O-I COO and Acting CFO to Present at the 28th Annual Credit Suisse Basic Materials Conference

September 5, 2015, 1:30 am

≫ Next: 10th Anniversary China Gold & Precious Metals Summit to Convene Dec. 9-10 in Shanghai

≪ Previous: Fujitsu Doubles Same-Cell Wireless Communication Capacity for 5G

PERRYSBURG, Ohio, Sep 5, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) today announced that the Company will participate in the 28th Annual Credit Suisse Basic Materials Conference on Friday, September 18, 2015, in New York City.

O-I COO Andres Lopez and Acting CFO John Haudrich will present at 11:30 a.m., EST. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at: https://cc.talkpoint.com/cred001/091615a_ae/?entity=9_J32EJRO

The replay from the conference will be posted within 24 hours of the presentation and will be archived through this link for 90 days. Slides from the O-I presentation will be available on the company's website, http://www.o-i.com/Investors/, before market opens on September 18.

About O-I

Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) is the world's largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world's leading food and beverage brands. The Company had revenues of $6.8 billion in 2014. Following the acquisition of Vitro's food and beverage business, the company now employs approximately 27,000 people at 81 plants in 23 countries. With global headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio, U.S., O-I delivers safe, sustainable, pure, iconic, brand-building glass packaging to a growing global marketplace. For more information, visit o-i.com.

O-I's Glass Is Life(TM) movement promotes the widespread benefits of glass packaging in key markets around the globe. Learn more about the reasons to choose glass and join the movement at glassislife.com.

The Company routinely posts important information on its website - www.o-i.com/investors.

For more information, contact:
Sasha Sekpeh
O-I Investor Relations
+1-567-336-5128
alexandra.sekpeh@o-i.com

O-I Logo: http://hugin.info/150659/R/1949984/708828.jpg
O-I to Present at Credit Suisse Conference: http://hugin.info/150659/R/1949984/708827.pdf

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Owens-Illinois, Inc. via Globenewswire

↧

10th Anniversary China Gold & Precious Metals Summit to Convene Dec. 9-10 in Shanghai

September 4, 2015, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: UNIQLO to Open Antwerp Store on 2 October

≪ Previous: O-I COO and Acting CFO to Present at the 28th Annual Credit Suisse Basic Materials Conference

SHANGHAI, Sep 5, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The 10th China Gold & Precious Metals Summit 2015, an annual precious metals gathering officially endorsed by the China Gold Association and the Shanghai Gold Exchange, hosted by the Shanghai Gold & Jewelry Trade Association and organized by IGVision International Corporation, will be held in Shanghai China on December 9-10, 2015.

As China's largest precious metals conference for knowledge sharing and partnership opportunities, China Gold & Precious Metals Summit has convened 2500 plus senior executives from across the precious metals community including mining companies, refiners & fabricators, bullion dealers, mints, gold & commodity exchanges, investment & bullion banks, central banks, trading houses, brokerage firms, money managers, jewelers, consultancies, service providers, trade associations as well as lawmakers in the past 9 years.

Now at its 10th anniversary, with the bearish price sentiment toward the precious metals complex, the summit will highlight the implications for China's gold market and gold mining industry from the country's Belt and Road Initiative, an update regarding Shanghai benchmark as well as trading products, rules and members on the SGE's international board, and price actions and supply & demand fundamentals for gold, silver, platinum and palladium in an impending Fed tightening cycle.

The 10th China Gold & Precious Metals Summit is sponsored by KORAS Precious Metal Recycling GmbH and Royal Capital Precious Metals (Asia) Limited, and its eminent speaker panel has included Martin Murenbeeld, Chief Economist of Dundee Capital Markets, Bart Melek, Head of Commodity Strategy of TD Securities, Jeffrey M. Christian, Managing Partner and founder of CPM Group LLC, etc.

Conference Highlights
- Beijing's Silk Road initiative and its effects on China's gold market and gold sector
- Shanghai benchmark and internationalisation of the China gold market
- Mining strategy in a still challenging but slightly recovering market environment
- Trends of gold contracts in Asia as physical bullion moves eastward
- Long-term potential in the gold market despite potentially lower prices in the short-term
- Global supply & demand analysis for gold, silver and platinum group metals
- Major headwinds facing gold and their real impact on gold prices
- The Fed's stance on monetary policy tightening and the implications for the gold market
- Trends of silver's fabrication demand in an environment of improving global growth but slowing Chinese economy
- The true fundamental stories in platinum and palladium

For more information, please visit the official event website at www.chinagoldsummit.com.

For queries or registration, please contact the organizing committee of the China Gold & Precious Metals Summit, by telephone at +86 21 5161 5300, or by email to marketing@igvision.com.

↧

UNIQLO to Open Antwerp Store on 2 October

September 7, 2015, 8:00 pm

≫ Next: World's Largest International Timepiece Event Opens in Hong Kong

≪ Previous: 10th Anniversary China Gold & Precious Metals Summit to Convene Dec. 9-10 in Shanghai

Antwerp, Belgium, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - UNIQLO today announces that it will open its first store in Belgium, in Antwerp, at Meir 67-69, on 2 October 2015. With a total sales floor of approximately 1,320 square meters over two levels and a mezzanine floor, it will be a large-scale UNIQLO store featuring men's, women's, and kids' clothing. In addition to the 2015 Fall/Winter collection, customers will also find the collaboration line created jointly with apparel brand Lemaire, led by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran.

"Our first store in Antwerp, an important and influential fashion city, marks our arrival in the Benelux region," said Takao Kuwahara, Fast Retailing Group Senior Vice President and UNIQLO Europe Chief Operating Officer. "UNIQLO has so far built a presence in London, Paris, Moscow and Berlin, and I am pleased that the time has come for us to expand on our success in Europe by opening a first store in Belgium. We are very excited to introduce our brand and our products to customers across Benelux."

UNIQLO Brand and LifeWear

UNIQLO aims to provide high-quality, well-designed and affordable clothes for people to wear everyday. Clothes that are functional, but constantly being improved, offering more warmth, more lightness, a better design, and with a focus to bring better comfort to the wearer's life. The company's unique approach is visible in its products, particularly such core items as its Ultra Light Down jackets, Extra Fine Merino and Cashmere sweaters, Heattech and Jeans. It is with this in mind that UNIQLO calls its clothes 'LifeWear.' In fact, the simplest designs are often hiding the most thoughtful and modern details. LifeWear is 'simple made better'.

European Expansion

UNIQLO, an abbreviation for 'Unique Clothing Warehouse', was first established in Japan in 1984. The company currently has more than 1600 stores across 16 countries worldwide, and Belgium will become UNIQLO's 17th market. In Europe, the company operates 26 stores in four countries, having launched in the UK in 2001, France in 2007, Russia in 2010, and Germany in 2014. Belgium is UNIQLO's fifth market in Europe, reflecting the next step in the company's European expansion.

People Campaign Featuring Six Faces of Antwerp

UNIQLO today also reveals the cast of the Antwerp People Campaign to celebrate its arrival. Bent Van Looy, Helena Eeckeleers, Felix Denayer, Joke De Coninck, Mark Colle, and Francine Martens make up the diverse cast of six, with photography by Frederik Vercruysse.

Spanning across different parts of society, including musicians, sportsmen, craftspersons, models and entrepreneurs, each person in our People Campaign has a special connection and relevance to the scenery of Antwerp. They will showcase how UNIQLO LifeWear fits seamlessly into the daily lives of every person, regardless of age, personal background or style.

- Bent Van Looy is a singer, musician, artist, style icon, and TV personality. As the frontman of Das Pop and the drummer of Soulwax, he travels regularly around the world. In 2013, he released 'Round the Bend', his first solo album. He is currently based in Paris but returns regularly to Antwerp, where he grew up and still has a strong connection with.

- Helena Eeckeleers combines her marketing studies at the Karel de Grote-Hogeschool with a modeling career. She is passionate about fashion and loves to spend time in the south of Antwerp.

- Felix Denayer is a professional field hockey player who won the 'Golden Stick' for Best Belgian Hockey player twice. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed for the national team, the Red Lions. While continuing to be the captain of his local club in Brasschaat, the KHC Dragons, Felix combines his love for the sport with economic studies at the University of Antwerp.

- Joke De Coninck is the hippest barista in town. She spends most of her time working in Caffenation, a renowned coffee bar in Antwerp, or hanging about town with her two adorable kids.

- Mark Colle is one of the most sought-after florists in the world, and knows how to transform long-forgotten flowers into amazing installations. This has gained him international recognition and made him the no. 1 choice for haute couture houses. However, his flower creations are available for everyone, in his Antwerp flower shop Baltimore.

- Francine Martens is the most cheerful woman you have ever seen and a legend in Antwerp. She has worked for 50 years at bakery Goossens, the smallest but most authentic bakery in the center of Antwerp where people queue all day long. Francine retired a few years ago, but is still very much linked to the bakery.

For more information, please visit http://www.uniqlo.com/be/ and follow us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/uniqlo.belgium and on Instagram at @uniqlo_be.

Photos of the People Campaign Featuring Six Faces of Antwerp.

