through complexity, lead transformational change, and elevate performance with a strong focus on measurable ROI and long-term impact.Throughout his career, Brent has supported startups, corporate turnarounds, and major APAC transformation initiatives, consistently driving sustainable growth by enhancing employee engagement, retention, and organizational performance. His approach centers on developing stronger leaders and building highly engaged, high-performing workplaces.In addition to his role as CEO, Brent has served as a Regional Global Employment Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, where he supported foreign service officers and eligible family members with career strategy and professional development across international postings. He also works as a Transition & Executive Coach with Randstad RiseSmart, guiding professionals through strategic career transitions both within and beyond their organizations.Brent is the co-author of The Practical Leader: A Guide to Creating Highly-Engaged and High-Performing Organizations, offering practical tools and insights for workforce development. His mission is to coach global leaders to achieve outstanding results in their careers while creating organizations that are exceptional places to work.About Dan:Daniel Ring is an experienced Human Resources professional with over 12 years of expertise across Europe and Asia. He has a strong background in strategic HR initiatives, particularly in change management and talent development, and is passionate about leveraging technology to improve workplace practices and enhance employee experiences.In his role as a consultant with Global Leadership Solutions, Daniel works closely with organizations to support leadership development and address challenges such as organizational change and employee engagement. He focuses on equipping leaders with the tools and strategies needed to align people practices with business objectives.Daniel's career has included roles such as Senior HR Business Partner at Broadridge Financial Solutions and Head of HR at NatWest Markets Japan. In these positions, he helped implement global career frameworks, redesign leadership structures, and streamline HR operations. His regional experience has given him a broad understanding what it takes to deliver for diverse, international organizations.Daniel is committed to helping organizations and their leaders develop effective strategies for building strong teams and achieving sustainable success in today's evolving business landscape.Connect with Brent:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentconkle/Global Leadership Solutions: https://getglsjapan.com/Connect with Dan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpring/Connect with David Sweet:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejpFacebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.“Doin' the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Industry leaders from Auros, GSR, and Selini take the stage Consensus Hong Kong to dismantle the "evil" market maker narrative and explain their role as a defense against catastrophic volatility. Leaders from market makers took the stage at Consensus Hong Kong to dismantle the "evil" market maker narrative that dominates social media. In this candid panel, Auros Chief Commercial Officer, Jason Atkins, GSR's Managing Director and Head of APAC and EMEA Sales, Chuan Jin, and Selini's CEO and Founder, Jordi Alexander, explain why market makers are the primary defense against catastrophic volatility rather than the cause of it.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half the world's population - at 60% - with approximately 4.75 billion people. In recent years, India and Vietnam, to name just two, have enacted comprehensive data protection laws. Near the end of 2025, India finalized its highly anticipated regulations for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and Vietnam's Personal Data Protection Law became effective on the first of January this year.    Hogan Lovells Partner Charmian Aw has long practiced in the region, specializing in APAC data protection, privacy, AI governance and cybersecurity law and offers developments of the region in the IAPP's Asia-Pacific Dashboard Digest. She also joined the IAPP Publications Advisory Board this year. While attending the UK Data Protection Intensive in London, IAPP Editorial Director Jedidiah Bracy sat down with Charmian Aw to discuss the latest developments in the region, specifically regarding India and Vietnam. Here's what she had to say. 

APAC stocks were ultimately higher heading into month-end but with price action choppy following the weak handover from the US, where sentiment was clouded by tech weakness, while participants also digested the recent US-Iran talks in Geneva - which ended in no deal.Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said they entered serious talks about sanctions relief and the nuclear issue, while he added it was one of the most serious talks they have had with the US, and technical talks will start in Vienna from Monday.Ukrainian President Zelensky said the next trilateral talks will likely occur in the UAE in early March.PBoC announced it will cut the FX Risk Reserve Ratio for forward FX sales to 0% from 20%, effective March 2nd to promote FX market development and support corporate exchange rate risk management.European equity futures indicate an uneventful cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures flat after the cash market closed with losses of 0.2% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Import Prices (Jan), French/Spanish/German CPI (Feb), German Unemployment Rate (Feb), Canadian GDP (Jan), US PPI (Jan), Comments from BoE's Pill, Earnings from Holcim & BASF.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Brian Keenan leads international strategy and AI consultancy for WE Communications, a ~$200M integrated marketing firm. Brian counsels senior leaders from companies such as Adobe, HEINEKEN and Amazon to succeed in an AI-enabled future. Latest interest areas including AI search, agentic commerce, synthetic audiences, and autonomous workflows. He is a regular presenter at industry conferences such as ICCO, PRCA, WARC, and Mumbrella across EMEA & APAC. He brings a global and grounded mindset to his work from living in four countries and raising three children.

Live from EuroShop in Germany on the ITAB stand, Alex is joined by co-host Simone for 5 Things Friday — unpacking the week's most culturally relevant retail + brand moves.In this episode:Lidl's London Fashion Week moment: a mini shopping-trolley handbag collab that stops people in their tracksGreggs enters wellness: a Pilates pop-up for the “sausage roll generation” to launch its new “matches”eBay buys Depop (reported £1.2B): a play for Gen Z, discovery-led resale, and the “shopper of tomorrow”This is the real shift: cultural relevance is moving from luxury to mass brands the everyday places people actually live.#Retail #Marketing #BrandStrategy #EuroShop #Lidl #Greggs #Depop #eBay #FashionMarketing #GenZ

