Business News

The city-state is becoming a testing ground for something far more transformative

Global private markets firm Partners Group has announced the appointment of Pete Zippelius as Co-Head of its Private Equity Health & Life business, further strengthening its leadership team in the healthcare investment space. Zippelius is set to join the firm’s U.S. headquarters in September 2026, where he will work alongside Benjamin Breier, who has served […]

HSBC Swiss Private Bank today announced the appointment of Alfonso Gómez as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 27 April. He will be based in Geneva and report to Ida Liu, CEO of HSBC Private Bank. Alfonso Gómez brings more than 30 years of experience in Swiss and international wealth management. He joins from Banco Bilbao […]

SIX today announced the appointment of Markus Habbel as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective 1 June. He will also join the company’s Group Executive Board. Habbel succeeds Daniel Schmuckli, who will step down at the end of July, following a previously announced transition. Habbel brings nearly 30 years of international experience across finance, […]

Amundi, one of Europe’s leading asset managers, today announced the appointment of Carine Souvannavong as Head of Corporate Clients, Asia Ex-China. Based in Hong Kong, Souvannavong will focus on expanding Amundi’s corporate client business across the region, targeting treasury teams, pension funds, family offices, and reinsurance clients. In her new role, Souvannavong will report to […]

HSBC has announced key appointments to bolster its wealth management and private banking operations in China, reinforcing the bank’s commitment to sustainable growth and superior client experience. Max Xu has been appointed Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB), HSBC China, effective April 1. In this role, Xu will report to Mark Wang, CEO […]

Wolters Kluwer today announced the inauguration of a new office in Pune, marking a significant expansion of its technology and engineering capabilities in India. The facility strengthens Pune’s position as the company’s largest global engineering hub. The new office is part of Wolters Kluwer’s ongoing investment in India’s technology ecosystem and is designed to support […]

DWS, the German asset manager, has appointed Lee Tae‑Young as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Korea, marking a key leadership transition in one of its most strategically important markets. Lee Tae‑Young brings over 25 years of asset management experience, including 23 years with DWS, to his new role. He will report directly to […]

Singlife has appointed Leo Mun Wai as an independent non-executive director to the boards of Singapore Life Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Singapore Life Ltd, the company announced. In his new role, Leo will also serve on the board’s risk and audit committees. Leo brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial sector, including […]

Asia is home to six of the world’s top 10 financial centers, according to the latest Global Financial Centres Index released by the China Development Institute and Z/Yen Partners. The rankings place New York as the leading global financial hub, followed by London. Hong Kong and Singapore secured the third and fourth positions, respectively. Other […]

Southeast Asia’s legal-tech sector is entering a new phase in 2026, as companies move beyond basic generative AI tools to adopt “agentic AI” systems capable of handling complex legal workflows with limited human intervention. The shift follows widespread adoption of AI across the region. According to the Legal Innovation Report Asia 2026: AI Meets Law […]

Standard Chartered has appointed Jan Metzger as Global Head of Coverage Banking within its Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) division, the bank announced. Based in Hong Kong, Metzger will join the CIB management team and report directly to Roberto Hoornweg, CEO of Corporate and Investment Banking. Metzger brings over 20 years of experience across Asia, […]

The VinFast VF 3 is driving a growing transition among Indonesian consumers from motorbikes to electric cars, as affordability, ease of use, and improved comfort reshape urban mobility preferences. Traditionally, moving from motorbikes to cars in Indonesia has been constrained by cost and practicality. However, the VF 3, a compact electric mini-SUV, is gaining traction […]

Sygnum, the regulated digital asset bank bridging Asia and Europe, reports strong momentum in institutional crypto adoption across Asia, driven by recent regulatory clarity in the United States. Gerald Goh, Co-Founder of Sygnum and CEO of Sygnum Asia-Pacific, highlights growing confidence among high-net-worth investors, with double-digit allocations to digital assets becoming increasingly common. Founded in […]

Timpi and MASQ Network have merged their technologies to create an integrated platform combining decentralised search, private browsing, and distributed VPN capabilities. The combined product will operate under the MASQ brand, while Timpi will continue to provide the underlying independent web index powering the search experience. As part of the announcement, Timpi has launched its […]

Manulife has reinforced its artificial intelligence capabilities in Hong Kong with a new senior appointment and the relocation of a regional AI leader, supporting its vision to become an AI-powered organization. Hongjuan Liu has been appointed Chief AI and Data Officer for Hong Kong and Macau. He will report directly to Patrick Graham, CEO of […]