Bent Van Looy http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509081.jpg
Helena Eeckeleers http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509082.jpg
Felix Denayer http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509083.jpg
Joke De Coninck & Willem http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509084.jpg
Mark Colle http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509085.jpg
Francine Martens http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_1509086.jpg

About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing

UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under seven main brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Helmut Lang, J Brand, Princesse tam.tam, Theory, and UNIQLO. With global sales of approximately 1.38 trillion yen for the 2014 fiscal year ending August 31, 2014 (US $13.6 billion, calculated in yen using the annual average exchange rate to the end of August 2014 of $1 = 101.5 yen), Fast Retailing is one of the world's largest apparel retail companies, and UNIQLO is Japan's leading specialty retailer.

UNIQLO continues to open large-scale stores in some of the world's most important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to solidify its status as a truly global brand. Today the company has a total of more than 1,600 stores in 16 markets worldwide including Japan, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, U.K. and the U.S. In addition, Grameen UNIQLO, a social business established in Bangladesh in September 2010, currently operates several Grameen UNIQLO stores in Dhaka. UNIQLO manages an integrated business model under which it designs, manufactures, markets and sells high-quality, casual apparel. The company believes that truly great clothes should be supremely comfortable, feature universal designs, are of high quality and offer a superb fit to everyone who wears them.

With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world, Fast Retailing is dedicated to creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and Fast Retailing, please visit www.uniqlo.com and www.fastretailing.com.

For media queries, please contact
Karin Struys
UPR Antwerp
+32 3 230 30 92
karin@upr-corporate.be

Or

Aldo Liguori
Fast Retailing Corporate PR
+81 3 6865 0960
Aldo.Liguori@fastretailing.com

↧

World's Largest International Timepiece Event Opens in Hong Kong

September 7, 2015, 11:20 pm

≫ Next: Uni-Bio Science Group's Chemical Manufacturing Line in Beijing Passes GMP 2010 Standard

≪ Previous: UNIQLO to Open Antwerp Store on 2 October

HONG KONG, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The 34th edition of the prestigious HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair opened today and will run through 12 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair is the biggest event of its kind in the world with more than 780 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions taking part. Among them, Bermuda, Denmark, Lebanon, Russia, and Spain are joining the fair for the first time.

Co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Ltd, the Watch & Clock Fair gathers exhibitors, buyers and industry experts from around the world for five days of networking, intelligence sharing and deal making.

Prestigious timepiece brands

Running alongside the fair, Salon de TE, a premium exhibition area, features exhibitors showcasing close to 160 top brands in five thematic zones, namely, World Brand Piazza, Chic & Trendy, Craft Treasure, Renaissance Moment and Wearable Tech.

World Brand Piazza highlights the superior craftsmanship of leading global brands Blancpain, BOVET, Breguet, BVLGARI, Chopard, CORUM, DeWitt, FRANCK MULLER, Glashutte Original, H. Moser & Cie, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget and Zenith. The Wearable Tech zone displays the newest technological innovation by grouping together branded smart watches from such leading brands as COGITO, Garmin, Kairos, Pebble and Sony. Renaissance Moment, which provides a platform for exquisite European designs, has a strong Swiss influence this year.

Swiss standard time

Switzerland's watchmaking expertise is highlighted at two pavilions, which are making their fair debut. The Swiss Eminence pavilion features the latest creations from such brands as Cyma, Enicar, DOXA and Sultana. Meanwhile, at the SIWP (Swiss Independent Watchmaking Pavilion) timepieces by Charriol, Pilo & Co, Rebellion, Traser and WATCHe are among those on show. Both pavilions are located in the Renaissance Moment zone of Salon de TE.

In the spotlight

A number of watch parades are being held during the fair to spotlight the latest designs to trade buyers. Local celebrities including Joe Ma, Nancy Wu, Myolie Wu and Luk Chan are also on hand to support the product launches of such brands as Kairos, Memorigin, Romago and Sultana. A highlight of the activities on the opening day is a product launch by Tonino Lamborghini, MINI, Van Gogh and Versus Versace.

Gauging the latest trends

A range of seminars shine a light on the emerging trends in the timepiece industry, including today's Hong Kong International Watch Forum. Meanwhile, the Asian Watch Conference tomorrow will feature speakers Nick Gu, Co-founder and Chief Designer, Eone Timepieces and Sam Yang, Founder, Kairos Watches.

Super Saturday welcomes the public

On Saturday (12 September) the Salon de TE Public Day welcomes the general public, giving them a chance to experience the excitement of the timepiece industry at its very best. Public visitors can enjoy watch parades, celebrity events, lucky draws for new watches and much more. Entry is free of charge for the public (aged 12 and above).

Award-winning designs on display

The winning entries from this year's Watch & Clock Design Competition are on display at the fair. This year's competition received about 200 entries in the Open and Student categories built around the themes of "Freedom & Peace" and "Sharing" respectively. Some of the winning pieces are also on show at the The Mira Hong Kong until 12 September.

This year's winners are Tam Kwok-tung, who took top prize for his versatile GEAR TRACK design. Chan Cheuk-yan of the Hong Kong Design Institute won the Student Group for his creation MIS, a watch that can record and share fitness results with other wearers nearby.

Market potential

Hong Kong is the world's largest importer of complete watches by value and the second-largest exporter of complete watches and clocks. In 2014, the city recorded US$10.8 billion worth of imports and US$10.3 billion of exports. The United States, Switzerland, the Chinese mainland, Macau and Japan were the leading destinations for timepiece exports from Hong Kong last year.

Winning entries of the 32nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition http://bit.ly/1XagAdX

Fair Website http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkwatchfair-en/

Photo Download: http://bit.ly/1EQQZB1

About HKTDC

A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.

Google+: http://plus.google.com/+hktdc
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Contact:
HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Joe Kainz
Tel: +852 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

↧

Uni-Bio Science Group's Chemical Manufacturing Line in Beijing Passes GMP 2010 Standard

September 7, 2015, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: Alpha Peak Holds Press Conference in Hong Kong Today Introducing its Tourism Projects in the Swallows' Gully in Ganzi, Sichuan Province

≪ Previous: World's Largest International Timepiece Event Opens in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Uni-Bio Science Group Limited ("Uni-Bio Science" or the "Group;" HKEx code: 690) is pleased to announce that the Group's chemical manufacturing line in Beijing has successfully passed the inspection under "Good Manufacturing Practice (2010 revision)"("GMP 2010") and received the Certificate of GMP for pharmaceutical products issued by China Food and Drug Administration ("CFDA") on 17 August 2015.

Mr. Kingsley LEUNG, Executive Director of Uni-Bio Science, said, "Upgrading to the latest GMP manufacturing standard will provide a number of advantages to the Group, including ensuring freedom to operate, improving product quality and upgrading manufacturing capacity, etc. In addition, we believe the upgrade will provide opportunities for the Group to acquire additional drug licenses to strengthen its competitive position in the industry."

It is a requirement by the CFDA for all industry participants to upgrade their manufacturing facilities to meet the new GMP 2010 standards by the end of 2015. The new standards closely mirror the standards of the European Medicines Agency. Together with the Group's Shenzhen facility, which has already achieved the GMP 2010 certification in 2013, all of the Group's manufacturing lines are new GMP ready. This achievement is an assertion of the Group's strength in producing high quality drugs, ensuring efficacious and safe products for our patients.

About Uni-Bio Science Group Limited

Uni-Bio Science Group Limited is principally engaged in the research and development, manufacture and distribution of pharmaceutical products. The research and development center located in Dongguan, PRC is fully equipped with a complete system for the development of genetically engineered products with a pilot plant test base which is in line with CFDA requirements. The Group also has two GMP manufacturing bases in Beijing and Shenzhen. Both operations in Beijing and Shenzhen produce and distribute their own pharmaceutical products. The Group is focused on the development of novel treatments addressing the therapeutic areas of diabetes, ophthalmology and dermatology.

Contact:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Veron Ng     Phone: +852 2864 4831   Email: veron.ng@sprg.com.hk
Angelus Lau  Phone: +852 2864 4805   Email: angelus.lau@sprg.com.hk
Caley Chan   Phone: +852 2114 4950   Email: caley.chan@sprg.com.hk
Fax:   +852 2527 1196

↧

Alpha Peak Holds Press Conference in Hong Kong Today Introducing its Tourism Projects in the Swallows' Gully in Ganzi, Sichuan Province

September 8, 2015, 1:50 am

≫ Next: Group Lease PCL (SET:GL) Expanding to Indonesia

≪ Previous: Uni-Bio Science Group's Chemical Manufacturing Line in Beijing Passes GMP 2010 Standard

The management of Alpha Peak Leisure Inc., together with the representatives of the People's Government of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province held a press conference on 8 September, 2015 in Hong Kong to introduce Alpha Peak's tourism project in the Swallows' Gully in Ganzi, Sichuan Province.

HONG KONG, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Alpha Peak Leisure Incorporated's management, together with the representatives of the People's Government of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, held a press conference today (8 September, 2015) in Hong Kong to introduce Alpha Peak's tourism project in the Swallows' Gully in Ganzi, Sichuan Province.

Alpha Peak is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:AAP). On June 26, 2015, Alpha Peak has completed its Qualifying Transaction and on July 2, 2015, Alpha Peak has resumed trading as a Tier 1 Industrial Issuer under the symbol "AAP" at the opening of the market.