APAC stocks are mostly positive as the majority of the region took its cue from gains on Wall Street, where tech led the advances, and NVIDIA posted stronger-than-expected earnings.US equity futures initially saw support following NVIDIA's earnings results, as the world's most valuable company beat on top and bottom lines, although gains were pared as NVIDIA ultimately returned to flat territory after hours.BoJ's Governor Ueda said there is no change from January to the BoJ's projected timing for hitting its price target, and inflation is expected to re-accelerate from the current slowdown.US VP Vance said they see evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon; US Secretary of State Rubio said Iran poses a grave threat and seeks nuclear capability.European equity futures indicate a slightly lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.2% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.9% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include EZ Consumer Confidence Final (Feb), US Jobless Claims, Japanese Tokyo CPI (Feb), Retail Sales (Jan). Speakers include ECB's Lagarde, BoE's Lombardelli & Fed's Bowman. Supply from Italy & US. Earnings from CoreWeave, Intuit, Vistra Energy, Autodesk, Dell, Baidu, Warner Bros Discovery, Munich Re, Schneider Electric, AXA, Engie & Saint-Gobain.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this era of "permacrisis" and constant disruption, adaptability and resilience are vital traits that require collaboration and an increasing focus on human-centric skills. That's the messaging to come out of the 2025 Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI), an annual report that highlights the latest talent trends and offers insights into the current global talent landscape.For this episode of “The INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, analyses the results and implications of the 11th edition of the GTCI through an APAC lens alongside two of its authors: L. Felipe Monteiro, Academic Director of the GTCI and Senior Affiliate Professor of Strategy, and Paul Evans, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour.   Perhaps the most notable theme from the 2025 report is the shifting value of human capabilities, where soft human-centric skills are becoming just as vital as hard digital or technical skills. As AI handles increasingly complex technical tasks, Monteiro and Evans suggest that "generalist adaptive skills" – including leadership, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship – will increasingly take centre stage.Reflecting on the high ranking of certain countries such as Singapore, Switzerland and the Nordic nations, Evans points to the strength of their integrated ecosystems, where government, business, educational institutions and labour organisations work together to solve problems using a forward-looking approach. He warns that without this deep ecosystem collaboration and a long-term vision, even technologically advanced nations may struggle to implement the systemic changes required to thrive in today's disrupted global economy.That potential danger is highlighted in a concerning trend identified in the report, where several upper-middle-income countries, such as Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico, appear to have reached a "talent plateau" or “trap". Despite making good headway in the earlier stages of their development, these countries have seen their progress stall as they find themselves squeezed between high-innovating top-tier countries and lower-income countries with cost advantages.   Levels of optimism for the future were mixed among the three speakers.However, they agreed that greater collaboration, an increased emphasis on lifelong education and the ability of individuals to learn and adjust on the job will be vital if countries and companies hope to successfully navigate the uncertain waters of the next five years – and beyond.  

APAC stocks traded higher as the region took impetus from the rebound on Wall Street after Anthropic's presentation helped soothe some AI/software concerns, and with tech also bolstered by the USD 60bln Meta-AMD chip deal; Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.2% after the cash market closed flat on Tuesday.US President Trump talked up the economy in his State of the Union Address, saying that the nation is back, bigger, better and stronger than before, while he added that we've seen nothing yet.Regarding tariffs, Trump said the Supreme Court decision on tariffs is very unfortunate but added that tariffs will remain in place and nearly all countries want to keep the trade deals.Trump also commented on Iran, which he claimed is working on missiles that could soon reach the US, and noted Iran wants to make a deal but hasn't yet said that it won't pursue nuclear weapons.Antipodeans were firmer amid the positive risk appetite, and with AUD/USD leading the advances following firmer-than-expected monthly CPI data from Australia.Looking ahead, highlights include German GfK (Mar), GDP Final (Q4), Swiss Sentiment (Feb), EZ HICP Final (Jan). Speakers include RBA's Bullock, Fed's Musalem, Barkin & Schmid. Supply from Germany & US. Earnings from NVIDIA, Salesforce, Snowflake, TJX Companies, Lowe's, Synopsys & Bayer.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Solana's Lu Yin discusses the shift to Internet Capital Markets and how the network is scaling to bridge global finance with the APAC region. Solana Foundation's Head of APAC, Lu Yin, joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to break down why Solana is the emerging infrastructure for global finance. In this interview, Yin explores the transition toward Internet Capital Markets, where global assets and payments settle natively on-chain. From navigating Asia's complex regulatory landscape to scaling for 3,000+ builders, discover how Solana is bridging the gap between Wall Street and the APAC region. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Stellar's Raja Chakravorti and Marketnode's Rehan Ahmed discuss how APAC's massive wealth and regulatory tailwinds are driving the commercialization of onchain assets. Raja Chakravorti, Chief Business Officer at Stellar Development Foundation, and Rehan Ahmed, CEO of Marketnode, joined CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to discuss the shift from blockchain experimentation to full-scale commercialization in the Asia-Pacific region. With 7 million millionaires projected in the region by 2030 and $10 trillion in assets managed between Singapore and Hong Kong, the duo outlines how APAC is outperforming the West in the race for onchain settlement. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

APAC mostly firmer as China returned, somewhat shrugging off the weak Wall St. finish on AI disruption concerns.DXY marginally firmer, EUR/USD directionless, while USD/JPY edged higher and above 155.00.USTs pulled back from Monday's best, Bunds remained near highs, while JGBs saw choppy action after the long weekend.Crude remained tentative amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, XAU faded while copper rallied as China returned.Looking ahead, highlights include US ADP Weekly, House Prices (Dec), Consumer Confidence (Feb), Dallas/Richmond Fed (Feb), Atlanta Fed GDP, NBH Policy Announcement, Speakers including ECB's Lagarde, BoE's Bailey, Lombardelli, Greene, Taylor & Pill, Fed's Goolsbee, Collins, Bostic, Waller, Cook & Barkin, Supply from UK, Italy & US, Earnings from Home Depot & Keurig Dr Pepper.Click for the Newsquawk Week Ahead.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

