Emergency services consulting international

- A + A (June 30): It was an unusually frigid December weekend when Cheng Wei summoned his inner circle to his Beijing office. The founder of Didi Global Inc, dressed entirely in black, told his lieutenants to slash spending by a fifth in 2022 and begin layoffs after staff return from Lunar New Year vacations. He delivered his bombshell flanked by a giant Powerpoint slide that read: “Don’t live with illusions. Face reality.” “We had a tough year,” said the reserved billionaire known as Will, who that day seemed even gloomier than normal, according to people briefed on the gathering. “But next year will be even tougher.” That sombre gathering encapsulated what many in the room already suspected — the ride-hailing champion once feted for running Uber Technologies Inc out of China was no more. In its place was a defeated shell worth a fifth of its value at the peak, bleeding users, blocked from raising funds for cherished projects — and whose executives were constantly … [Read more...] about Inside Didi’s US$60b crash that changed China tech forever

T Rabi Sankar has taken over as the new deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Following this, the central bank has redistributed the portfolios of the deputy governors. RBI has four deputy governors. Rabi Sankar, who was serving as an executive director, has been given important portfolios such as  department of currency management, external investments and operations, government and bank accounts, Information Technology and Payment and Settlement Systems. Besides, he has also been given foreign exchange department, internal debt management department and right to information, the RBI said. Rabi Sankar has been appointed for a period of three years. On May 2, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the name of T Rabi Sankar as a Deputy Governor. This was after B Kanungo retired on April 2. RBI has four deputy governor posts, one of which fell vacant due to Kanungo's retirement. The other three deputy governors are Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Patra and … [Read more...] about T Rabi Sankar takes over as deputy governor, RBI reshuffles portfolios

- A + A (June 30): All emerging Asian currencies were set for half-yearly losses on Thursday, with the South Korean won set to lose the most, as policy tightening by the US central bank and concerns over global economic outlook spurred selling in Asian assets. The won dropped 8.4% so far this year, while the Philippine peso and Indian rupee were on track to post half-yearly losses of 7.3% and 5.8%, respectively. Emerging markets in the six-month period were battered by capital outflows due to the US Federal Reserve kicking off its tightening cycle, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and inflation from higher commodity prices. Among local drivers, China's insistence on a zero-Covid policy also spurred selling as the country's repeated imposition of restrictions means a slower economic recovery for the region's largest economy. "The broader market ... they need some more convincing because I think at the back of their mind, they've still got this hesitancy due to the … [Read more...] about Asian currencies set for half-year losses on rate hikes, inflation woes

KUALA LUMPUR: KSK Land today announced the structural completion of Tower B at 8 Conlay’s twin branded residence, YOO8 serviced by Kempinski (YOO8). KSK Group chief executive officer and KSK Land managing director Joanne Kua said following the structural completion of YOO8 Tower A late last year, the Group is extremely delighted that 8 Conlay continues to progress steadily and have now topped out and completed the YOO8 Tower B structure. "We wanted to celebrate the structural completion differently by stirring the imagination and to present a glimpse of Kuala Lumpur as you have not seen it - from over 800 feet above the ground," she said in a statement today after the topping-out ceremony of YOO8 Tower B. To commemorate the milestone, a unique photo series featuring panoramic views of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic landmarks were undertaken, set in two actual units from one of Tower B’s top floors. Titled ‘Height of Anticipation’, the stylish photo series marked a moment of celebration … [Read more...] about KSK Land: 8 Conlay charts steady progress, secures RM30mil penthouse buyer

Plenty of parents say that they find inspiration in their kids. And many entrepreneurs have started a business sparked by the challenges and joys of parenthood . But few probably can claim to have found such a persistent entrepreneurial muse in their children as Addie Swartz. Over the past 23 years, all of Swartz's businesses have shared an emotional taproot that you can trace directly to her two daughters, Chloe (19) and Aliza (23). Aliza was a baby and Chloe not yet born when Swartz founded her first company, BrightIdeas, which sold children's educational software, in 1992. The girls were eight and 12 when their mom founded her second company, The Beacon Street Girls (BSG), a publisher of books and maker of products for girls ages nine to 13, in 2003. And her daughters were young adults two years ago when Swartz, 54, launched reacHIRE, which trains women looking to re-enter the workforce and connects them with employers. Here's how all three businesses drew … [Read more...] about How My Two Daughters Inspired My Three Companies