After completion of the Qualifying Transaction, Gonga Terraferma Limited has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Alpha Peak. Gonga Terraferma has a 40-year operating and development right for Swallows' Gully together with the Hailuo Valley Scenic Area Administration. Located in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan and within a cluster of highly frequented tourist landmarks, Swallows' Gully encompasses an area of approximately 593km2, or 7 times the size of Hong Kong Island. It is recognized as one of the most pristine and beautiful scenic sights in China.

Bob Hot-Hoi Chong, Chairman of the Company, stated, "After more than 9 years of dedication and investment, we are finally ready to unveil our asset, the Swallows' Gully national scenic spot, within the public capital markets. I believe that Swallows' Gully, with its unique natural and cultural endowment, will grow into one of China's high growth and sought after nature destinations, and we have the right management team in place to fully capitalize on the asset's potential." We believe the monopolistic nature of our operating and development right will continue to position Swallows' Gully as a direct beneficiary of China's massive tourism market, burgeoning middle class spending, and highly favorable national and regional policy on infrastructure and tourism, over the longer term.

The site - Swallows' Gully

Swallows' Gully commenced commercial operations in 2013, and has been steadily gaining popularity since its opening. Swallows' Gully has seen meaningful year-on-year visitation growth - Swallows' Gully has received more than 12,000 visitors, representing 58% year-to-year growth. It has strategic collaboration with Hong Kong China Travel Services to jointly promote Swallows' Gully and China Travel would receive 220,000 share options exercisable in 4 years at CAD2.5 per share (38.9% above placing price). Together with its collaboration with Tong Cheng Network, one of the largest online travel reservation platforms in China, Swallows' Gully's direct visitation but also Swallows' Gully awareness regionally and nationally will grow.

Swallows' Gully, situated on the eastern slope of Gonga Mountain, resides in close proximity to Hailuo Valley, which was developed in the late 1980s and now attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually since 2012. Gonga Mountain, known locally as "King of Shu Mountains" and "Minya Konka", is the highest mountain in Sichuan and the third highest peak outside of the Himalayas. It spans 200 kilometers from north to south and extends from east to west for 100 kilometers.

Swallows' Gully boasts many unique geographic attractions, including low-elevation glaciers, virgin forests, rare flora and fauna, natural hot springs and unique rock structures formed over millions of years. There are over 400 wild species of plants and animals, including 30 animals under first or second degree national protection, and 40 species of plants classified as rare and precious. Due to its pristine natural environment and varying elevation, Swallows' Gully hosts a range of rare, unique vegetation and soil belts, grasslands, aromatic and colorful flowers of various breeds, and dense forestry that include Chinese larch, yew and dragon spruce. In addition, according to China's National Terrestrial Air Quality Index, its index is benchmarked against the air quality of Swallow's Gully.

↧

Group Lease PCL (SET:GL) Expanding to Indonesia

September 8, 2015, 2:00 am

≫ Next: North Mining introduced Huarong as their Second Largest Shareholder

≪ Previous: Alpha Peak Holds Press Conference in Hong Kong Today Introducing its Tourism Projects in the Swallows' Gully in Ganzi, Sichuan Province

BANGKOK, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - SET-listed motorcycle leasing firm Group Lease PCL (SET:GL) is setting up a new company to spearhead its expansion into the huge and relatively untapped retail finance and leasing markets in Indonesia, the largest member state of ASEAN with a population of over 250 million.

The new company, PT JTrust Finance Indonesia, is a joint venture between Group Lease Holdings Pte. Ltd. (GLH, a GL subsidiary in Singapore, holding 65%), J Trust Asia Pte. Ltd. (a subsidiary of the J Trust Group which is GL's strategic partner, holding 20%) and PT Wijaya Infrastruktur Indonesia (holding 15%). A formal filing with the SET today (Sept 8, 2015) said the joint venture company will have a registered capital of about US$ 7 million (245 million baht).

According to GL Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mitsuji Konoshita, GL intends to use the 62 branches of J Trust Bank, a local Indonesian bank owned by the J Trust Group, to facilitate and support its entry into the Indonesian markets. J Trust recently subscribed to US$ 30 million worth of convertible debentures issued by GL.

"Registration of the new joint venture company is now underway. We expect the process to be completed within a few months so that we can start doing business within this year," Mr. Konoshita stated.

After GL's highly successful operations in Cambodia and the recent commencement of business in Laos, the entry into Indonesia marks another giant step in the Thailand-based group's regional expansion. This corresponds with the company's corporate vision of becoming "The Leading ASEAN Regional Finance Company" within 5 years.

GL recently reported record-high profits of 129.47 million baht for Q2 ending June this year, an astronomical jump of 1,765% from the same period last year. Aside from lower provisions for bad and doubtful debts that were in line with the country's economic recovery, the substantial profit increases were made possible by larger contributions from the highly successful operations in Cambodia.

Mr. Konoshita projected that the outstanding portfolio in Cambodia (comprising a combination of Honda motorcycles and Kubota farm machineries) would roughly double from US$ 45 million at the end of June to about US$ 80-100 million by year-end. He further expected this to more than double to US$ 250 million by the end of next year. By comparison, the outstanding portfolio for Thailand will rise just about 10% from the current approximate 5 billion baht (US$ 140 million) to 5.5 billion over the same period.

"The growth potential in Cambodia is huge," Mr. Konoshita stated. "And the growth is coming from the rural countryside where 80% of our clients are based. We have seen a great deal of rural development in recent years - new roads, construction, housing - which has created a whole new generation of consumers with new purchasing power which we have never seen before," he added.

Mr. Konoshita noted that these new countryside consumers represent a huge market untouched by GL's competitors which are more focused in cities and other urban areas. As a result, GL Finance (GLF), GL's wholly-owned subsidiary in Cambodia, has emerged as the dominant market leader with an estimated 95% market share. Importantly, these rural markets are relatively insulated from the current global financial volatilities, Mr. Konoshita added.

Equipped with an efficient E-Finance system which substantially shortens the times on credit evaluation for clients, GL is now using the successful model developed in Cambodia for Laos and will introduce the same system for Indonesia once the new joint venture is set up.

Mr. Konoshita expressed his confidence that entry into the Indonesian markets will mark a new chapter that will raise GL to new heights in terms of revenue and profitability. "Like in the case of Cambodia, the markets in Indonesia were not there a few years ago. But thanks to rapid economic development, a whole new generation of consumers with new purchasing power has emerged. And because of the much larger population, the Indonesian markets are ten times bigger than Cambodia," he stated.

Mr. Konoshita stated that while Thailand will continue to be GL's base, overseas operations from the region will make much larger contributions to aggregate group revenues and profits from now on. For instance, profits from Cambodia will match that in Thailand this quarter and surpass the Thai numbers starting in Q4.

According to Mr. Konoshita, the new joint venture company in Indonesia expects to jumpstart leasing business covering motorcycles, farm machinery, solar panels and electrical appliances through the network of 62 branches of J Trust Bank, a local Indonesian bank owned by J Trust Group. "Running parallel to that, the JV company will also become a holding company as and when we succeed in taking over any local Indonesian finance firms."

About Group Lease PCL (GL)

Group Lease Public Company Limited was established on 6th May 1986 and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2004 (SET:GL). In 2007, APF group has become major shareholder by holding around 65% of total shares. The company has expertise in hire-purchase of motorcycles as it has been in the motorcycle leasing business for over 20 years. The motorcycle brands for financing include Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki. In 2012, GL announced a long-term business plan to become the leading finance company in the Southeast Asian region. In order to do so, the Company has acquired Group Lease Holdings Pte., Ltd. (GLH), a Singapore holding company, as a headquarters for its expansion plan in other countries. For more information, please visit www.grouplease.co.th.

Contact:
Master Mind Communications Co., Ltd.
Orn-anong ("Fah") Pattaravejkul
Tel: +66-2-612-2081 #129
Mobile: +66-86-884-4458
E-mail: ornanong.p@mtmultimedia.com
Website: www.mtmultimedia.com

↧

North Mining introduced Huarong as their Second Largest Shareholder

September 8, 2015, 2:19 am

≫ Next: Ingredion to Consolidate Manufacturing Facilities in Brazil

≪ Previous: Group Lease PCL (SET:GL) Expanding to Indonesia

HONG KONG, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - North Mining Shares Company Limited ("North Mining" or the "Group", stock code: 433.HK), one of the top five molybdenum mining companies in mainland China, which focuses on mining operations - exploitation, exploration and trading of molybdenum resource, is pleased to announce the Group has successfully introduced Huarong as the second largest shareholder of the Group by entering into a placing agreement with Driven Innovation Limited, the Placee, a subsidiary of China Huarong International Holdings limited ("Huarong") pursuant to which the Group has conditionally agreed to allot and issue, and the Placee has conditionally agreed to subscribe for 2,900,000,000 Placing Shares at a price of HK$0.08 each. The proceeds from the Placing of about HK$232,000,000 are intended to be used as general working capital for the Group.

The Placing Shares represent (i) approximately 17.06% of the existing issued share capital of the Group of 17,002,616,709 Shares as at the date of this announcement; and (ii) approximately 14.57% of the Group's issued share capital of 19,902,616,709 Shares as enlarged by the Placing Shares. As at the date before completion of the Subscription, the Placee holds 128,000,000 shares, which accounts for approximately 0.75% of the total shares. After completion of the Subscription, the Placee will hold 3,028,000,000 shares, which accounts for approximately 15.21% of the total shares.