APAC stocks were mixed amid trade uncertainty as the region digested the latest tariff developments after the US Supreme Court ruled against IEEPA tariffs on Friday, prompting President Trump to impose a global 10% flat-rate tariff, which he later raised to 15% over the weekend.US officials said that tariff deal partners should honour their agreements, while USTR Greer said he sought to separate the tariff agreements from the 15% global tariff that US President Trump announced.European Parliament's trade chief is to propose freezing the ratification of the EU's trade agreement with the US until they receive details from the Trump administration regarding its trade policy.Goldman Sachs analysts indicate that most Asian economies will experience slightly lower US tariffs after the Supreme Court ruling on IEEPA tariffs, with China expected to see the largest decline.US President Trump reportedly considers a targeted strike on Iran, followed by a larger attack and is open to deposing the Supreme Leader by force if Iran is stubborn, according to the NYT.Looking ahead, highlights include German Ifo (Feb), Chicago Fed National Activity Index (Dec/Jan). Speakers include BoE's Taylor & Fed's Waller. Supply from the EU, Earnings from Hims & Hers.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

APAC stocks followed suit to the predominantly negative mood on Wall Street, where risk appetite was subdued amid private credit fund concerns and geopolitical risks.Hang Seng retreated on return from the Lunar New Year holidays, with the big tech names leading the declines in the index, while mainland markets and the Stock Connect remained shut and won't open until next Tuesday.USD/JPY lingered near the prior day's best levels north of 155.00, with some mild support seen as the cooling of Japanese inflation essentially provides the BoJ additional policy space.US President Trump said 15 days is the maximum deadline to reach an agreement with Iran; otherwise, it will be very unfortunate for them, according to Al Jazeera; US President Trump reportedly weighs a limited strike to force Iran into a nuclear deal, WSJ reported.European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.5% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.7% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include ECB EZ Indicator of Negotiated Wages; UK Retail Sales (Jan), PSNB (Jan), German PPI (Jan), Global Flash PMIs (Feb), Canadian Retail Sales (Jan), US PCE/GDP (Dec/Q4). Speakers include Fed's Logan & Bostic, Earnings from Anglo American.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

APAC stocks traded higher following the positive handover from the US and with South Korea outperforming amid tech strength on return from the Lunar New Year holidays.FOMC's January meeting minutes showed a broad agreement to hold rates, but views diverged on the path ahead.US senior official told Axios that the round of talks with Iran in Geneva was "a hamburger stuffed with nothing" and is one of the reasons why Trump is close to making a decision on the issue of going to war with Iran, according to Axios's Ravid.US senior official stated that all US forces involved in the Middle East build-up should be in place by mid-March and that Secretary of State Rubio will travel to Israel to meet Israeli PM Netanyahu to discuss Iran on the weekend of February 28th.US President Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks on the economy at 16:00 EST/21:00 GMT on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include US Trade Balance (Dec), Weekly/Continuing Claims, Philadelphia Fed (Feb), Pending Home Sales (Jan), EZ Flash Consumer Confidence (Feb), New Zealand Trade Balance (Jan), Australian Flash PMIs (Feb), Japanese CPI (Jan). Speakers include ECB's Cipollone, ECB's de Guindos, Fed's Bostic, Kashkari, Goolsbee & Bowman. Supply from Spain, France & US. Earnings from Walmart, Deere, Wayfair, Klarna, Opendoor, Newmont Mining, Southern & Constellation Energy.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Today's MadTech Daily covers Perplexity stopping ads to protect AI trust, Havas posting APAC gains in a ‘transformative' year, and Nvidia landing a multibillion-dollar deal with Meta.

In the first Human Capital Insight episode of On Aon, Jason Trull and Aon talent and rewards leaders unpack how organizations can turn rapid workforce change into a performance advantage across technology, life sciences and financial services. Drawing on Aon data and current market signals, the group explores what's shifting fastest: accelerating AI adoption and governance needs, skills evolving beyond traditional role-based models and rising expectations for personalization, flexibility and career pathways.Key Takeaways:   AI is reshaping skills demand and pushing new governance and reskilling priorities across industries.Skills are evolving faster than traditional talent models. Routine and transactional tasks are declining as higher-value analytical and digital skills rise.Employee expectations continue to evolve, increasing the importance of personalization, flexibility and clear career pathways.Experts in this episode:   Jason Trull — Global Head of Talent Data Solutions, AonChris Tanana — US HCS Rewards Solutions Partner, North America, AonTanaz Moazami — US HCS Rewards Solutions Partner, North America, AonEphraim Edelman — Head of Talent Data Solutions, North America, AonRahul Chawla — Advisory Best Practices, APAC, AonKey moments:   (1:05) The global labor market is in a state of flux. Employee turnover, shifts in hiring trends, the spread of AI and healthcare costs are all piling the pressure on people leaders, and each industry is moving through really its own version of disruption.(5:00) We believe that about 96% of life sciences firms plan to invest in reskilling to stay competitive.(6:00) The tech sector, maybe more than any other, is facing a fundamental shift of the skills that companies need as AI adoption accelerates.(14:15) Today's employee value proposition requires companies to refocus and consider various elements, including skills, pathways and growth. Soundbites:     Jason Trull:“Demand for professionals with AI skills is only going to increase, making it all the more necessary for leaders to seek out reskilling opportunities for their teams.” Chris Tanana:“It's a difficult balance staying cost efficient without undermining the ability to attract and retain critical talent.”Tanaz Moazami:“Firms are navigating multi-generational needs, evolving expectations on well-being and ongoing reinvestment in employee value proposition to keep pace.”Ephraim Edelman:“Companies are rebuilding a very different kind of talent model. We're seeing a shift towards a more skilled, more specialized and more globally distributed workforce.”Rahul Chawla:“Our clients are focused on delivering personalized benefits and communicating that value through non-traditional methods.”

