Under the Radar

Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments.  Instead of competing with the world’s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches.  The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its “hub” port in Singapore and other “spoke” ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East. But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters.  That flexibility is proving to be important in today’s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher. For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026. The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea.  So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase “flamed-grilled” burgers, or even to “have it your way”?  For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether.  The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons.  Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world’s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs. It is more notably one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories.  Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years.  In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International’s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade.  The firm also launched the Popeye’s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years.  But perhaps what’s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025.  Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain’s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035.  So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now?  On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s all about how an apparel maker is redefining that pair of jeans you’re wearing today.  Finance presenter Chua Tian Tian was away for the past week attending “Levi’s Women Experience FOR EVERY ORIGINAL” series of pop-up events in Tokyo and Seoul.  The pop-up experiences aim to celebrate the women who continue to redefine originality today, and is part of Levi’s ongoing efforts to drive growth among female shoppers, a demographic it sees great promise in.  And at the heart of the campaign is the company’s global brand ambassador ROSE from K-pop girl group Blackpink, whose authenticity, creativity and self-expression Levi said embody the spirit of a modern female Original. ROSE made a special appearance at the pop-up in Tokyo prior to its opening. And in this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, Tian Tian shares what happened at the pop-ups she visited, including one with a media photo call with ROSE. She also spoke with Kenny Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer; Gianluca Flore, Chief Commercial Officer; and Vicky Skelton, Managing Director for East Asia Pacific at Levi Strauss & Co.  on how the firm is internalising consumer trends across markets, and utilising cultural moments, brand ambassadors, pop-culture as well as its heritage to capture the hearts of the next generation of female denim wearers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re going to take you through a company that spent over a century building some of Asia’s most recognisable commercial properties, from the skyscrapers in Marina Bay Singapore to those in Hong Kong’s Central financial district and even the West Bund in Shanghai. With its origins dating back to 1889 in Hong Kong, our guest for today Hongkong Land is a major listed property development, investment and management group.  The company, owned by Hong Kong conglomerate Jardine Matheson, has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listings in Singapore and Bermuda. The firm develops, owns and manages premium and ultra-premium mixed-used real estate in Asian gateway cities, ranging from Grade A office, luxury retail, residential and hospitality products with assets under management coming in at over US$50 billion. Hongkong Land is a company that we want to speak to given how it is now embarking on what’s perhaps one of the biggest strategic changes in its history.  Instead of growing primarily by owning and developing properties on its own, Hongkong Land now wants to focus on investing in ultra-premium commercial properties in Asia’s gateway cities while recycling capital from assets that no longer fit into its strategy. All while bringing in third-party capital to recycle assets and fund growth. In a series of moves to better align the firm with its new strategy, Hongkong Land stopped investing in its build-to-sell segment while recycling capital from the business into new, high-quality integrated commercial property opportunities to drive long-term value creation. More importantly, the firm launched its inaugural private real estate fund called the Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund or the SCPREF. The fund had an initial portfolio assets under management of S$8.2 billion and seeks to focus on ultra-premium integrated commercial properties in Singapore.  But what was the one reason that led to the strategy shift right now? Is the firm simply reshaping its portfolio or do the moves fundamentally change the economics of the business? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Michael Smith, Group Chief Executive, Hongkong Land Holdings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian hit the factory floor of a company that is turning 100 years old in 2026! Bingo if you’ve guessed Polar Puffs & Cakes! Then called the Polar Cafe, the firm opened the doors of its first outlet on 51 High Street in 1926, serving up curry puffs, ice-cream and chilled beverages. The cafe soon became the go-to-place for politicians, lawyers and businessmen due to its strategic location near the trading harbour. And among them, according to the firm, is prominent Hokkien businessman Lim Bo Seng.  