RETAIL AND FOOD & BEVERAGE SECTOR LEVEL UP MENTORING PROGRAMME THROUGH DIGITISATION

PETALING JAYA, Aug 26 (Bernama) — Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) with Retail and Food & Beverage Productivity Nexus has moved up the mentoring programme of the retail and food & beverage sector by leveraging on digital technology. The current approach entitled “Productivity Digitisation (Productivity 1010) Retail and F&B” is expected to enhance awareness on the benefits of digitalisation in improving productivity among businesses.

Through these online initiatives, MPC hopes to create awareness, participation and momentum for independent growth to build business productivity and digital competency, thus leading Malaysia towards sustainable economic growth.

According to Director-General of Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), YBhg. Dato’ Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman “Digitalisation was discovered to be one of the top strategies used to maintain productivity, thus proving the need for greater awareness regarding the use of digital marketing and online platforms among businesses. Another advantage is to overcome the challenges set by social distancing and movement restriction order, digital marketing facilitates other ways for businesses to satisfy the needs of their customers. MPC has realised this before starting of the pandemic impact, as digitalisation of business advisory services offered by MPC has already started”.

A total of 200 companies have participated in the RFB-VACs where a total of 18 model companies were selected to participate in this Productivity Digitisation Retail and F&B programme based on observation of high potential from the previous RFB-VAC sessions. Similarly, the programme offers one-to-one consultation sessions with relevant industry experts, with the inclusion of strategic customised assistance and mentoring to build and expand the business, image-wise and branding-wise.

The sessions offered will home in on specific areas that are important for the business owner to address, namely business digitalisation, supply chain management and digital marketing and branding. The Productivity Digitisation Retail and F&B programme also provides tailored assistance in developing the business framework for existing international expansion as well as enhancement of the business’ existing online platform.

It also assists in achieving productivity initiatives by upskilling workforce, increasing the overall efficiency and productivity of the company, and promoting the adoption of technology and digitalisation. The Productivity Digitisation Retail and F&B programmes also link businesses with relevant experts and government agencies to obtain suitable funding and advice.

Retail and Food & Beverage Productivity Nexus (RFBPN) is one of the nine Productivity Nexus established by MPC to drive the implementation of productivity initiatives proposed by Malaysia Productivity Blueprint (MPB). RFBPN aims to address the key challenges of the industry and accomplish its goals in providing support and opportunities to SMEs through the digitalisation of business operations and strengthening their competency to reach the international standard.

SOURCE: Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Nor Adira Adnan
Tel: 0179860758
Email: noradira@mpc.gov.my

Name: Huda Atiqah Samsir
Corporate Planning Division
Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)
Tel:03-7955 7266 Ext:484
Fax:03-7954 0795
Email: atiqah@mpc.gov.my

—BERNAMA

LESSONS LEARNT FROM COVID-19 EXPLORED DURING NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SETIA ALAM, Aug 25 (Bernama) — The 13^th National Conference for Clinical Research (NCCR), was officiated earlier today by the Minister of Health, YB Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba at National Institutes of Health (NIH), Setia Alam. The three-day conference themed “Conference Of Very Important Disease (COVID-19)”, showcased meaningful research advancements in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Organised by the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR) and supported by Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) and Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Centre (CREST), the NCCR conference brought together medical experts and researchers under one platform, in exploring disruptive technologies, interdisciplinary digital health research and coordinated efforts to advance research in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected Malaysia and the world. The conference was conducted on a virtual format this year, and was joined by 17 renowned speakers from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea and United Kingdom.

Among the conference’s highlights was the CRC Named Lecture titled ‘Battling Against COVID-19’ which was delivered by Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director General of Health. The 13^th NCCR conference also received a total of 194 scientific abstracts from clinical, biomedical, public health, digital health, health systems research and behavioral research areas for both e-Poster as well as for the Dr Wu-Lien Teh Research Awards categories.

YB Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba also presented the Young Investigator Awards (YIA), a category under the Dr Wu-Lien Teh Research Awards, to recipients during the opening ceremony. Dr Git Kim Ann, a radiologist and imaging informatics professional from Hospital Selayang, was awarded the YIA winner for optimizing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model in the detection of COVID-19 on chest radiographs. The multi-center study involving five study sites and seven investigators, would further complement the ability to detect COVID-19. Dr Wong Xin Ci (ICR) and Dr Kuan Pei Xuan (ICR) were subsequently awarded the first and second runner-up for their work on COVID-19 research as well. Dr Wong’s study in determining the risk factors associated with the disease severity could further help in risk stratification for COVID-19 patients and Dr Kuan’s health systems research provides a modelling in testing the bed capacity preparedness of Malaysian hospitals to overcome surge capacity. MOH researchers Mr Mohamad Hasnan Ahmad (Institute for Public Health), Ms Wan Shakira Rodzlan Hasani (Institute for Public Health), Ms Jeyanthi Suppiah (Institute for Medical Research) and Ms Chiew Shoen Chuen (Hospital Seri Manjung) were all awarded the YIA Merit awards respectively.