The Group considers Huarong as a subsidiary of China Huarong Asset Management Co., Limited which is one of the four largest financial asset management companies in China. Their subscription will, not only provide great support to the future growth of the Group, but also strengthen the Group's financial position, given their solid background and capital strength. On the other hand, the investment from Huarong is considered as the recognition and the vote of confidence and support towards the Group's future development.

An application has been made by the Group to the Stock Exchange for the resumption of training in the Shares on the Stock Exchange with effect from 9:00 a.m. on 9 September 2015.

↧

Ingredion to Consolidate Manufacturing Facilities in Brazil

September 8, 2015, 2:50 am

≫ Next: Lubrizol Acquires Particle Sciences

≪ Previous: North Mining introduced Huarong as their Second Largest Shareholder

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, announced today that it plans to consolidate its manufacturing network in Brazil. Plants in Trombudo Central and Conchal will be closed and production will be moved to plants in Balsa Nova and Mogi Guacu, respectively.

The consolidation will begin early in 2016 and should be complete by the end of the year. It is expected to result in annual cost savings of $6 - 8 million USD beginning in 2017. Total pre-tax restructuring-related charges of $13 - 16 million USD are anticipated in the third quarter of 2015.

"We continuously evaluate our manufacturing network for improvement opportunities. Consolidating production into Balsa Nova and Mogi Guacu is part of our overall restructuring program in our Brazilian operations to reduce costs in our network," said Ricardo Souza, president, Ingredion South America.

Ingredion CFO, Jack Fortnum noted, "The slowing economy recently has impacted volumes in Brazil. However, our continuous improvement programs continue to drive good operational efficiencies. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to maximize productivity and enhance shareholder value."

In addition to Balsa Nova and Mogi Guacu, Ingredion will continue to operate facilities in Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Sao Goncalo, Brazil.

About Ingredion

Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) is a leading global ingredients solutions provider specializing in nature-based sweeteners, starches and nutrition ingredients and biomaterial solutions. With customers in more than 100 countries, Ingredion serves approximately 60 diverse sectors in food, beverage, brewing, pharmaceuticals and other industries. For more information, visit ingredion.com.

CONTACT
Investors: Heather Kos, +1-708-551-2592
Media: Claire Regan, +1-708-551-2602

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Ingredion Incorporated via Globenewswire

↧

Lubrizol Acquires Particle Sciences

September 8, 2015, 3:05 am

≫ Next: Verisk Insurance Solutions Names Maroun Mourad Senior Vice President of Commercial Lines Domestic and Global

≪ Previous: Ingredion to Consolidate Manufacturing Facilities in Brazil

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The Lubrizol Corporation announces that it has acquired Particle Sciences, a leading contract drug development and manufacturing organization with a comprehensive suite of services for the formulation, analysis and production of complex drug delivery solutions. Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Particle Sciences is a global leader in complex formulations including drug eluting device product development as well as sterile and particulate drug products. This acquisition further expands Lubrizol LifeSciences' pharmaceutical development capabilities, providing full service drug delivery solutions to the market across a variety of dosage forms.

"With the addition of Particle Sciences and the recent acquisition of Vesta, we are now able to offer customers a complete solution that is one of the most comprehensive in the industry," stated Deb Langer, vice president and general manager, Lubrizol LifeSciences. "Additionally, the Particle Sciences acquisition allows us to leverage our core polymer chemistry into tailored solutions for novel implantable and dermal drug delivery systems for improved patient outcomes."

Lubrizol LifeSciences has significantly expanded its capabilities through new products, state-of-the-art facilities, acquisitions and alliances. The combination of Lubrizol's polymer expertise, Vesta's quality medical manufacturing and Particle Sciences' leadership in drug formulation development, allows LifeSciences to provide end-to-end solutions for success in the drug delivery market. With this unique combination, Lubrizol LifeSciences delivers comprehensive medical and pharmaceutical solutions, including to the growing combination product market.

"Particle Sciences and Lubrizol LifeSciences have worked together for several years providing various elements of an end-to-end solution from polymer supply through formulation and commercial manufacturing," said Mark Mitchnick, chief executive officer, Particle Sciences. "With this transaction, Lubrizol LifeSciences acquires Particle Sciences' extensive formulation, analytic and production assets for drug eluting devices, particulate, sterile and other complex drug products established over the last 10 years. We expect that coordinating all of this under one company will greatly benefit our customers."

Particle Sciences will now be part of Lubrizol Advanced Materials but will retain its company name. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About The Lubrizol Corporation

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a technology-driven global company that combines complex, specialty chemicals to optimize the quality, performance and value of customers' products while reducing their environmental impact. It produces and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, driveline and other transportation-related fluids, industrial lubricants, as well as additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for home care and personal care products and pharmaceuticals, and specialty materials, including plastics technology and performance coatings in the form of specialty resins and additives. Our products for the oilfield market include technologies for exploration, production and transportation.

With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2014 were $7 billion. For more information, visit Lubrizol.com.

Media Contact
Julie S. Young
+1-440-347-4432
Website: www.lubrizol.com

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Lubrizol via Globenewswire

↧

Verisk Insurance Solutions Names Maroun Mourad Senior Vice President of Commercial Lines Domestic and Global

September 8, 2015, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. to Release Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results on Monday, November 2, 2015

≪ Previous: Lubrizol Acquires Particle Sciences

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sep 8, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Maroun Mourad, an insurance and reinsurance industry executive with a 17-year domestic and international track record, has joined Verisk Insurance Solutions as senior vice president of Commercial Lines Domestic and Global, ISO Insurance Programs and Analytic Services. Verisk Insurance Solutions is a leading source of information about property/casualty insurance risk and a Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK) business.

In his new role, Mourad will provide leadership in maintaining ISO's position in the U.S. commercial insurance markets and help grow its footprint in the specialty, reinsurance, and global space.

Mourad was most recently chief executive officer of Zurich Insurance Group's Middle East operations based in Dubai. He started his career in underwriting at Gen Re in San Francisco and later worked for the company in Paris and London. He then joined AIG as vice president, profit center manager, and chief operating officer for its European Financial Lines division. He later joined an Arch Re subsidiary, Gulf Re, as chief operating officer to launch its start-up reinsurance company in Dubai.

Mourad is a frequent speaker at industry events and recently published The Insurance Management Playbook: A Leader's Guide. He received his bachelor of arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.

"Maroun's strong background in managing insurance and reinsurance businesses globally will allow us to better serve our customers in the commercial space by adding depth and breadth to our solution offerings to the industry," said Beth Fitzgerald, president of ISO Insurance Programs and Analytic Services.

About Verisk Insurance Solutions

A Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK) business, Verisk Insurance Solutions is a leading source of information about property/casualty insurance risk. Drawing upon vast experience in data management, security, and predictive modeling to serve its clients, Verisk Insurance Solutions includes the industry-leading brands of ISO, AIR Worldwide, and Xactware. In the United States and around the world, Verisk Insurance Solutions helps customers protect people, property, and financial assets. For more information, visit www.verisk.com/insurance.

Contact:
Giuseppe Barone/Colleen Finley
MWW Group (for Verisk Insurance Solutions)
+1-201-507-9500
gbarone@mww.com
cfinley@mww.com

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Verisk Analytics Inc. via Globenewswire

↧

Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. to Release Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results on Monday, November 2, 2015

September 8, 2015, 11:55 pm

≫ Next: Honda Announces Wild Card Entry Japanese Honda Riders for 2015 FIM MotoGP WorldChampionship Series Round 15 - The MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan

≪ Previous: Verisk Insurance Solutions Names Maroun Mourad Senior Vice President of Commercial Lines Domestic and Global

PEMBROKE, Bermuda, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:ENH) a Bermuda-based provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, today announced that it will issue its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 on Monday, November 2, 2015 after the close of the financial markets.

On November 3, 2015, John R. Charman, Chairman and CEO, and members of senior management will host a conference call at 9:00 AM (Eastern) to discuss the financial results.

The conference call can be accessed via telephone by dialing (888) 220-8451 (toll-free) or (913) 312-1482 (international) and entering Passcode 1907382. Those who intend to participate in the conference call should register at least ten minutes in advance to ensure access to the call. The public may access a live broadcast of the conference call at the "Investor Relations" section of Endurance's website, www.endurance.bm. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available through November 17, 2015 by dialing (888) 203-1112 (toll-free) or (719) 457-0820 (international) and entering Passcode 1907382.

About Endurance Specialty Holdings

Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. is a global specialty provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Through its operating subsidiaries, Endurance writes agriculture, casualty and other specialty, professional lines and property, marine and energy lines of insurance and catastrophe, property, casualty, professional lines and specialty lines of reinsurance. We maintain excellent financial strength as evidenced by the ratings of A (Excellent) from A.M. Best (XV size category) and A (Strong) from Standard and Poor's on our principal operating subsidiaries. Endurance's headquarters are located at Waterloo House, 100 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda and its mailing address is Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., Suite No. 784, No. 48 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda. For more information about Endurance, please visit www.endurance.bm.