幻冬舎の暗号資産（仮想通貨）/ブロックチェーンなどWeb3領域の専門メディア「あたらしい経済 https://www.neweconomy.jp/ 」がおくる、Podcast番組です。 ーーーーー 【番組スポンサー】 この番組は、暗号資産取引におけるフルラインナップサービスを提供する「SBI VCトレード」のスポンサーでお届けします。 ーーーーー SBI VCトレードは、「暗号資産もSBI」のスローガンのもと、国内最大級のインターネット総合金融グループであるSBIグループの総合力を生かし、暗号資産取引におけるフルラインナップサービスを提供しております。暗号資産交換業者・第一種金融商品取引業者・電子決済手段等取引業者として高いセキュリティ体制のもと、暗号資産の売買にとどまらない暗号資産運用サービスや法人向けサービスの展開、さらにステーブルコインのユーエスディーシー（USDC）を国内で初めて取り扱っております。 ーーーーー SBI VCトレード公式サイト：https://account.sbivc.co.jp/signup?hc_ak=1RNML.3.M06AS ーーーーー 【紹介したニュース】 ・OpenAIとパラダイム、AIエージェントのスマコン脆弱性対応能力を測る「EVMbench」公開 ・コインベース開発のL2「Base」、OPスタックから独自の統合スタックへ移行 ・米国初、「スイ（SUI）」ステーキング現物ETFが2本上場。カナリーとグレースケールが組成 ・ブラックロック、ステーキング対応「イーサリアム（ETH）」現物ETFの修正申請 ・ナイジェリアと南アで「ステーブルコイン需要」が急伸、決済利用拡大求める声も＝調査 ・TORICOが約1億円でイーサリアム追加購入、総取得数1,787ETH超に ・KLab、2億円でビットコインとゴールドを追加購入 ・カナダの金ロイヤルティ企業Elemental Royalty、配当を「テザーゴールド（XAUT）」で提供へ ・トン財団がOSL傘下バンザと提携、APACでステーブルコイン決済インフラ提供へ ・ヴィタリック、イーサリアムの「中立性」と「パーミッションレス」の意味を説明。思想的議論を背景に ・レジャーやトレザー利用者に郵送型フィッシング、物理的手紙で偽更新を装う手口 ・世界最大イーサリアムDAT「BitMine」のトム・リー、2/25正午に緊急来日公演 【あたらしい経済関連リンク】 ニュースの詳細や、アーカイブやその他の記事はこちらから https://www.neweconomy.jp/

APAC stocks traded higher in continued thin conditions as many regional bourses remained closed for holidays.RBNZ kept the OCR at 2.25%, as expected, and the central bank refrained from any hawkish surprises; NZD heavily underperforms.US VP Vance said in some ways Iran talks went well, while he added that Iranians are not yet willing to acknowledge some of President Trump's red lines.US Special Envoy Witkoff said the US facilitated the trilateral meeting between Ukraine and Russia, while he added that Ukraine and Russia agreed to update leaders and pursue an agreement.European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.2% after the cash market finished with gains of 0.7% on Tuesday.Looking ahead, highlights include UK CPI (Jan), US Durable Goods, Industrial Production (Jan), Housing Starts (Nov/Dec), Atlanta Fed GDP, FOMC Minutes (Jan), US-Ukraine-Russia talks to take place (17-18 Feb). Speakers include ECB's Cipollone, Schnabel & Fed's Bowman. Supply from Germany & US. Earnings from Analog, Carvana, DoorDash, Booking Holdings, Moody's, Garmin, Glencore & Orange.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Leaders don't need to be Hollywood-style hype machines to motivate people. In modern workplaces—especially in bilingual environments like Japan—effective motivation is more personal: diagnose what's really blocking performance, then respond with education, training, coaching, clarity, or genuine intrinsic motivation. Do I need to be a charismatic leader to motivate my team? No—charisma is optional; precision is essential. The myth of the rousing locker-room speech doesn't translate well to most modern organisations, especially across languages and cultures. In Japan-based teams where English and Japanese are both in play, persuasion often depends less on "big speeches" and more on consistent one-to-one conversations. In 2025-style hybrid work, people don't experience motivation as a group event; they experience it in the moments where their boss notices what's stuck, removes friction, and helps them win. Think of leadership more like a coach in elite sport: individual feedback, role clarity, and targeted support—not constant emotional theatre. Do now: Replace "pep talk leadership" with "diagnostic leadership": meet people individually, ask what's blocking them, then match the fix to the real issue.  When someone underperforms, is it always a motivation problem? Often it isn't motivation at all—it's confusion, missing skills, or low confidence. Leaders sometimes label non-performance as "they don't care," when the person actually doesn't know what to do, doesn't know how to do it, or doesn't believe they can do it. In fast-moving environments—post-pandemic, AI-accelerated work, constant tools and notifications—people can fall behind silently. The key is to stop guessing. Treat performance gaps like a troubleshooting process: identify whether the barrier is knowledge, skill, belief, clarity, or willingness. Only the last one is truly a motivation issue; the rest are leadership system issues. Do now: Before you "motivate," run a five-part check: Know what? Know how? Believe I can? Know why? Want to? What if my team member says, "I don't know what to do"? That's a knowledge gap—solve it with education and better onboarding. Many organisations do a perfunctory onboarding, then dump people into "figure it out" mode with thin on-the-job training. In a high-pressure Japan HQ or APAC regional role, that can create quiet failure: people look busy, but don't actually know what "good" looks like. Fixing this isn't about speeches—it's about auditing what they're missing. Map the role: key responsibilities, expected outputs, who approves what, which systems matter, and what "done" means. Then schedule consistent boss time to close those gaps. Do now: Do a simple onboarding audit: list the top 10 things they must know, then verify what they truly understand—don't assume.  What if they say, "I don't know how to do it"? That's a skills/process gap—solve it with training and clear steps. Even experienced hires struggle when your company's systems, compliance rules, customer expectations, and internal decision-making rhythms are different. In multinationals, the gap can be brutal: global standards plus local realities, especially in Japan where stakeholder alignment and risk sensitivity can slow execution. The leadership move here is to break the work into steps and teach the method. Training isn't a one-off event—it's guided repetition until the person can execute unassisted. If you want speed later, you invest time now. Do now: Write the "steps to succeed" as a checklist for the task, walk through it once together, then watch them do it and coach the gaps.  What if they say, "I don't believe I can"? That's a confidence gap—solve it with coaching and capability proof. Organisations change: mergers, restructures, new tech stacks, shifting customer demands. A person who was winning in 2019 may feel out of their depth now. When results drop, self-belief drops—and then performance drops further. Coaching means helping them rebuild belief through small wins: tighten the goal, shorten the feedback cycle, and show evidence of progress. Confidence is not "positive thinking"; it's earned through repeated success with support. Leaders who ignore this tend to get blame, fear, and avoidance. Do now: Create a 30-day confidence plan: one measurable goal, weekly check-ins, and a visible record of wins (even small ones).  What if they say, "I don't know why we're doing this"? That's a purpose/clarity gap—solve it by making the "why" explicit and local. Executives often assume the "why" is obvious, but it frequently doesn't travel past middle management. In 2024–2026 workplaces, employees want context: how does this task connect to customers, risk, revenue, brand trust, or team success? Your job isn't to deliver a slogan—it's to co-create meaning. Explain what changes if this doesn't get done. Show the trade-offs. Link the task to real-world outcomes: customer churn, quality failures, compliance exposure, lost market share, slower cycle times. Then repeat it. Clarity fades quickly in busy environments. Do now: In your next team conversation, answer: "What happens if we don't do this?" and "Who benefits if we do?"  What if they say, "I don't want to"? That's the true motivation issue—solve it by uncovering intrinsic drivers, not by assuming money or promotion.Many leaders default to "pay rises" or "career ladder" logic, but not everyone wants to be the boss. Some people value mastery, autonomy, stability, recognition, flexibility, or contribution more than title. Instead of projecting your motives onto them, ask questions until you understand what they genuinely want from work and life. Then design the work—where possible—to meet those drivers. Your role is to create an environment where people motivate themselves, because forced motivation is fragile and usually short-lived. Do now: Have a 1:1 built around three questions: "What do you want more of?", "What drains you?", and "What would make this role a win this year?"  Conclusion Motivating a team isn't about volume; it's about accuracy. Most performance issues aren't solved by "inspiration"—they're solved by education, training, coaching, clarity, and then (only then) true intrinsic motivation. The common thread is boss time: consistent attention to individuals. If leaders don't allocate time to understand and support people, they'll waste even more time dealing with avoidable underperformance later. 

