The Breakfast Grille

On MAFTA, Australian Elections & The Deportation Affair

27 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille, His Excellency Miles Kupa, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, discusses: --  the Malaysia-Australia relations...

Munching its way to China

26 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Munchy's Group's CEO CK Tan comes on the Breakfast Grille to talk about the current course of the group, which is best known as a manufacturer of bisc...

Taking Cover In a No-Frills Way

22 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Tune Ins Holdings Bhd CEO Peter Miller discusses: - IPO - lukewarm market -- election jitters - whether misgivings - issues; - Institutional...

Where is the Return on A Decade of Funding ICT?

21 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd MD/CEO Datuk Md. Zubir Ansori Yahaya discusses: - Business model - rates - tenures - details; - VC model - equity participa...

Bonjour, Malaysia!

20 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The main objective of the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MFCCI) is to promote the development of business relations between Malays...

France's Altran seeks Greater Opportunities in Malaysia and Asia

19 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille Altran's Chairman and CEO Philippe Salle comes on to talk about the group's aspirations for Malaysia and Asia in general. The ...

Bright Star In Hospitality

18 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Horst Schulze, legendary hotelier, former executive of the Ritz Carlton, and founder of Capella Hotels talks about where ultra-luxury hospitality is h...

Challenges and possibilities for Westports Malaysia Dragons

15 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Westports Malaysia Dragons president and co-founded Datuk Wira Dani Daim and co-founder and deputy president and co-owner Ruben Emir Gnanalingam talk ...

Wipro-Unza's looks to Acquisitions and New Markets

14 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Wipro-Unza's Managing Director for Southeast Asia Kumar Chander returns to the Breakfast Grille to give an update on how the company has been doing in...

The World’s Most Powerful Bank?

13 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s most powerful bank is one most people have probably never heard of. It’s not Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, HSBC or Bank of Am...

Slithering in the Year of the Snake

08 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille, Joey Yap, the founder of Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics gives us a preview of what to expect in the Year of the Snake...

Just 30secs To Detect Parkinson's Disease

07 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Some 7.4 million people worldwide are estimated to have Parkinson's Disease -- almost one person in every 500 will get this condition. Currently ...

EU Wants Closer Intergration, Even As Euroscepticism Grows

05 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

His Excellency, Dr Guenter Gruber, the German ambassador to Malaysia, discusses: -- If the worst of the Eurozone crisis over -- An expected time frame...

Redberry Going For "Total Reach"

04 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Redberry Group CEO Datuk Siew Ka Wei is on the Breakfast Grille. Listen to the podcast for the expanded version, as he discusses: -- his plans for t...

Who Are The Gods Of Money?

01 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

F. William Engdahl, the author of 'Gods of Money: Wall Street and the Death of the American Century', discusses the history of money as an instrument ...

Crest Builder aims to play with the big boys in construction and property

31 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

While not the biggest player on the block, construction and property concern Crest Builder Holdings Bhd is looking to stand with the big boys. With tw...

Driving Changes In Taxi Services

30 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

With over 4000 iconic apple green taxis on the roads, Sunlight Taxi Group of Companies has grown was tremendously since it was established in 1996. Th...

On a Clean Slate, From Engineering to Oil and Gas, All to Play For

29 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

 Protasco Bhd GMD Datuk Chong Ket Pen discusses: - Early beginnings - catalyst to striking out in 1992 - engineering consultancy practice;  ...

Despite a Massive 2012, Uncertainty, Undercutting Remain Challenges

25 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Omnicom Media Group, MD Andreas Vogiatzakis 2013 - Gold award - Campaign Week - Agency of the Year - 2012; - Basis for award - metrics; - Biggest clie...

Leighton Offshore : Iraq ghost and the way forward

23 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Leighton Offshore's new CEO Boyd Merrett talks abouth the group's strategy for the region and in the Middle East. Leighton Offshore is in the business...