Contact
Investor Relations
Phone: +1 441 278 0988
Email: investorrelations@endurance.bm

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd via Globenewswire

↧

Honda Announces Wild Card Entry Japanese Honda Riders for 2015 FIM MotoGP WorldChampionship Series Round 15 - The MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan

September 9, 2015, 5:32 am

≫ Next: Moutai Deploys Five Overseas Sales Districts, Striving to Be a Worldwide Drink

≪ Previous: Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. to Release Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results on Monday, November 2, 2015

Team HRC RC213V

TOKYO, Sep 9, 2015 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda has finalized the Japanese riders and teams to compete on Honda machines in each class in Round 15 of the 2015 FIM MotoGP World Championship series, the MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan, In the MotoGP class, Takumi Takahashi (Team HRC #72 / 25 years old) will ride the Honda RC213V for Team HRC.

In the Moto2 class, 2014 All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class champion Yuki Takahashi (Moriwaki Racing / 31 years old) and 2015 Asia Road Racing Championship rider Tomoyoshi Koyama (NTS T.Pro Project / 32 years old) will be competing.

In the Moto3 class, 2015 All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class rider Ryo Mizuno (MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO / 17 years old) and teammate Keisuke Kurihara (MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO / 18 years old) will compete on the Honda NSF250R.

MotoGP class rider Takumi Takahashi has contributed as an HRC development test rider, and currently competes in this season's All Japan Road Race Championship Series in the JSB1000 class for MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO. He has won the Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Road Race in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and is the first rider since Shinichi Ito in 2011 to ride for HRC in the MotoGP class as a wild card entrant.

Takumi Takahashi

"I have been involved in a few pre-season MotoGP tests at Twin Ring Motegi before, and have seen how the world's best competitors ride. I'm entralled to be offered this opportunity to compete with the world's best riders. I'll be giving it my best to live up to everyone's expectations."

Moto2 class rider Yuki Takahashi began his career in the FIM Road Racing World Championship Series in 2005, competing in the 250cc class. Winning the class twice, he moved up to the MotoGP class in 2009. In 2010 he returned to the now-Moto2 class, and in 2014 moved to racing in the All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class, in which he became champion. Takahashi will be competing for this second consecutive year in the Grand Prix of Japan.

Yuki Takahashi

"I'm grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity to compete as a wild card entry in the Moto2 class for this year's MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan. The Moto2 class is an all-Honda engine race, powered by CBR600RR engines. I'll be giving my best as part of the Honda family, within the environment I've been given."

Tomoyoshi Koyama

"I'm glad to be racing in the Moto2 class on an NTS machine for the second year running. I'll be using all of my grand prix racing experience to finish as high up the ranking as possible."

Moto3 class entrants Ryo Mizuno and Keisuke Kurihara race for MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO in the J-GP3 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship Series. High-school rider Mizuno, only 17 years old, is currently ranked 3rd, standing on the podium in all of this season's races to date, and aims to finish among the top riders in his first World Grand Prix race.

Ryo Mizuno

"Entering the Grand Prix of Japan as a wild card is very exciting, and will be a valuable experience for me. A lot of people supported me to get this far. I'll be aiming to finish as close to the top as possible, to show my appreciation."

Keisuke Kurihara

"I'm looking forward to see how I compete in the grand prix, as my performance in the All Japan Road Race Championship Series is improving. I'll be battling with World Grand Prix riders for the first time on unaccustomed tires, but I'll give it my best, and at least finish within the points."

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA.L) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

Contact:
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512

↧

Moutai Deploys Five Overseas Sales Districts, Striving to Be a Worldwide Drink

September 9, 2015, 5:37 am

≫ Next: Gemalto Releases Findings of First Half 2015 Breach Level Index

≪ Previous: Honda Announces Wild Card Entry Japanese Honda Riders for 2015 FIM MotoGP WorldChampionship Series Round 15 - The MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan

HONG KONG, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - 100 years ago, after shining and winning a gold prize at the international exposition, Moutai was starting its journey as China's national liquor. Experiencing such major changes as nationalization, reform and opening-up, as well as market economy, this timeless national brand now chooses to start again and fully explore overseas markets. In our interview, Yuan Renguo, Chairman of Moutai Group, indicates that the key for Moutai to go abroad is cultural integration. To attract more people to understand the charm of Chinese liquor, Moutai Group is preparing to set up five overseas sales districts and sell Moutai liquor to all corners of the world. "I believe that Moutai will become a worldwide drink sooner or later."

In 1915, Moutai liquor was taken to San Francisco, USA and exhibited at the Panama Pacific International Exposition. When moving exhibits, a Chinese representative dropped a Moutai jar. Immediately, the aroma permeated the air and visitors were attracted to taste Moutai. As a result, Moutai won a gold prize, leaving a legend of "revitalizing national prestige by wisely dropping a Moutai jar".

Yuan Renguo is proud of talking about Moutai's journey to fame. "Poor and weak, China at that time suffered much discrimination. Besides, with rustic packaging, Moutai liquor was unnoticed at the first few days." He says with a smile, "Thanks to the extraordinary wisdom of our ancestors, a world brand stood out from this drop, which could be regarded as China's earliest successful marketing case."

With deep feeling, Yuan Renguo says that the remote Moutai Town was courageous to participate in an overseas exhibition and won an international gold prize; this not only started a journey towards the world for China's national brands but also reflected our great confidence for national products. This year marks Moutai's 100th anniversary of winning the Panama gold prize and Moutai kicks off its overseas celebrations in Hong Kong on August 20. Later in October to November, Moutai will further hold commemorations in Russia, Milan, and the United States.

There were so many once fashionable national brands, but only an extremely few could survive for over a century and still shine today. Yuan Renguo thinks that the key for Moutai to remain timeless lies in its stringent principles on technique and quality. According to his introduction, from material feeding to delivery of finished product, each bottle of Moutai liquor is made through at least five years. Even at the time when supply falls short of demand and the retail prices are frequently ramped up, Moutai Group still sticks to the production principle of "not selling liquors before they are fully mature".

In Yuan Renguo's mind, every production stage of Moutai reflects not only the pursuit of "art" but also the adherence to "Tao". For example, the production process and technique are in tune with seasons; with "ferment production during the Dragon Boat Festival, material feeding during the Double Ninth Festival", steaming for nine times, fermenting for eight times, and collecting liquor for seven times, the entire cycle covers four seasons of a year. Yuan Renguo compares this to the principle that "time will tell" in the friendship of Chinese people; over long time, all impurities are eliminated but the mellowness and aroma remain in the liquor.

Moutai's blending process is also very exquisite. After being sealed and stored in pottery jars for three years, dozens of or even hundreds of liquors with different ages, stages, and alcohol contents are reasonably proportioned. Coming entirely from the carefully blended base liquors, without adding any other substances, Moutai features "the older, the better aroma". Yuan Renguo says frankly that Moutai's blending reflects Confucianism's enterprising spirit, benevolence, and harmony, Buddhism's charity, implicitness, and elusiveness, as well as Taoism's philosophy of learning from nature and achieving the harmony between man and nature.

In order to help overseas customers to have a better understanding of Moutai culture, Moutai Group is speeding up its layout in the global market. Yuan Renguo reveals that Moutai Group is preparing to set up five major sales districts, that is, North America, Russia, Western Europe, Japan and Korea, and Australia. According to accounts, Moutai currently has over 100 overseas agencies (including Hong Kong and Macau) and overseas sales account for 7-8%; however, most customers are overseas Chinese and the market penetration needs to be further improved.

Yuan Renguo intends to employ people overseas as local distributors, promote China's liquor culture from the perspective of foreigners, and introduce Moutai's health concept; he believes that these measures will have much better propaganda effect. He also points out that although the reduction of ex-factory price based on the tax rate of each country may lower the profit margin, still, based on the brand internationalization strategy for the coming 10 years, Moutai Group will continue to increase its overseas marketing efforts and make Moutai a truly international brand.

(From: Ta Kung Pao)

↧

Gemalto Releases Findings of First Half 2015 Breach Level Index

September 8, 2015, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: DOCOMO Launches Trial of Handwriting Translation Service Tegaki Hon'yaku

≪ Previous: Moutai Deploys Five Overseas Sales Districts, Striving to Be a Worldwide Drink

AMSTERDAM, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today released the findings of the Breach Level Index for the first six months of 2015, revealing that 888 data breaches occurred, compromising 246 million records worldwide.

Compared to the first half of 2014, data breaches increased by 10% while the number of compromised data records declined by 41% during the first six months of this year. This decline in compromised records can most likely be attributed to that fact that fewer large scale mega breaches have occurred in the retail industry compared to the same period last year.

Despite the decrease in the number of compromised records, large data breaches continued to expose massive amounts of personal information and identities. The largest breach in the first half of 2015 - which scored a 10 in terms of severity on the Breach Level Index - was an identity theft attack on Anthem Insurance that exposed 78.8 million records, representing almost a third (32%) of the total data records stolen in the first six months of 2015. Other notable breaches during this analysis period included a 21-million-record breach at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (BLI: 9.7); a 50-million-record breach at Turkey's General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (BLI: 9.3); and a 20-million-record breach at Russia's Topface (BLI: 9.2). In fact, the top 10 breaches accounted for 81.4% of all compromised records.

"What we're continuing to see is a large ROI for hackers with sophisticated attacks that expose massive amounts of data records. Cyber criminals are still getting away with big and very valuable data sets. For instance, the average healthcare data breach in the first half of 2015 netted more than 450,000 data records, which is an increase of 200 percent compared to the same time last year," said Jason Hart, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Data Protection at Gemalto.