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Sophie Cheng, the Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch. They discuss the most common communication pitfalls and share a handful of remedies so you can start sending smarter messages. You'll walk away with tangible tips on how to: ✔️ switch from omnichannel to optimal channel✔️ leverage AI to fix your no-show problem✔️ build patient trust through advanced messagingIn this episode, they talk about:What Sinch does and how it uses AI to simplify and personalize communication for customersHow AI-driven communication is being applied in healthcare and what leaders need to understandWhy better communication leads to faster interactions, improved patient experiences, and higher conversion ratesHow omnichannel communication strategies streamline workflows for healthcare organizationsHow Sinch helps organizations identify the right channels and interfaces for their patient populationsWhat it means to operate at the speed of trust, and why transparency mattersHow AI can make patient interactions feel more empathetic and humanWhy organizations should never underestimate the impact of their communication strategyA Little About Sophie:Sophie Cheng is the Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch, the global leader in CPaaS and the company behind the Customer Communications Cloud. With more than 15 years of international marketing experience, Sophie has held strategic roles across Europe, Asia, and North America, partnering closely with Product, Growth, and M&A leaders to manage complex, global portfolios. At Sinch, she leads global product marketing, partner marketing, and analyst relations, helping organizations deliver seamless, trusted communication experiences across messaging, voice, and email.Before Sinch, Sophie served as VP of Global Product and Customer Marketing at ZoomInfo and led Product Marketing at Chorus.ai. A true global citizen, she has worked extensively across EMEA, APAC, and the U.S. Sophie holds advanced degrees from the University of St. Gallen and Singapore University and is an active member of the CMO Alliance.

Today's podcast is the fourth in our four part series in partnership with Enfinity Global.Enfinity is one of Europe's leading IPPs and the winner of inspiratia's 2025 Developer of the Year and Financial Structure of the Year awards. In our series together, we explore the challenges, opportunities, and key decisions that European developers are faced with today and take a deep dive into understanding Enfinity's approach to navigating - and shaping - the continent's energy future.  In this episode, Maya is joined by Enfinity's European leadership team, including Julio Fournier, CEO Europe, and Alessandro Ceschiat, General Manager for Italy, to unpack how the company has rapidly evolved from a “quiet” renewables player into a global IPP and partner of choice. They discuss what it means to build a 35 GW+ pipeline across multiple markets, how lessons from Latin America and APAC are being applied in Europe, and why Enfinity Global believes trust, repeat partnerships, and local community engagement are central to long‑term value creation.This episode is hosted by Maya Chavvakula, Head of News at inspiratia.    This episode edited by Leonard Müller, Reporter at inspiratia.  This episode is sponsored by Enfinity Global.Reach out to us at: podcasts@inspiratia.comFind all of our latest news and analysis by subscribing to inspiratia For tickets to our events email conferences@inspiratia.com or buy them directly on our website. Listen to all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other providers. Music credit: NDA/Show You instrumental/Tribe of Noise©2025 inspiratia. All rights reserved.This content is protected by copyright. Please respect the author's rights and do not copy or reproduce it without permission.