NetApp's Storage Future

22 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Khoo, Country Manager for NetApp for Malaysia and Brunei discusses the current importance of data storage management. NetApp is one of the world'...

Of Bloat, Work-Life Balance, the Asian Century and Ministers on Bicycles

21 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Managing Partner, Anthonie Versluis, discusses: - Roland Berger - German origins - Europe-based strategy consultan...

Steady fundamentals for Eversendai

18 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Eversendai Corp Bhd's Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director Datuk AK Nathan talks about the company's direction in the UAE and projects that ...

18 Years In-Country, A Supply Chain Springboard to ASEAN

17 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

CHEP President of South East Asia, Nigel Branch, discusses: - CHEP's business segments - global footprint - geographic distribution - biggest clients ...

Sparkling Outlook for Spritzer

16 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Spritzer Group is the largest bottled water producer in Malaysia, with about 30% of market share in the bottled water industry.  Although the Spr...

Long Locally and Long Globally, Election Risks Are a Minor Blip

15 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Franklin Templeton Malaysia Country Head Sandeep Singh discusses: - Business update - Assets Under Management - investment professionals; - Growth - ...

Capturing Decisive Moments

14 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Alfred Schopf, the CEO of Leica Camera AG, tells how the iconic camera brand is holding its ground as the technology for camera phones and apps improv...

Sarawak Energy SCOREs

11 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Sarawak Energy Bhd's CEO Torstein Dale Sjotveit talks about how the state-owned utility has progressed in helping SCORE take off. Among the topics dis...

Auto Sector, Govt Procurement Ongoing Roadbumps in EU Trade Talks

10 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

EU Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Malaysia, HE Luc Vandebon, discusses: - Bilateral trade - details - updates - Eurozone debt crisis - impact...

Growth by Mergers, Taiwan IPO Market and Unreliable Financial Statements

09 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Cheng & Co Chartered Accountants Managing Partner, Dr Chua Hock Hoo, discusses: - Strategy of growth via mergers and acquisition - challenges - st...

The Malacca Straits Diagonal: Penang, KL, Malacca & Singapore

08 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Alfonso Vegara is an architect, urban planner, economist, sociologist and president of Fundación Metrópoli, which is a Spanish foundatio...

I&P: Building Their Strength in Total Township Development

04 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

I&P Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB). It was formed in May 2009 after the successful mergers and rationalisa...

MIDA: Not Just FDIs, But DDIs Too

03 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), previously known as Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, is the government's principal a...

In Malaysia's Clean Energy Drive, Nepotism Concerns Soil Foreign Efforts

02 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Schneider Electric Malaysia Country President, Peter Cave, discusses: - Global slowdown - impact on global business; - Reports - Schneider and Daimler...

Making Native Contemporary

31 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Ugonna Hosten, founder of Ugo's Boutique, talks about her entrepreneurial journey from civil service to bag designer who seeks inspiration from Africa...

Protei, The Shape-Shifting, Oil Spill Cleaning, Sailing Robot.

28 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille is Cesar Harada, environmentalist and the inventor of Protei. Protei is a shape-shifting sailing robot to clean up oil spils a...

ITA Picks Malaysia

27 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille is Bob Pain, the Managing Director of Investors Trust Assurance, a Cayman Island-based international insurance company.He disc...

WWW vs Ted

26 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Saul Wurman tells why his www conference is better than Ted, the conferences he founded in the 80s and which he sold the rights in 2002. ...

Globalization: The ABCs to a Global Social Revolution

24 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille, Martin Marmolejo, founder of MMA Global Investment Management, discuss his new book Globalization: Opportunities & Implic...

Stirring up Syrup in a Hornet's Nest

21 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Monin Owner and President Olivier Monin discusses: - The business of gourmet flavours;  - Third generation - grandfather founded the firm -- deta...

Oh, Those Oleos: Sliding Up the Value Chain

20 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this Dec 2012 interview, Emery Oleochemicals CEO Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang, Ph.D, discusses: - Oleos generally;  - Benefits - located - No.2 g...