Asia-Pacific private equity is entering 2026 with renewed investor confidence, driven by a rebound in exit activity and positive net cash flows to investors for the first time since 2021, according to Bain & Company‘s Asia-Pacific Private Equity Report 2026. Exit value in 2025 rose 24% year-on-year, while exit volumes grew 8%. Net distributions to […]

RealVantage, a Singapore-based global real estate investment platform, has announced the allocation of USD 7 million in equity capital toward the acquisition of a 21-megawatt data center asset in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The transaction is structured in partnership with global alternative investment firm Arcapita Group Holdings Limited. The asset, currently operating at 21 megawatts, has a […]

ProductLife Group (PLG), a global provider of consulting and outsourcing services for the life sciences industry, today announced the appointment of Dr. James Burt as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 2026. Dr. Burt brings over 20 years of international leadership experience across the pharmaceutical value chain, including generics, biosimilars, orphan drugs and value-added medicines. He […]

QBE Insurance Group has announced the appointment of Reuben Lee as Transactional Liability (TLI) Lead for Asia, reinforcing its commitment to expanding its M&A insurance capabilities across the region. In this newly created role, Lee will be responsible for providing strategic direction for underwriting QBE’s transactional liability portfolio in Asia, with a focus on driving […]

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and a rapidly evolving multipolar world order, global investors are increasingly reassessing their portfolio strategies, with renewed interest in China and broader emerging markets. This trend was highlighted at the 2026 Global Investors’ Symposium in Hong Kong, hosted by the Milken Institute. Industry leaders at the symposium emphasized that while short-term […]

Jakarta, Indonesia — Michael Bambang Hartono, one of Indonesia’s most prominent business leaders and majority shareholder of Bank Central Asia, has passed away at the age of 86. He died on Thursday at a hospital in Singapore, according to an official statement released by Djarum Group, the diversified conglomerate he co-led with his brother, Robert […]

Ant Group has received regulatory approval to acquire a majority stake in Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group, according to a recent exchange filing. The transaction is expected to be completed by March 30. The deal involves the purchase of a 50.55% stake in Bright Smart through Wealthiness and Prosperity Holding, an entity ultimately controlled […]

Southeast Asian legal-tech startups may face increasing barriers when expanding into the United States as governments and large enterprises shift toward region-specific artificial intelligence platforms, according to Dmitry Shubov, founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting. Research firm Gartner estimates that the use of sovereign cloud and region-specific AI platforms will grow from about 5% today to […]

JAR Capital Group, a leading Swiss external asset manager, today announced the appointment of Francois R. Farjallah as Vice Chairman. A seasoned private banking executive with over 30 years of global experience, Farjallah will play a key role in strengthening the firm’s strategic and governance framework. In his new role, Farjallah will support the Chairman […]

DWS, the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, has entered into an agreement to acquire a 40% stake in Nippon Life India AIF Management Limited (NIAIF), marking a strategic move to strengthen its presence in India’s fast-growing alternatives market. NIAIF is a subsidiary of Nippon Life India Asset Management Ltd (NAMI), which is backed by […]

Financial institutions in mainland China and Hong Kong are falling behind their global peers in artificial intelligence (AI) investments, despite recognizing the technology as a key driver of strategic transformation, according to a new PwC report. The report, based on a survey of 201 financial services professionals and 20 in-depth interviews conducted between October 2025 […]

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) announced that its AI Data Center interconnection architecture, titled “Signalling Requirements and Architecture for Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (AIDC),” has been approved as an international standard by ITU-T Study Group 11 (SG11). The new standard establishes a global framework for AI Data Center system interconnection, defining a three-layer architecture—Service, Management, and […]

Finastra, a global leader in financial services software, today announced the establishment of a centralized Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence (COE) and the appointment of Chris McClellen as Senior Vice President, Group Head of AI, reporting to Chief Technology Officer Mike Stawchansky. This strategic move is designed to coordinate, scale, and accelerate Finastra’s AI […]

CBRE, a leading global real estate services firm, has appointed Nikhil Shah as Senior Executive Director, Hotels & Hospitality, Capital Markets, India. Based in Mumbai, Shah will focus on enhancing transaction execution in India’s hotels and hospitality sector, advising clients on investment opportunities and supporting operational scale-up for hotel portfolios. Shah brings over 20 years […]