Data Breaches by Source

The number of state-sponsored attacks accounted for just 2% of data breach incidents, but the number of records compromised as a result of those attacks totalled 41% of all records exposed, due to the breaches at Anthem Insurance and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. While none of the top 10 breaches from first half of 2014 were caused by state-sponsored attacks, three of the top ten this year were state sponsored - including the top two.

At the same time, malicious outsiders were the leading source of data breaches in the first half of 2015, accounting for 546 or 62% of breaches, compared to 465 or 58% in the first half of last year. Forty-six percent or 116 million of the total compromised records were attributable to malicious outsiders, down from 71.8% or 298 million in 2014.

Data Breaches by Type

Identity theft remained the primary type of breach, accounting for 75% of all records compromised and slightly more than half (53%) of data breaches in the first half of 2015. Five of the top ten breaches, including the top three - which were all classified as Catastrophic on the BLI - were identity theft breaches, down from seven of the top 10 from the same period last year.

Data Breaches by Industry

Across industries, the government and healthcare sectors accounted for about two-thirds of compromised data records (31% and 34% respectively), though healthcare only accounted for 21% of breaches this year, down from 29% compared to the same period last year. The retail sector saw a significant drop in the number of stolen data records, accounting for 4% compared to 38% for the same period last year. Across regions, the U.S. represented the largest share with three-quarters (76%) of data breaches and nearly half of all compromised records (49%). Turkey accounted for 26% of compromised records, with its massive GDPCA breach in which 50 million records were breached by a malicious outsider.

The level of encryption used to protect exposed data -- which can dramatically reduce the impact of data breaches - increased slightly to 4% of all breaches compared with 1% in H1 2014.

"While the number of data breaches fluctuates, it's still clear that breaches are not a matter of 'if' but 'when.' The Breach Level Index data shows that most companies are not able to protect their data once their perimeter defences are compromised. Although more companies are encrypting data, they are not doing it at the levels needed to reduce the magnitude of these attacks," added Hart. "What is needed is a data-centric view of digital threats starting with better identity and access control techniques including multi-factor authentication and strong encryption to render sensitive information useless to thieves."

According to Forrester, as cybercriminals have become more skillful and sophisticated, they have eroded the effectiveness of traditional perimeter-based security controls. The constantly mutating threat landscape requires new defensive measures, one of which is the pervasive use of data encryption technologies. In the future, organizations will encrypt data - both in motion and at rest - by default. This data-centric approach to security is a much more effective way to keep up with determined cybercriminals. By encrypting, and thereby devaluing sensitive data, organizations can make cybercriminals bypass their networks and look for less robustly protected targets. Encryption will become a strategic cornerstone for security and risk executives responsible for their organization's data security and privacy efforts.[1]

For a full summary of data breach incidents for the first half of 2015 by industry, source, type and geographic region, download the 1H 2015 Breach Level Index Report. http://bit.ly/1LWotxp

The Breach Level Index provides a centralized, global database of data breaches and calculates their severity based on multiple dimensions, including the type of data and the number of records stolen, the source of the breach, and whether or not the data was encrypted. By assigning a severity score to each breach, the BLI provides a comparative list of breaches, distinguishing nuisances from truly impactful mega breaches. Information populating the BLI database is based on publicly-available breach disclosure information. For more information, visit www.breachlevelindex.com.

Related Resources:

- Infographic: 2015 1H Breach Level Index http://bit.ly/1ivL5v4
- Secure the Breach Manifesto http://bit.ly/16W0puU
- Secure the Breach Web Site http://www.securethebreach.com/

[1] Forrester Research, Inc., Kill Your Data to Protect It From Cybercriminals, July 12, 2012

Press release (PDF): http://hugin.info/159293/R/1950610/709248.pdf

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security, with 2014 annual revenues of EUR 2.5 billion and blue-chip customers in over 180 countries.

Gemalto helps people trust one another in an increasingly connected digital world. Billions of people want better lifestyles, smarter living environments, and the freedom to communicate, shop, travel, bank, entertain and work - anytime, everywhere - in ways that are enjoyable and safe. In this fast moving mobile and digital environment, we enable companies and administrations to offer a wide range of trusted and convenient services by securing financial transactions, mobile services, public and private clouds, eHealthcare systems, access to eGovernment services, the Internet and internet-of-things and transport ticketing systems.

Gemalto's unique technology portfolio - from advanced cryptographic software embedded in a variety of familiar objects, to highly robust and scalable back-office platforms for authentication, encryption and digital credential management - is delivered by our world-class service teams. Our 14,000 employees operate out of 99 offices, 34 personalization and data centers, and 24 research and software development centers located in 46 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Gemalto media contacts:

Philippe Benitez
North America
+1 512 257 3869
philippe.benitez@gemalto.com

Peggy Edoire
Europe & CIS
+33 4 42 36 45 40
peggy.edoire@gemalto.com

Vivian Liang
Greater China
+86 1059373046
vivian.liang@gemalto.com

Ernesto Haikewitsch
Latin America
+55 11 5105 9220
ernesto.haikewitsch@gemalto.com

Kristel Teyras
Middle East & Africa
+33 1 55 01 57 89
kristel.teyras@gemalto.com

Pierre Lelievre
Asia Pacific
+65 6317 3802
pierre.lelievre@gemalto.com

↧

DOCOMO Launches Trial of Handwriting Translation Service Tegaki Hon'yaku

September 8, 2015, 7:40 pm

≫ Next: Hartwig Kos joins SYZ Asset Management as Co-Head of the Multi-Asset team

≪ Previous: Gemalto Releases Findings of First Half 2015 Breach Level Index

TOKYO, Sep 9, 2015 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has launched a free trial of Tegaki Hon'yaku, a translation application that allows users to write on the screen of a smartphone or tablet and have their words translated between Japanese and four other languages. Customer feedback will be incorporated into the service ahead of a commercial launch scheduled to happen by the end of this year.

Tegaki Hon'yaku leverages DOCOMO's translation servers and MyScript's handwriting recognition technology to convert handwritten English, French, Korean and simplified Chinesenotice to Japanese and vice versa. The application also has an illustration function that enables users to communicate by drawing, a useful feature for annotating translations with maps or other visual aids that would be difficult to explain in words. By offering the service in conjunction with existing services Hanashite Hon'yaku, which translates spoken language, and Utsushite Hon'yaku, which scans and translates printed language, DOCOMO aims to offer a comprehensive translation service for smoother multilingual communication.

As part of the trial and in collaboration with Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation, DOCOMO has installed Tegaki Hon'yaku on the tablets used by guides and concierges at the Haneda Airport International Passenger Terminal. Until November 30, the staff will have the assistance of Tegaki Hon'yaku in giving directions and explaining airport facilities to foreign visitors.

The Tegaki Hon'yaku trial is not restricted to DOCOMO customers. Any Google Play customers with an account registered in Japan or the U.S. may download the application on their mobile device running Android 4.3 or later.

DOCOMO has been taking the initiative in developing technologies for natural multilingual communications and will continue to offer advanced translation services.

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO provides innovative, convenient and secure mobile services that enable smarter living for each customer. The company serves over 65 million mobile customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world's first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/ for more information.

Contact:
NTT DOCOMO
International PR
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-5156-1366    
Fax: +81-3-5501-3408
URL: www.nttdocomo.com
Contact: https://nes.nttdocomo.co.jp/PINQ01/showinquiry.do

↧

Hartwig Kos joins SYZ Asset Management as Co-Head of the Multi-Asset team

September 8, 2015, 9:40 pm

≫ Next: StatPro Revolution Releases Advanced Risk Management Features

≪ Previous: DOCOMO Launches Trial of Handwriting Translation Service Tegaki Hon'yaku

Geneva, Switzerland, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - SYZ Asset Management, the institutional asset management division of the SYZ Group, today announces the appointment of Hartwig Kos as Co-Head of the Multi-Asset team. Hartwig Kos will co-manage the team with Fabrizio Quirighetti and also serve as Vice-CIO of SYZ Asset Management. He will take up his position on 15 October 2015.

Based in London, Hartwig Kos will contribute with his specific skills and experience in active allocation strategies to the team of 7 people in place and will take over the management of the OYSTER Multi-Asset Diversified fund as lead manager. For their part, Fabrizio Quirighetti and his team in Geneva will manage the OYSTER Multi-Asset Absolute Return EUR and OYSTER Absolute Return GBP and Fixed Income strategies.

Before joining SYZ Asset Management, Hartwig was a Director in the Global Multi Asset Group at Baring Asset Management, where he was responsible for managing the Baring Euro Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund. He was also the Co-Manager of the Baring Dynamic Emerging Market Fund. Moreover, Hartwig was a member of the Strategic Policy Group at Barings, the firm's asset allocation committee. Hartwig holds a Ph.D. in Finance from Cass Business School in London and a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Basel, Switzerland. Hartwig is also a CFA(R) charterholder.

The London office is one of SYZ Asset Management's clusters of excellence and notably houses the European equities fund management and research team. An office was opened in Edinburgh in November 2014 to include additional European fund management and research capabilities and an expanded sales team.

Commenting on the appointment, Katia Coudray, CEO of SYZ Asset Management, said: "I am pleased to have hired Hartwig Kos. He is an investment professional who is highly respected by his peers and his renowned experience in active allocation management adds value to our fund management team."