Trading to Making to Upstream: an Oil and Gas Journey

19 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Pantech Group Holdings Bhd ED Adrian Tan discusses:  - Starting life as a pipe trader - evolved into a manufacturer - what prompted the move up t...

O&M: Creativity & Effectiveness Go Hand In Hand

18 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest advertising networks in the world, with more than 450 offices in over 170 cities. Anand Badami, Group Manag...

Tea-Off to a Great Start

14 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Taha Bouqdib, President and Co-founder of TWG TeaWithin four years, TWG Tea established 15 gourmet stores across the world, and is served in five star...

Into Thin Air: The Best Or Nothing

13 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Head, Hilke Jannsen, discusses:  - Mechanics of business - fundraising - costs - profit margins; - High-risk...

Handmade, Exclusive and Expensive, Bufori Finds Market Among Asia's Nouveau Riche

07 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this Dec 2012 interview, Bufori Motor Car Company Managing Director Gerry Khouri discusses: - Update to business; - Production - R&D - market d...

Trailing the Chinese Wallet Worldwide

06 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dorsett Hospitality International President and Executive Director Winnie Chiu discusses: - 3- to 4- Star Segment positioning; - ‘Chinese Wallet...

Lower-Return Regime "Primary Challenge" for Banks

04 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Moorad Choudhry, Treasurer at Corporate Banking Division at The Royal Bank of Scotland, discusses: - Lower-return regime - primary challenge facing ba...

Slower Growth Next Year

29 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank of Israel, the central bank, and former Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, discusses his growth outlook for US...

KKR finding deals in Southeast Asia

29 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

KKR & Co, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, opens an office in Singapore. Ming Lu, the head of the Southeast Asian operations,...

Allez Indonesia! Breaking Cover to be Numero Uno

26 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Etiqa Insurance and Takaful Bhd CEO Hans De Cuyper discusses: - Insurance industry - perceptions - Insurance Agent - motivation - remuneration - revie...

Property Demand Buoyant as Focus Shift to Medium Segment

21 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2012 interview, Glomac Bhd GMD/CEO Datuk FD Iskandar discusses: - Sentiment - said to be shifting to medium-end and into landed from high-rise...

Cure For Autism Not Far Away

20 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Ami Klin, founder of Autism Science Foundation explains what causes autism and rules out that vaccination is a cause. See omnystudio.com/liste...

The Business of Making Movies in Malaysia

19 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

David Teo, CEO of Metrowealth International Group. Arguably one of Malaysia’s top film producers, he’s made 82 movies, more than half of w...

Blessed with Beautiful Minds, Engineering 'Stable Outcomes'

14 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Alvin Roth, Co-Winner of the 2012 Nobel Economics Prize, discusses: - Early work of Co-Winner Lloyd Shapley;- Misallocation of scarce resources;- Shap...

Brazil Beckons as Seadrill Deal Bagged

12 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sapurakencana Petroleum Bhd Executive Chairman Dato' Mokhzani Mahathir discusses: - Kencana - Sapura - merger - progress - systems / workforces; - Wis...

For this Niche Developer, Earnings Visibility Works

08 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2012 interview, Magna Prima Berhad CEO Dato' Rahadian Mahmud discusses: - CEO promotion; - Broad update on the property sector; - The Istana i...

In Emerging Asia, Teething Pains in Leadership and Governance

07 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Iclif Leadership & Governance Centre CEO Rajeev Peshawaria discusses: - Impetus behind joining; - Financials - Opex - Staffing - KPIs; - Corporate...

Harsh and Hostile, the New Norm in Exploration

06 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Aker Solutions President for Subsea, Dave Hutchinson, discusses: - The Subsea business; - Investment in Malaysia - market share of subsea production t...

Malaysia-China Relations To See Continued Growth

05 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

His Excellency Chai Xi, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia, discusses: -- his tenure here in Malaysia and the changes ...