APAC stocks traded mixed amid the extremely thinned conditions due to the Lunar New Year holiday and in the absence of a lead from the US, where markets were closed for Washington's Birthday/Presidents Day.Nikkei 225 retreated shortly after the open with SoftBank and heavy industry stocks leading the declines, as the post-election euphoria petered out following the recent underwhelming GDP data. USD/JPY pulled back with pressure seen as risk sentiment in Japan deteriorated shortly after the open.US President Trump said he will be involved in the Iran talks indirectly and that Iran wants to make a deal, while he also stated that Iran "are bad negotiators" and he hopes they will be more reasonable in talks.European equity futures indicate a subdued cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.3% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.1% on Monday.Looking ahead, highlights include UK Unemployment/Wages (Dec), German/EZ ZEW (Feb), US ADP Weekly, NY Fed (Feb), Canadian CPI (Jan), Japanese Balance of Trade (Jan), US-Iran talks, US-Ukraine-Russia talks (Feb. 17th-18th). Speakers include Fed's Barr & Daly, Supply from Germany. Earnings from Medtronic, Leidos, Palo Alto, Cadence Design Systems, Republic Services, Vulcan Materials, Kenvue, Antofagasta. Holiday: Chinese Spring Festival Golden Week (17-24 Feb).Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

In this episode of The Venture Capital Podcast (VC.fm), hosts Peter Harris and Jon Bradshaw talk with Wally Wang, Founding Managing Partner at Scale Asia Ventures and a Business Insider Seed 100 (2025) investor, about identifying AI winners early — and scaling them across the U.S. and Asia (Japan, Korea, APAC).Wally brings a unique mix of experience as a machine learning scientist (NYU / CMU / Microsoft), a former operator (YC-backed Pebble, acquired by Fitbit), and an enterprise founder who helped grow DataVisor (raised $150M+). Today, he backs AI infrastructure, enterprise AI agents, cybersecurity, developer tools, and robotics, with a strong cross-border thesis that helps founders expand globally and access strategic distribution partners in Asia.We discuss:How to evaluate “real” AI founders vs hypeAI moats: why product-market fit isn't enough anymoreWhat actually creates defensibility in enterprise AI (data, trust, workflows, integrations)Build vs buy in AI: when enterprises DIY vs purchase softwareWhy vertical AI agents are safer than horizontal AI wrappersCross-border expansion strategy: U.S. → Asia vs Asia → U.S.Robotics + physical AI opportunities and Asia's hardware advantageWhy enterprise + government budgets are still under-targetedFollow the PodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturecapitalfm/Twitter: https://twitter.com/vcpodcastfmLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venturecapitalfm/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7BQimY8NJ6cr617lqtRr7N?si=ftylo2qHQiCgmT9dfloD_g&nd=1&dlsi=7b868f1b72094351Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789Website: https://www.venturecapital.fm/Follow Jon BradshawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbradshaw/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjonbradshaw/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjonbradshawFollow Peter HarrisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharris1Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudentInstagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpeteYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@peterharris2812

In this episode of Make It Happen Mondays, John sits down with Saif Khan, Regional VP of EMEA and APAC at Semrush, one of the top SaaS platforms helping digital marketers drive visibility, traffic, and growth. But this episode isn't just about tools or tactics—it's about the real human side of sales leadership.From growing up in a council estate in West London to building elite sales teams across two continents, Saif shares how a single ride-along with his uncle sparked his lifelong passion for sales. He breaks down how five years in retail taught him more about buyer psychology than any formal sales training ever could—and why emotional intelligence, not just methodology, is the real differentiator in today's market.The conversation dives into:• How burnout creeps in even during “success”• Why Saif hit pause on his career for a solo journey through Southeast Asia• The coaching crisis in frontline management• The line between AI augmentation and AI dependency—and what it means for the future of leadership.Whether you're an SDR, a VP, or somewhere in between, this episode is packed with real stories, fresh takes, and valuable lessons for anyone navigating the evolving world of modern sales.Are you interested in leveling up your sales skills and staying relevant in today's AI-driven landscape? Visit www.jbarrows.com and let's Make It Happen together!Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Connect with John on IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-membership?ref=3edab1 Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletterConnect with Saif on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saif-khan-cism/Check out Saif's Website Semrush: https://www.semrush.com/Check out these additional links for SemrushEmployment Opportunities: https://careers.semrush.com/jobs/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/technically-her/id1871241654?l=en-GBSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nBfeFVia9d7ClK7CVOBcV?si=9ef5467e40644435Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semrush_life/#Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SemrushLifeLinkedIn:

People in the corporate world are buzzing this week after LinkedIn released it's latest report introducing the latest buzzword "Talent Velocity." However, it's worth noting this is more than just buzz. The data reveals a much more sobering reality that shouldn't come as a surprise. 86% of companies are stuck in neutral or burned out the clutch while 14% of organizations are racing ahead. In summary, the vast majority are spinning their wheels "planning" transformation rather than executing it. While many are quick to claim it's a technology problem, it's clear we've got a crisis of organizational metabolism.  This week, I'm deconstructing the massive 2026 LinkedIn Talent Report, based on data from 1 billion members and 14 million jobs, not as a news update, but as a reality check. I explain why this report may not come as a "discovery" of new trends for many, but a validation of the things we've known for years but continue to fail to act on. I'm also stripping away the HR buzzwords to show you why "velocity" isn't about moving faster; it's about getting surgical about the friction that is currently burning out your workforce.  My goal is to move you out of "Planning" to "Progressing" by exposing the specific blind spots, from bad data to American complacency, that are keeping you in the 86%.​ The Validation Gap (No More Excuses): We've known for years that skills matter more than titles, yet most companies are still just "talking" about it. I break down why the "Leaders" aren't smarter than you—they just treat talent agility as a business imperative rather than an HR project, leading to massive gains in confidence around profitability.  ​ The "American" Blind Spot (Data Arrogance): We love to think we are leading the charge, but the data proves otherwise. I call out the uncomfortable truth that North America is lagging far behind APAC (22% vs. 41%) in skills-based planning, and why relying on static job descriptions means your AI strategy is effectively hallucinating.  ​ The "Human" Premium (S-Tier Change Management): You cannot add velocity to a system that is already at max capacity. I dive into my own contribution to the report regarding "S-Tier Change Management" and explain why the companies winning at AI are actually 5.5x more focused on "Building Trust" than their competitors.  By the end, I hope you see this data not as a reason to feel behind, but as a blueprint for subtraction. You cannot simply "add" AI to a broken system; you have to do the surgical work of removing the friction first.⸻If this conversation helps you think more clearly about the future we're building, make sure to like, share, and subscribe. You can also support the show by ⁠buying me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/christopherlindAnd if your organization is wrestling with how to lead responsibly in the AI era, balancing performance, technology, and people, that's the work I do every day through my consulting and coaching. Learn more at https://christopherlind.co⸻Chapters00:00 – The Hook: The 14% vs. The 86%04:00 – The Validation: Why "Nothing New" is the Real Problem07:00 – The 5 Accelerators: From Culture to Career Power14:00 – The Skills Blind Spot: Why the US is Falling Behind24:00 – The "Lind" Take: S-Tier Change Management & The Trust Multiplier33:00 – The "Now What": Auditing Your Data & Subtracting Friction#TalentVelocity #LinkedInReport #FutureOfWork #SkillsBasedHiring #ChangeManagement #AIStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #ChristopherLind #FutureFocused #WorkforcePlanning