Hartwig Kos added: "SYZ Asset Management has an excellent reputation and a convincing track record in the competitive field of multi-asset management. I am delighted to be a part of this team and join a Group with a strong investment culture and a human dimension."

For further information, please contact:
Moreno Volpi
Tel.: +41 (0)58 799 16 98
E-mail: moreno.volpi@syzgroup.com

About SYZ Asset Management*

SYZ Asset Management, the institutional asset management division of the SYZ Group, provides investment solutions to Swiss and international institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurance companies, corporations and investment funds. SYZ Asset Management meets the highest standards in terms of institutional management and service to its clients using its own resources as regards economic research and financial analysis as well as in portfolio management and risk management.

* Any reference to SYZ Asset Management (SYZ AM) in this document, should be construed as being a reference to any one or more of the legal entities, listed below, dependent on the particular jurisdiction in which the document is published, subject to the investment products and services referred to herein being available to potential investors or categories of investors in such jurisdictions.

SYZ Asset Management (Luxembourg) SA, SYZ Asset Management (Suisse) SA, SYZ Asset Management (Asia) Limited, SYZ Asset Management (Europe) Limited, SYZ (France) SAS

About SYZ Group

Founded in 1996 in Geneva, Swiss banking group SYZ focuses exclusively on asset management via two complementary pillars: high-end private banking (Banque SYZ) and asset management (SYZ Asset Management). SYZ employs 580 staff and has CHF 40 billion in assets under management (EUR 39 billion, USD 40 billion). Headquartered in Geneva, the Group also has offices in Zurich, Lugano, Locarno, Milan, Madrid, London, Luxembourg, Brussels, Paris, Dubai, Johannesburg, Miami, Nassau and Hong Kong. www.syzgroup.com

About OYSTER Funds

OYSTER is SYZ Asset Management's UCITS investment fund range, developed by SYZ Asset Management to address the needs of a diversified client base including professionals. With a strong commitment to performance, this Luxembourg SICAV comprises nearly 30 sub-funds, covering a variety of asset classes, markets and investment styles. OYSTER is currently registered and/or distributed in various European and Asian countries through a vast distribution network. To satisfy a discerning and demanding client base, SYZ Asset Management entrusts management of its OYSTER funds to internal and external fund managers. A number of strategies have resulted in certain sub funds being the recipients of internationally recognised awards. www.oysterfunds.com

This document has been issued in the UK by SYZ Asset Management (Europe) Limited (authorised and regulated by the FCA with reference number 666766).

Contacts

OYSTER Sicav
11-13 Boulevard de la Foire
L-1528 Luxembourg
info@oysterfunds.com

SYZ Asset Management
(Luxembourg) SA
54 rue Charles Martel
L-2134 Luxembourg
Tel.: +352 26 27 36 1

Disclaimer

Oyster SICAV is an open-ended multi-fund investment company established and regulated in Luxembourg and recognised in the United Kingdom ("UK") by the FCA under s. 264 Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 with reference number 534187. This document has been issued in the UK by SYZ Asset Management (Europe) Limited (authorised and regulated by the FCA with reference number 666766). Potential investors in the United Kingdom are advised that none of the protections afforded by the UK regulatory system will apply to an investment in any Oyster SICAV sub fund and that compensation will not generally be available under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Copies in English of the SICAV's current Prospectus and Key Investor Information Document can be obtained from SYZ Asset Management (Europe) Limited. Instructions to purchase or redeem shares of any class available to UK Investors can also be placed with them. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and the value of investments can fall over time as well as rise. An investment in sub-funds of Oyster SICAV involves risks that are more fully described in the Prospectus. The content of this media release is provided solely for information purposes and constitutes neither a recommendation to buy or sell. Always consider taking independent investment advice from a person properly authorised and regulated prior to investing.

Hartwig Kos - Press release http://hugin.info/166509/R/1950727/709313.pdf

↧

StatPro Revolution Releases Advanced Risk Management Features

September 9, 2015, 1:10 am

≫ Next: HNA Group Speeds up the Overseas Acquisitions as Bohai Leasing Acquires 100% Equity Interest in Avolon

≪ Previous: Hartwig Kos joins SYZ Asset Management as Co-Head of the Multi-Asset team

LONDON, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - StatPro Group plc (AIM: SOG), the AIM listed provider of cloud-based portfolio analysis for the asset management industry, today announced that it has released the latest version of StatPro Revolution to all clients. This release marks the 64th release of the cloud-based platform and is the third regular update in 2015.

Our latest version of StatPro Revolution continues our expansion of advanced risk management with new relative risk and risk attribution dashboards, supporting reports and enhanced table view configuration options.

These new risk dashboards build upon the risk measures introduced in the last version and provide a dynamic, visual analysis of a portfolio's risk against a benchmark. StatPro Revolution's advanced risk management analysis is now combined with our award winning compliance monitoring feature.

To support the new relative risk attribution dashboards we have created two new reports, Value at Risk Attribution and Expected Tracking Error Attribution, which are now available in the report library. The analysis grids within the new risk management dashboards have also been enhanced, allowing users to now configure up to 15 measures to compare against each other.

In addition, StatPro is honored to have won the 2015 Wealth & Money Management Award for 'Best Portfolio Analysis Platform - UK', adding to our recent awards for risk and performance analysis.

Dario Cintioli, MD StatPro says, "This release marks a key milestone in our strategy of delivering top-quality performance, risk and compliance analytics in a single cloud-based platform. The combination of advanced risk functionality and our award-winning compliance module in one integrated workflow will further benefit our clients, spreading risk analytics throughout their organizations in an efficient and cost-effective manner".

About StatPro

StatPro is a global provider of award winning portfolio analytics solutions for the investment community. The Group's cloud-based platform provides vital analysis of portfolio performance, attribution, risk and compliance. This multi asset-class analytics platform helps StatPro's clients increase assets under management, improve client service, meet tough regulations and reduce costs. The Group's integrated and global data coverage includes over 3.2 million securities such as equities, bonds, mutual funds, FX rates, futures, options, OTCs, sector classifications and much else besides. StatPro also covers most families of benchmarks including MSCI, FTSE, Russell, NASDAQ and the licence free Freedom Index.

StatPro has grown its recurring revenue from less than GBP 1 million in 1999 to around GBP 29 million at 30 June 2015. StatPro floated on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in May 2000 and transferred its listing to AIM in June 2003. The Group has operations in Europe, North America, South Africa, Asia and Australia, and approximately 500 clients in 37 countries around the world. Approximately 80% of recurring revenues are generated outside the UK. www.statpro.com

Contact
info@statpro.com

###

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: StatPro Inc. via Globenewswire

↧

HNA Group Speeds up the Overseas Acquisitions as Bohai Leasing Acquires 100% Equity Interest in Avolon

September 9, 2015, 1:13 am

≫ Next: Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) Underscores Mindset Change among Businesses to Create Impact on Society

≪ Previous: StatPro Revolution Releases Advanced Risk Management Features

The Signing Ceremony

HONG KONG, Sep 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - On 7 September, Bohai Leasing Co., Ltd ("Bohai Leasing"), a majority controlled subsidiary of the HNA Group, has officially announced that it is to acquire 100% equity interest in Avolon Holdings Ltd ("Avolon"), the international aircraft leasing company, at a consideration of approximately US$2.56 billion. Upon the completion of the acquisition, Bohai Leasing would be one of the top ten aircraft leasing companies in the world.

Avolon, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has rapidly expanded its fleet in recent years. According to the statistic from the aircraft magazine Airline Business, Avolon is the 11th largest aircraft leasing company in the world, based on the value of the fleet. As at 30 June 2015, Avolon had an owned, managed and committed fleet of 260 aircraft, including 143 self-owned aircraft, nine managed aircraft, and 108 aircraft obtained through signed purchase agreement. The book value of the aircraft assets has reached US$6.36 billion.

Bohai Leasing is one of the leading comprehensive leasing industry groups in China, and the only listed leasing company on the Chinese A-Share stock market, and is engaged in full license operation of both domestic and foreign financial leasing. Their major businesses include aircraft leasing, container leasing, infrastructure and high-end equipment leasing and it is the largest container leasing company in the world. Bohai Leasing also owns Hong Kong Aviation Capital ("HKAC"), Seaco and Cronos in foreign countries. Its overseas revenue accounts for 70% of its total income.

Aircraft leasing market development
Aviation leasing is a strategic element as one of the three pillars of the leasing business of Bohai Leasing. The recovery of the global aviation industry has maintained good momentum after the financial crisis. According to the forecast of Airline Business, aviation companies require 36,770 new aircraft with a value of US$5,200 billion, and more than 60% of the aircraft are obtained by leasing in the global aviation industry. Thus the aircraft leasing market offers great potential.