McCafe Comes To Malaysia

02 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

McDonald’s Singapore and Malaysia Regional Manager, Sarah Casanova, makes a comeback on the Breakfast Grille! She give us an update on the late...

Six Countries, Seven Offices. One P&L

01 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Publicis Malaysia CEO Dean Bramham discusses: - “costdiving”; - client challenges - play agencies off against each other - client manageme...

Bank on the Mend

31 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

SME Bank, a merger of Bank Industri and part of Bank Pembangunan, and 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance, is cleaning up its balance sheet, improvi...

Pewtersmithing Perfection

30 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Chen Tien Yue, Executive Director and fourth generation of the founding family of the iconic Malaysian brand, Royal Selangor. He discusses: -- The h...

How Internet Search Will Evolve

29 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Gomes, Vice President and Google Fellow at Google Inc., discusses:  - In years spent developing Search - the biggest challenges you face...

Columbia Asia: Small Is The New Big

25 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Kelvin Tan the CEO of Southeast Asia for the Columbia Asia Group discusses its unique business proposition, bringing fast and efficient service and va...

DKSH's Focus On Asia Pays Off

24 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

John Clare Head of Country Management for market expansion service provider DKSH, discusses the Malaysian business: its operations, challenges within ...

The 2011 Audit Report: Hear It From The Man Himself

23 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Auditor General of Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Haji Ambrin Buang, discusses: --  why there was a delay in releasing the report -- &n...

From Russia with Love

22 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Russia has been emerging from the shackles of a Communist era to welcome foreign investors and trade partners. The market of 142 million people is irr...

British Designer Extraordinaire

19 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Thomas Heatherwick, the designer of the London Olympics cauldron, the Seed Cathedral for the UK pavilion in the World Expo Shanghai, and London's doub...

Aquaria KLCC Keeping It Fresh

18 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Simon Foong, the managing director and CEO of Aquaria KLCC, shares the story of how an oceanarium -- right in the heart of KL -- came to be.&nbs...

Ambitious targets for Al-Rajhi

17 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Al-Rajhi Bank has established 25 banks in Malaysia. Financing and advances is RM3.7 billion as at end-2011. Total assets is RM6.1 billion. But profits...

For LBI Capital, It's ALL About Timing

16 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Jeffrey Ng Chin Heng, Managing Director of LBI Capital Berhad, gives us an update on their current projects in Bandar Saujana Putra, Petali...

Autos and Aviation Drive this Carbon Maker

15 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

K.H Lim, Managing Director, SGL Carbon Sdn. Bhd., discusses:  - How SGL - addressing global problems like energy efficiency, finding alternative ...

Fashion comes to Kuala Lumpur

12 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

H&M, a Swedish brand and the world's second largest fast fashion retailer plays catch up with Zara and finally comes to Malaysia. Known for its af...

Wellcall Me Maybe!

11 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Chew, the Executive Director of Main Board-listed industrial rubber hose manufacturer, Wellcall Holdings.  He explains Wellcall's business p...

Building An Innovative Nation From The Grassroots Up

10 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Mazalan Kamis, the CEO of the Malaysian Innovation Foundation / Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM). He discusses how YIM plans to promote creativity a...

AirAsia Cargo Flies In The Face Conventional Freight Trends

09 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sathis Manoharan, Regional Head for AirAsia & AirAsia X Cargo. He discusses how AirAsia Cargo got started, despite it being unconventional for a ...

Nippon Paint Adds The Finishing Touch

08 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Yaw Seng Heng, Managing Director for Nippon Paint Malaysia discusses the growth of the business in the decorative, industrial, and marine & protec...

Kimlun Well-Positioned For Iskandar Malaysia & IBS Projects

05 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Kimlun Corp Bhd CEO Sim Tian Liang on the Breakfast Grille.  He discusses its construction and manufacturing business and its strong orderbook of...

Design for Malaysia

04 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia is far behind countries like South Korea and Japan in terms of design. Dato Professor Dr Ahmad Rahim Zainuddin, the Chairman of the Malaysian...