This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022. - A + A ALL eyes are on RHB Banking Group’s newly minted group managing director (MD) and group CEO Mohd Rashid Mohamad as he steers the fourth-largest banking group by assets forward in a tough operating landscape. “It’s very challenging, especially now in a fast-changing market environment, and as we face potential risks such as geopolitical and inflationary,” acknowledges Rashid in his first exclusive interview as group MD/CEO. Competition has intensified, given new entrants into the market, which are not just new banks but also technology companies that compete for the same pie. Rashid adds that this has partly affected the profitability of the industry, along with many other factors. He notes that banks globally no longer see “high ROEs” as before. For RHB Bank Bhd, its return on equity (ROE) in the past 10 financial years hit a high of 13.4% in FY2012 before … [Read more...] about Cover Story: RHB’s Game Plan in ‘fast-changing’ new normal

The time between getting the admission offer and joining a foreign university provides a unique window to hone new skills, learn about socio-cultural fitments, pick up a language, and master part-time work laws to fit into the new destination well. Pawan Adhikari, founder of international education consultancy start-up, DP Cube Learning, tells Moneycontrol about five key areas students must work on before joining a campus overseas to make their stay at the study destination smooth. 1. Breaking the language barrier : If you are going to an English-speaking country, try to learn the local pronunciations. Watching videos is a good way to get a hang of the way English is spoken there. As an example, even within the UK, spoken English will vary depending on where you are – Ireland, Scotland and Welsh, for example, have very different accents. If you are travelling to a destination where English is the second language, make an effort to familiarise yourself with the native … [Read more...] about Study abroad: Five things to remember before joining a foreign university

Paytm The initial plan of Paytm Payments Bank to approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a small finance bank (SFB) licence by June end has been delayed as the RBI-directed IT audit will take longer to complete, two sources aware of the developments told Moneycontrol on June 29. The IT audit is being done by one of the big four consultants. “The auditor will submit an IT audit report to the RBI in next two to three weeks,” a source said requesting anonymity. Payments bank can apply for conversion to a small finance bank after successfully operating for five years. Paytm Payments Bank commenced its operations on May 23, 2017 and completed five years of operations last month. On March 9, Moneycontrol reported that the lender will likely apply to the RBI for a SFB licence by June quoting a senior Paytm official. IT audit Close The audit process is going in line with expectation and nearing completion, said a source cited earlier. The RBI had barred … [Read more...] about Paytm Payments Bank SFB plans gets delayed; IT audit report to be submitted to RBI in 2-3 weeks: Sources

I think it's fascinating when business owners are able to transform their personal passions into profitable businesses. But this was not the case for me at Blinds.com; I love the products and service we provide to customers, but window blinds and draperies are just not what inspires when I'm at home on the weekend. Instead, I like to think about what you can learn from your hobbies that can be applied to your existing business and professional trajectory. We normally think of hobbies as a way to detach from the grind of the daily workday, but what if we could use what we love the most about our pastimes to make us better at work? Harmony, synergy and public performance with barbershop quartet singing I have spent 42 years singing with the same barbershop quartet group. Perhaps you're an a cappella enthusiast like me (you're out there, right?) or simply remember hearing those harmonies in The Music Man movie as a kid. But there's so much more that goes into singing … [Read more...] about The 2 Hobbies That Help Make Me a Successful Entrepreneur

- A + A MOSCOW (June 30): Western fashion brands are conspicuous by their absence at a gleaming new shopping centre on the outskirts of Moscow - and customers say they scarcely miss them. Following Moscow's decision to send thousands of troops into Ukraine at the end of February, international fashion brands from Adidas to Zara have paused operations in Russia, while Nike is one of the handful to commit to a definitive exit from the market. "I am neutral on this, whether we have them or not," shopper Alexandra Moskunova told Reuters at the mall in Khovrino. "I can happily do without them." Another customer, Irina Stakhanova, said: "I only really liked H&M and another one that I can't remember. It's not that I need foreign things, I just need something that fits me and looks good, to lift the mood." There are few overt signs in the Russian capital that the mood needs lifting. Buskers sing and play, restaurant terraces spill onto the pavement and, as … [Read more...] about Moscow mall opens for Russian business after big brand exodus