APAC stocks began the week in the green but with gains limited following a lack of major fresh catalysts from over the weekend and amid thinned conditions owing to holiday closures in the region and North America.Nikkei 225 traded indecisively, with the index constrained by disappointing Japanese preliminary Q4 GDP dataEuropean equity futures indicate a mildly positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.1%, after the cash market closed with losses of 0.4% on Friday.US President Trump said on Friday that Ukrainian President Zelensky is going to have to get moving and that Russia wants to get a deal.Looking ahead, highlights include Swedish Unemployment (Jan), EZ Industrial Production (Dec), and Japanese PM Takaichi is to meet with BoJ Governor Ueda. Speakers include Fed's Bowman.Holiday: US Holiday (Presidents Day); Chinese Spring Festival Golden Week.Desk: Newsquawk EU coverage will commence as normal on Monday, 16th February. Thereafter, the desk will shut at 18:00GMT/13:00ET and then re-open on the same day for APAC coverage at 22:00GMT/17:00ET.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

This week, we discuss US labor markets and preview US core PCE, UK CPI and other key data in Europe. In Japan Post-election policies are in focus while RBNZ, BI and BSP decisions are on tap. In a special segment, we feature two anchor reports by our APAC rates strategists and their views on the outlook. Chapters: US: 2:36; Europe: 10:17; Japan: 15:38; Asia Rates Special: 20:40

APAC stocks were mostly lower as the region took its cue from the losses stateside, where tech underperformed as AI-disruption concerns re-emerged, and logistics/industrials stocks were also pressured after Algorhythm Holdings (RIME) released its AI freight scaling tool.US President Trump said we have to make a deal with Iran and could reach a deal over the next month.US President Trump reiterated he is going to China in April and that Chinese President Xi will visit the US later this year, while he added the relationship with China is very good right now.European equity futures indicate an uneventful cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.1% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.4% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Wholesale Prices (Jan), Swiss CPI (Jan), EZ Prelim Employment (Q4), GDP 2nd Estimate (Q4), US CPI (Jan), Speakers including ECB's de Guindos, BoE's Pill, Earnings from Moderna & NatWest.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Dive into the future of wealth with AI in Asia!

Leading multiple countries across Asia Pacific requires far more than operational excellence—it demands deep cultural understanding, intentional relationship-building, and the strategic ability to represent your region within a global enterprise. In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Madhu Oza, Director of Global Technical and Service Excellence for APAC at Abbott Laboratories, to explore what it takes to build trust, bridge cultural divides, and amplify regional impact while maintaining alignment with global standards. Whether you're navigating the complexities of international leadership or looking to elevate your team's impact on the world stage, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you lead with cultural intelligence and authenticity.

APAC stocks traded higher but with some of the gains in the region capped after the weak handover from the US and with the NFP report on the horizon, while participants also digested earnings and data in thinned conditions, with Japanese markets shut for a holiday.Ukrainian President Zelensky plans spring elections alongside a referendum on the peace deal after a US push.US President Trump said he might send a second carrier to strike Iran if talks fail and stated that "Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time".European equity futures indicate a quiet cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures +0.1% after the cash market finished with losses of 0.2% on Tuesday.Looking ahead, highlights include ECB Wage Tracker, US NFP (Jan), Japanese PPI (Jan), BoC Minutes (Jan), OPEC MOMR. Speakers include ECB's Cipollone & Schnabel, Fed's Schmid, Bowman & Hammack. Supply from Germany & US. Earnings from T-Mobile, McDonalds, AppLovin, Equinix, Motorola Solutions, Hilton, Kraft Heinz, TotalEnergies, Michelin.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