Bohai Leasing for its part has also accelerated the development of its aviation leasing business particularly domestically since 2013 through its wholly owned subsidiary Tianjin Bohai Leasing Co., Ltd. HKAC, the largest aircraft leasing platform of Bohai Leasing, is one of the leading companies in the global aircraft leasing market with a highly specialized capability and reasonable point of time in the lifespan of its fleet structure. Currently, HKAC has 74 aircraft in its fleet. As an analyst noted, under Bohai Leasing's investment project announced early this year, HKAC is expected to obtain RMB 8 billion, which can be used to purchase nearly RMB 100 billion of aircraft assets and significantly expand the fleet, based on the acquisition charges for international companies and the leverage ratio of aircraft procurement loans. After Bohai Leasing has set up its aircraft leasing operation both overseas and in China, it has moved ahead of its peers by establishing the first aircraft assets management company in China, Tianjin Bohai Leasing Co. Ltd., in 2014 in order to develop the domestic civil aircraft leasing market.

The acquisition of Avolon will bring lucrative financial returns as well as enhance Bohai Leasing's bargaining power and influence in the global aviation industry. It will benefit from greater economies of scale and synergies through the interaction with the platforms under the HNA Group. It will also reduce the cost of aviation business and enhance profit levels. This acquisition will boost the development of the China aircraft leasing market through the integration of advanced aircraft asset management, improvement of risk management, and the added resources of Avolon. It is a significant advance in the professional standards of China's aviation leasing industry.

According to the statistics of Finance & Leasing, among the top 15 global aircraft leasing companies, two of them are PRC-funded companies, i.e. ICBC Leasing under ICBC ranked ninth and China Development Bank Leasing under China Development Bank ranked 12th. After completion of the acquisition of Avolon, Bohai Leasing would become another PRC-funded aircraft leasing company among the global top 10, demonstrating its ambition to lead the international aircraft leasing sector after rising to become the top player in the global container industry.

About HNA Group

HNA Group is a Fortune Global 500 company and a leading enterprise group headquartered in Haikou, China with core businesses spanning across aviation, holdings, tourism, capital and logistics. The Group achieved annual revenues of approximately US$21 billion and had total assets of approximately US$76 billion with around 110,000 employees for the year ended 31 December 2014. With its internationalization strategy, HNA Group has established an international presence through various merger and acquisition projects in the past several years. For more information, please visit www.hnagroup.com.

Contact:
HNA Group (International) Company Limited
Ms. Abby LEE  Tel:  (852) 3196 0956  Email: abby.cmlee@hnair.com  

Strategic Financial Relations (China) Limited
Ms. Karen HUNG  Tel:  (852) 2864 4845  Email: karen.hung@sprg.com.hk 
Ms. Ada LEUNG   Tel:  (852) 2114 4967  Email: ada.leung@sprg.com.hk

↧

Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) Underscores Mindset Change among Businesses to Create Impact on Society

September 9, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Carter Work Project Volunteers to Build 100 Homes in One Week in Nepal with Habitat for Humanity

≪ Previous: HNA Group Speeds up the Overseas Acquisitions as Bohai Leasing Acquires 100% Equity Interest in Avolon

BANGKOK, Sep 10, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR), co-organized by the Asian Institute of Management - Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (AIM - RVR CSR Center) and the Asia Inc Forum, with the theme, "Unleashing Social Entrepreneurship: New Partnerships for a Better World", opened today at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.

"The 14th AFCSR takes place, as Charles Dickens would say, '(at) the best of times and (at) the worst of times'. These are the best of times, because human ingenuity, entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic advancement have transformed the lives of many millions of people for the better, in a way that previous generations could not imagine. These are also the worst of times - because millions of people continue to live in poverty, without access to health, and education; because inequalities continue to grow between and within nations; because environmental degradation continues unabated; and because violence and extremism continue to displace millions of people, resulting to a humanitarian crisis, which we see on television every day, almost without precedent," stated Dato Timothy Ong, AFCSR Conference Chairman and Chairman of Asia Inc Forum.

Recognizing the Knowledge and Abilities of Communities

Leading the discussions was Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, founder of Barefoot College in India, who shared his experiences working with rural communities in his home country. Since its founding in 1972, Barefoot College harnessed rural knowledge and skills to provide housing, education, and adequate water supply to communities.

"A professional who has the combination of competence, confidence, and belief," shared Roy, who has been training illiterate grandmothers to become solar power engineers. "The illiterate of the 21st century is not someone who cannot read or write, but someone who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

Roy emphasized that the Barefoot Model of partnerships between the government, community, and businesses is an alternative model that has generated significant impact, transforming grandmothers from 70 countries to be engineers and establishing 150 night schools powered with solar lanterns. "Social enterprise is about building peoples' capacity to solve their own problems. The Barefoot Model promotes growth from below and within," he said. "We have to value people who work with their hands, not just those who work with their minds."

Roy further underscored the spirit of risk-taking in order to create impact. He also called on young entrepreneurs to work with organizations whose values resemble theirs to understand what it is like to be at the bottom.

Going Out of Your Comfort Zone

This mindset of going out of a business' comfort zone was further echoed by Anna Meloto-Wilk, president and co-founder of Human Nature Philippines, who shared, "Businesses are in a more comfortable position to address society's challenges, but they need to overstep their boundaries and define their purpose."

"How can we be innovators in doing social good? To be innovative, you have to think like an entrepreneur. You need to do whatever it takes, and you don't quit," Meloto-Wilk added, who used her corporate background to build a popular Philippine brand whose products are developed by communities. "Businesses need to embrace inconvenience. Businesses like to be efficient and systematic, but we need to be willing to take some pain, whether it be our profits or having a longer conversation with our stakeholders in order to make really meaningful changes in our society."

Establishing the Foundations for Innovative Thinking

Meanwhile, Anjan Ghosh, Regional Director for Corporate Affairs, Asia-Pacific and Japan of Intel Corporation, illustrated how businesses could expand the boundaries of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

"Development is not just about propelling economies. It is also about promoting strong societies," stated Ghosh. "Innovation and inclusion seem to be two sides of the same coin. What you are essentially doing is creating opportunity and empowering people."

The sweet spot, however, as Ghosh pointed out, is creating shared value - how can companies do good in such a way that it goes back to the bottom line?

"How do you take what you're doing outside of your company," asked Ghosh, explaining that Intel Corporation is now moving toward CSR 3.0. "This is more transformative, as it shifted from being business-centric to user-centric. We help society by empowering individuals through skills and tools to innovate."

"The question we're asked is, 'Why do we do this?'" continued Ghosh. "We're widening the pipeline for innovation. The world is essentially your research laboratory. You have access to multiplicity of ideas, and you create diversity. Putting diversity goals is adding to your ability to innovate."

Making Financing Accessible

This year's AFCSR also explored new ways for businesses to support social innovation. Durreen Shahnaz, founder and chair of Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX), discussed impact investing, or investments intended to create positive social impact beyond financial return.

"Impact goes hand-in-hand with financing," Shahnaz stated, pointing out that businesses can act as catalysts for ecosystems, enhance credit to provide leverage, and promote inclusive business practices and policies. The IIX Impact Enhancer Program enables the private sector to go beyond the traditional CSR agenda to genuinely create impact to societies.

"(There is a need) to go beyond democratizing innovation. It has to be about democratizing finance and democratizing opportunities. The reality is that if corporate leaders don't play a role, you will be left out. The social side and the finance side coming together is a movement that is already happening. Don't just see society as purchasing your product; see it as a partner, where you are creating livelihood and opportunity, and you are financing these as well," Shahnaz emphasized.

AIM President Steven J. DeKrey commented, "One of the concepts stemming out of these discussions is the blurring line between civic, public, and private entities. Clearly, we may have a shared purpose, but different ways of getting there. If we partner with each other, we'll end up with fairly unique organizations coming forward. The Asian Institute of Management has this belief on 'business and society'. Having both a business school and a development school, we now collaborate and combine the knowledge base of these schools, similar to what we have talked about here at AFCSR. Having organizations and leaders with conscience is the way forward to solve the pressing challenges of our time."

About Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR)

The AFCSR is the premier platform for showcasing CSR thought leadership and best practice in Asia. It was founded in the Philippines by the RVR Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The AFCSR is the largest and longest-running CSR conference in Asia, with more than 500 delegates from 30 countries in attendance. It convenes annually in a different Asian location each year. The AFCSR features prestigious CSR Awards: the Asian CSR Awards and the Intel-AIM Corporate Responsibility Award for outstanding initiatives in four key areas - education, environment, health and poverty alleviation. It is co-convened by the AIM RVR Center for CSR and Asia Inc Forum. For more information, please visit www.asianforumcsr.com.

About AIM-RVR Center for Corporate Social Responsibility

The AIM RVR Center is a research and program center within the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The main thrust of the AIM RVR Center is to undertake CSR-focused research relative to the competitiveness of corporations and their impact on society. The AIM RVR Center is one of the first research centers in the region to concentrate on CSR issues. The Center also provides consultancy and training services on CSR issues to organizations throughout Asia. The AIM is the Asian pioneer in international management education. For more information, please visit http://rvr.aim.edu.

About Asia Inc Forum

Asia Inc Forum (AIF) is a leading facilitator of business and public policy dialogue in ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region. AIF is the convener of the influential ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum and the co-convener of the Asian Forum for Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR). The company has a proud history of partnership with the APEC CEO Summit - the foremost meeting of business and government in the Asia Pacific region. For more information, please visit http://asiaincforum.com.

Contact:
Mary Khristine A. Dizon
AIM RVR Center for Corporate Social Responsibility 
Asian Institute of Management
T: +63 2 892-4011 Ext. 2613
E: MDizon@AIM.EDU
U: www.aim.edu

↧

Latest Images