Today, Polar Puffs & Cakes adopts mostly a takeaway concept and boasts a network of 37 stores and cafes across Singapore, with six more outlets set to open their doors in 2026 and 2027.    The company also made its first step to expand abroad by opening a new store in Gurney Plaza, Penang in 2025.  But how is Polar Puffs & Cakes spicing up the business looking into its next 100 years of operations? Tian Tian headed down to the firm’s factory in Woodlands Link, where she spoke with Chan Kok Yew, Executive Chairman of Polar Puffs & Cakes for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, software applications were built around a relatively straightforward premise. Businesses stored information in structured tables, rows and columns neatly organised inside relational databases. But the internet has changed everything, with modern applications now expected to process vast amounts of structured and unstructured data, scale across millions of users and integrate with hundreds of services. Not to mention that they’re also increasingly being used to power artificial intelligence.  What this means is that traditional databases that bound information by parameters in rows and columns are now struggling to keep pace.  This change has given rise to a new generation of database platforms such as MongoDB that aims to help developers build modern applications faster.  Instead of storing data in rows and columns, MongoDB stores them like documents, making it easy to model data the same way the application code uses it. This allows developers to change their data model quickly and also handle non-uniform data.  Today, MongoDB serves over 67,000 customers across almost every industry, and counts about 75 per cent of Fortune 100 firms under its belt. Other notable clients include L’Oreal, Wells Fargo, Cathay Pacific Airways and Novo Nordisk. The Nasdaq-listed company had also in May 2026 reported better-than-expected first quarter results for fiscal 2027 first quarter. MongoDB also raised its full-year fiscal 2027 guidance for revenue to a range of US$2.92 billion to US$2.96 billion. But what are the key drivers for the firm at this point in time? And turning our attention to the Asia Pacific region, how are organisations across the region modernising their application stack? Where is demand coming from and how is MongoDB positioning itself for the next phase of enterprise computing? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Thorsten Walther, Managing Director, CXO Advisory Asia at MongoDB.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January 2023, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, several dozen Asia-focused CEOs and senior executives of the world’s largest companies gathered for a private dinner.  The executives had commanded operations employing tens of thousands of people, with their supply chains spanning dozens of cities from Shanghai to London and Abu Dhabi.  They had invested heavily in, and also reaped the benefits of China’s rise over the past two decades. But yet for the first time in memory, the mood was different. The conversation didn’t centre around growth targets or market expansion, but instead, it was about whether their China strategies worked at all.  It was about how China is navigating geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, the ongoing housing market downturn and rapid technological change.  And with that comes the big question. “What’s the next China?” How should companies diversify or hedge against China?  Well, according to the host of that private dinner, Joe Ngai, Chairman, McKinsey Greater China, the next China, is still China. He details why in his new book “The Next China is still China”, co-written with Nick Leung, McKinsey Global Institute Director and Senior Partner in Hong Kong. In this “In the Community” Special episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Joe Ngai, Chairman, McKinsey Greater China for more. They also discussed how companies can redesign their strategies to sell to China going forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital transformation has become one of the defining priorities for organisations over the past decade.  What began as a push to digitalise customer touchpoints has since evolved into a broader effort to rethink business models, modernise legacy technology, strengthen cybersecurity and more recently, harness the power of artificial intelligence to improve productivity and create new sources of growth.  And today, we’re going to revisit a company whose role in digital transformation has never been more important.  Set up by global investment firm Temasek in 2021, our guest Temus works with government agencies and public institutions to enhance digital services, improve citizen experiences and drive national-scale transformation in line with Singapore’s Smart Nation vision to create a more connected, intelligent and efficient society.  