Insights From the Man Helming Malaysia's Top Property Portal, iProperty

03 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Shaun Di Gregorio, CEO of the iProperty Group discusses iProperty's business proposition and why the model works here.  He shares with us some ke...

Sweet Growth

02 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Cocoaland Holdings is in the stage of an investment up-cycle. Planned capex is RM30 million, and annual capacity will be 4 million kg. According to Am...

Post Budget 2013: Budget For Malaysians?

01 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The post-Budget 2013 panel discussion on the Breakfast Grille with Melewar Industrial Group CEO, Azlan Abdullah and Deloitte Malaysia Country Tax Lead...

Budget 2013: Pre-Announcement Pow-Wow

28 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dato' Ahmad Zaini OthmanPresident and CEOof the financier,Malaysia Building Society Bhd.,  andYvonne Tan,Equities Chief Investment Officer ofthe ...

MPI: Putting Malaysia on the Global Real Estate Investment Map

27 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

On the Breakfast Grille, Kumar Tharmalingam, CEO of Malaysia Property Incorporated, discusses: -- MPI's mandate to drive investments in real estate in...

A Former Hedgie Spills the Beans

26 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Lars Kroijer, Author of Money Mavericks: Confessions of a Hedge Fund Manager former CEO of Holte Capital, discusses: - Beginning a hedge fund - d...

INSEAD Keeps Growing Despite Tough Economic Times

24 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Peter Zemsky, the Deputy Dean of Degree Programmes and Curriculum at INSEAD, the international graduate business school. He discusses: -- If...

Riding the Asian M&A Wave

20 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Vikram Chakravarty, co-author of 'Asian Mergers & Acquisitions : Riding the Wave' discusses how deal activity is on the rise in Asia, while compar...

Bronze for Malaysia

19 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Pandelela Rinong Pamg, national diver, first Malaysian woman Olympics medalist, and K-pop lover, talks about her journey, and the sacrifices of a cham...

Asia's Economic Boom: Music to the Ears for this Audio Firm

18 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Blaupunkt Group CEO Dr Lars Placke discusses:  - Current status of Malaysia manufacturing hub - Penang - skills - tax breaks - ease of doing busi...

Share The Ummph

14 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Caroline Russell, CEO of Boh Plantations, tells how she is keeping the 80+ year old brand relevant in the face of more competition.See omnystudio.com/...

'Johnny Comes Lately' Approach Stands Former Journalist in Good Stead

13 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2012 interview,  SEG International Founder/GMD Dato' Seri Clement Hii discusses:  - Transformation from Journalist to Businessman; -...

MDeC to Drive Malaysia's Digital Transformation

12 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC): --  gives an update on MSC Malaysia, clusters and companies; ...

The Dutch Gateway to the European Market

11 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) is an operational unit of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. It assi...

Seven Years in Waiting, Finally: a Kicker

07 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

i-Bhd CEO, Datuk Eu Hong Chew, discusses: - 2004 decision to exit appliances into property; - Positioning in 'digital cities'; - i-City development - ...

Advocacy At The Heart Of The Body Shop

06 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Datin Mina Cheah-Foong, founder of Rampai Niaga, the sole franchise holder for The Body Shop in Malaysia. She shares with us her story of how she star...

Within Healthcare Sector Profits, Management Challenges Abound

05 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sunway Medical Centre CEO Lau Beng Long discusses: - Profit turnaround; - Drivers to the Malaysian healthcare sector; - Whether size and scale matter ...

4th Anniversary Special: The Breakfast Grille with BFM's Malek Ali

04 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

BFM turns Four! And to celebrate our anniversary, David Chew, Khoo Hsu Chuang and Melisa Idris 'grille' the founder and managing director of BFM,...

Salving the Needs of Sick Asians and Profiting From It

03 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

IHH Healthcare Berhad MD Dr. Lim Cheok Peng discusses: IPO: - Cornerstone investors - bought 58 per cent of your IPO - merits to their financial stabi...