APAC stocks were mostly higher as the region took impetus from the gains on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 approached closer towards its record levels, and the Nasdaq outperformed as the tech rebound persisted.US President Trump and Chinese President Xi's summit is reportedly set for the first week of April, POLITICO reported, but the White House later clarified that the Trump-Xi meeting has not been finalised.The EU is reportedly readying options to give Ukraine gradual membership rights and is preparing a series of options to embed Ukraine's membership in a future peace deal.UK PM Starmer told Labour MPs that he is "not prepared to walk away" from power or "plunge us into chaos" as previous prime ministers have done.European equity futures indicate a slightly lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.1% after the cash market closed with gains of 1.0% on Monday.Looking ahead, highlights include Norwegian CPI (Jan), US NFIB (Jan), Weekly ADP, ECI (Q4), Retail Sales (Dec) & EIA STEO. Speakers include Fed's Hammack & Logan, Supply from the Netherlands, UK, Germany & US. Earnings from Coca-Cola, S&P, Gilead, Robinhood, Welltower, Duke Energy, Datadog, Ford, AIG, Xylem, Spotify, AstraZeneca, BP, Barclays, Ferrari and Mediobanca.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Dinakar Munagala, CEO & Co- Dinakar Munagala Founder of Blaize, and Joseph Sulistyo, SVP of Corporate Marketing, about Blaize's push to make AI inference practical outside the data center—and why a new strategic collaboration with Nokia is designed to accelerate that shift, especially across Asia Pacific. Blaize positions itself as an AI computing company built around a purpose-built, fully programmable processor architecture it calls a graph streaming processor, paired with software intended to simplify development of “real-world” AI. Munagala framed the company's focus as practical AI inference for environments like smart factories, smart cities, agriculture, defense, and other edge and hybrid deployments where latency, power, thermal limits, and operating conditions are non-negotiable. A centerpiece of the discussion was Blaize's announcement that Nokia is strengthening edge AI capabilities through a strategic collaboration with Blaize to deliver hybrid inference solutions across APAC. Munagala and Sulistyo described the move as a signal that AI's next phase isn't only about large-scale training in centralized data centers, but about deploying inference where outcomes are realized—near cameras, sensors, machines, and field infrastructure. In their view, Nokia's global reach in networking, automation, and integration creates a path to deliver end-to-end solutions that combine connectivity and compute for real deployments, not demos. Sulistyo emphasized the economics driving hybrid inference: cost-sensitive, power-constrained environments often cannot justify a single “monolithic” compute approach. Instead, he argued, the market is moving toward heterogeneous architectures—mixing different compute types to hit performance targets while controlling total cost of ownership. In APAC, he noted, the scale of deployments makes marginal savings meaningful, and hybrid designs become an operational requirement, not a preference. The conversation also connected edge inference to public-sector and community outcomes. Both executives highlighted smart-city use cases—such as traffic management, tolling, and first-responder automation—where real-time inference can improve accuracy and responsiveness while reducing labor-intensive processes. They extended that point to rural and underserved regions, arguing that “smart city” also includes municipalities and regional governments, where automation and analytics can unlock revenue (e.g., tolls and fines) while improving safety. Doug pushed on definitions and practicality, prompting Munagala to describe edge inference as compute performed as close as possible to the sensor—for example, processing video near a camera mounted on a pole, at a toll booth, or in a factory—so systems can detect events and respond with low latency. He added that some deployments may route inference to nearby on-prem servers or regional data centers, depending on architecture and proximity, and Blaize aims to support these variations with a common hardware/software platform. Blaize also addressed the “AI energy speed bump” impacting communities and operators—particularly where power availability and cost are constrained. Munagala said low power is foundational to Blaize's design goals and argued that purpose-built inference architectures can reduce the burden associated with power-hungry AI approaches. Sulistyo added that the broader infrastructure conversation increasingly includes cooling realities (air and liquid) and the need to match the deployment environment to the right compute profile. To ground “real-world AI” in examples, the guests pointed to deployments including license plate recognition in complex, variable conditions and traffic anomaly detection (identifying behavior that deviates from normal flow). They described these as compute-intensive workloads that must run reliably outdoors and under harsh conditions, where latency and endurance matter as much as accuracy. They also discussed retail analytics as another example of edge inference delivering measurable business outcomes by connecting what happens in-store to revenue-driving decisions. Looking ahead, Munagala described the Nokia collaboration as a model for additional partnerships that bring inference solutions into production environments at scale. Sulistyo noted APAC is the initial focus, with other regions expected to follow based on demand, proof points, and the prioritization of specific use cases. To learn more about Blaize and its technology, visit https://www.blaize.com/.

THE electronic bill of lading has been one of the most talked-about innovations in container shipping for years now. Advocates say it can slash costs, cut fraud, and ultimately unlock an entirely new world of digital trade finance. Sceptics say we've been hearing that promise for a decade — and paper still dominates. The latest DCSA figures put global EBL adoption at around eleven percent. That's growing, but it's a long way from the one-hundred-percent target that container shipping carriers have set themselves for 2030. So where do we actually stand? To find out, APAC editor Cichen Shen sat down with two people at the centre of the shift: George Guo, the chief executive of IQAX, one of the two largest EBL providers in the world by volume; and Peter Hartz, Maersk's head of ocean surcharges, value-added services and energy products.

Dive into the future of wealth with AI in Asia!

The FX team discusses a variety of topics: the euro bloc/ APAC FX rotation, RBA hawkish pivot, scenarios around upcoming JP elections, the dovish BoE surprise and recent US data.   This podcast was recorded on 06 February 2026. This communication is provided for information purposes only. Institutional clients can view the related report at https://www.jpmm.com/research/content/GPS-5195273-0 for more information; please visit www.jpmm.com/research/disclosures for important disclosures. © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved. This material or any portion hereof may not be reprinted, sold or redistributed without the written consent of J.P. Morgan. It is strictly prohibited to use or share without prior written consent from J.P. Morgan any research material received from J.P. Morgan or an authorized third-party (“J.P. Morgan Data”) in any third-party artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems or models when such J.P. Morgan Data is accessible by a third-party.

What if your biggest growth problem isn't marketing—but sales?In this episode of The Business Ownership Podcast I interviewed William Gilchrist. William has over 15 years of experience in tech sales across the globe, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. He holds a B.A. in International Relations from Bowdoin College and certifications in Mandarin and TEFL. Starting his career in Shanghai's media scene, he later directed admissions strategies in Chicago and led business development in Singapore. William eventually joined Google in APAC roles before founding Konsyg, overseeing global sales processes as CEO. What if sales is the missing piece in your business?Check this out!Show Links:Konsyg Website: https://konsyg.com/William on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamgilchristkonsyg/Book a call with Michelle: https://go.appointmentcore.com/book/IcFD4cGJoin our Facebook group for business owners to get help or help other business owners!The Business Ownership Group - Secrets to Scaling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessownershipsecretstoscalingLooking to scale your business? Get free gifts here to help you on your way: https://www.awarenessstrategies.com/