For instance, Temus teamed up with the Singapore Department of Statistics to design and deliver the SingStat Mobile App to enable fast access to official statistics. It also worked with a national education authority to reimagine Special Education experiences for students, parents, and staff alike through comprehensive service design. On the private sector front, the company works with businesses to innovate, scale and thrive amid the ever-changing business environment, by helping them adopt what it calls human-centered digital solutions that drive real business outcomes. And more things are brewing for Temus than before. In October 2025, the firm inked three new strategic collaborations with the Infocomm Media Development Authority in Singapore, as well as with insuretech player Peak3 and third-party AI assurance provider Resaro to accelerate AI transformation across Singapore.  Fast forward to May 2026, it’s also launched an AI Foundry to expand Singapore’s AI talent base and strengthen production-grade AI delivery for enterprises.  But what should we know about the moves by Temus to position itself as a transformation partner of choice for both the public and private sectors in Singapore? How will AI augment its growth trajectory? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Sng Ren Yeong, CEO, Temus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you unwrap your favourite chocolate bar from one of your favourite brands, do you know who actually makes the chocolate?  You’d be surprised to find out that it may not be the company whose name appears on the wrapper.  In fact, some of the world’s biggest confectionery brands like Nestle, Mondelez and Hershey rely on specialist manufacturers, or so-called white label producers, who’re often working quietly behind the scenes.  Our guest for today is one of the largest – Barry Callebaut. The company’s roots can be traced back to over a century ago in 1911, when Octaaf Callebaut, the grandson of a brewer in the small Belgian town of Wiez secretly worked on his first chocolate recipe.  His secrets of chocolate making would go on to be passed from one generation to another, who learned the craft from their predecessors who still make chocolate with all of their senses. Fast forward to today, Barry Callebaut is a world leading provider of high quality chocolate experiences across the full spectrum of chocolate, cocoa, cacao coatings and non-cocoa alternatives, and is involved from the sourcing and processing of cocoa beans to the crafting of premium chocolates, fillings and decorations.  With over 60 production facilities worldwide, Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry from large-scale food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs and restaurants.  Barry Callebaut is a company that we want to zoom in on given how it is a gauge of global chocolate demand following a period of record cocoa prices. That’s particularly so with concerns surrounding a strong El Nino weather pattern in the coming months.  To this end, the firm had in July 2026 reported that third quarter sales volumes rose for the first time in two years, and also forecast a smaller full-year volume decline than earlier expected.  So what’s bolstering demand and how does the firm intend to mitigate headwinds from seasonal weather patterns? What are the longer term consumption trends that will support Barry Callebaut’s business looking ahead? Speaking of the longer term, the firm also opened its Callebaut Global Innovation Center in Singapore to accelerate innovation and transformation across the chocolate and cocoa industry.  But what is the strategic role played by its operations in Singapore and how important will the new innovation center be in positioning the firm for future growth? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Vamsi Mohan Thati, President of AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) at Barry Callebaut Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the world’s most successful technology companies didn’t begin in gleaming corporate campuses. They began with bold ideas exchanged at the simplest of places. Sometimes, that place was a diner offering bottomless coffee and huge slabs of pancakes. For ASUS, that place was a humble coffee shop in Taipei. Back in 1989, a group of ambitious engineers came together with a vision of creating a “small and beautiful company”, one that could develop world-class technology from Taiwan for the rest of the world.  More than 30 years on, ASUS is a global tech leader best known for its world-class motherboards, high-quality personal computers, monitors, graphics cards, routers and other technology solutions.  But the company is now evolving beyond hardware and doubling down on artificial intelligence infrastructure and cloud services – an area it sees potential as the adoption of AI increases rapidly.  For one thing, ASUS teamed up with the Taiwanese government to found the Taiwan AI Cloud Corporation in 2021 to build secure, scalable and sovereign AI infrastructure.   The company helps governments and enterprises roll out and operate Sovereign AI systems, where their AI models and data are secured and operated within their own borders, laws and culture.  It says it is seeing a global trend of countries investing in local capabilities to drive innovation specific to their language, culture and the economy. But where is demand coming from and how big of an opportunity is this for the firm? Beyond specific nations, who should build the collective AI infrastructure for Asia, and how should they monetise them? What will this mean for ASUS and Taiwan AI Cloud? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Peter Wu, CEO of ASUS Cloud and Taiwan AI Cloud.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.