The Ministry of Health’s (MOH) robust efforts in handling the pandemic were also shared by both the Deputy Director Generals of Health in Medical Development and in Public Health during the conference. The findings from multi-disciplinary research and sharing of experience from infectious disease experts during the conference highlights the importance of clinical research and the need for more of it in this field for better clinical decision-making in Malaysia’s public health response. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of MOH, consisting of six research institutes in which ICR is one, have been integral for having conducted more than 40 research projects related to COVID-19 and in establishing a patient registry with clinical information of all the COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals. The Institute for Medical Research (IMR), which have developed and led the COVID-19 diagnostics testing in the country, are conducting progressive biomedical research into the virus ranging from genome sequencing and molecular epidemiology to vaccine research and studying anti COVID-19 properties in certain compounds. Among recent breakthroughs was the detection of the highly infectious D614G mutated strain after full genome sequencing of samples from the Sivagangga cluster. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2020 (NHMS 2020) led by Institute for Public Health have also incorporated the COVID-19 seroprevalence survey in the community study, aimed to obtain the status of COVID-19 infection within the community in different age groups. This collaborative project with IMR is noted to be the first of such study in Southeast Asia. In addition, NIH have also organized a series of webinar which shares clinical updates in COVID-19 periodically to the medical and scientific community nationwide.

“Amidst these challenging times, it is encouraging to see the wider application of online platform, machine learning, big data, artificial intelligence (AI), genomics, robotics and 3D printing for effective healthcare service delivery. Whilst we are seeing tremendous opportunities in these areas, we still require on-going research to monitor outcomes especially centric to the patient.” said YB Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba during his opening address.

For more info, please visit http://www.nccrconference.com.my

SOURCE: Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Dr. Norizan Rosli
Tel: +6019-398 5712 / +603-3362 8803
Email: norizan@crc.gov.my

—BERNAMA

40 Years Growth Of Zhuhai Special Economic Zone: SEZ Cities Hand In Hand For Greater Development

ZHUHAI, China, Aug. 26, 2020 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

China first started implementing Special Economic Zones(SEZ) in the year 1980 in southeastern coastal area, with Zhuhai being one of them. As a pilot area in reform and opening-up, beyond tax incentives to foreign investors, SEZs enjoy simplified customs procedures and fewer regulatory constraints. 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Zhuhai SEZ. According to the Information Office of Zhuhai Municipality, “In 40 years, Zhuhai has become one of the cities with the widest development space, the best development environment and policies in the Pearl River Delta.”

Opening-up has made Zhuhai more attractive and unlocked its potential for development. Many foreign-funded companies have come to the city where quality enterprises experience fast growth.

Print Rite Group, the Hong Kong-funded enterprise, has seized the opportunities of SEZ and set up its Print Rite printer ribbon manufacturing plant in Zhuhai. He Liangmei, chairman of the board of directors of Print Rite Holdings Co., Ltd., said, “Close to Hong Kong and Macao, Zhuhai has a low cost for land and labor. The government has supported companies in innovation and transformation and upgrading.” Now, the company has exported products to more than 120 countries and regions globally.

It is the efficient regulatory mechanisms and convenient customs clearance that have made Zhuhai a popular destination for multinational companies. In the 
first quarter of this year, Zhuhai has already signed more than 30 new key projects ranging from equipment manufacturing, new materials, information technology to pharmaceuticals, the value of which exceeds 5.8 billion USD.

To retain capital in the long run, the city must continuously maintain its comparative edge by refining and expanding the benefits it offers investors. To this end, Zhuhai has identified its next strategic advantage: strengthening cooperation with Macao and Shenzhen to build a hub for the efficient allocation of resources such as human capital, technology and funding. 

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has connected Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao more closely. With the Bridge, the trip from Zhuhai to Hong Kong has been drastically shortened from 4.5 hour drive to within an hour. 

After the opening of the Bridge, many multinational consumer goods companies are looking to set up warehouses in Zhuhai. Enterprises enjoy low fixed costs and efficient service here, as well as the ability to easily access managerial talents.

Ding Liqiang is intimately familiar with the seismic shift that this infrastructure has brought to Zhuhai. Ding came to Zhuhai to set up a company specializing in cross-border e-commerce business, which has charted an annual sales growth rate of over 50% for the past three years. Ding believes that Zhuhai can become a logistics hub, a highland for modern services, and a new gateway connecting Chinese and overseas markets.

Guo Yonghang, secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, stated that to strengthen cooperation with Macao, Zhuhai has not only provided policy support and expanded cooperation fields, but also made greater efforts to develop emerging industries, planning to build an in-depth cooperation zone between Guangdong and Macao.

As a key area for cooperation between Macao and Zhuhai, the Hengqin Free Trade Zone of Zhuhai, has accumulated more than 440 achievements in system innovation in ten years’ development. The Zone’s GDP now grows at an average annual rate of 64%.

Now, cooperation with Shenzhen further boosts Zhuhai’s growth. “Zhuhai takes initiative to undertake the industrial transfer resources of Shenzhen, promote the flow of high-end factors, to build a modern industrial system with international competitiveness,” said Guo.

Source: The Information Office of Zhuhai Municipality 

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ALTERNATIVE WAY OF LEARNING FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMME AFTER PANDEMIC ENSUES

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) — Due to the ongoing pandemic, Malaysian Financial Planning Council (“MFPC” or the “Council”) has virtually organized its sixteenth Annual General Meeting (“16th AGM”) and this allow our National Council members, MFPC members, Chartered Promoter Organisation (ChPO), Financial Services Organisation (FSO), Chartered Financial Services Institution (ChFSI) and proxies alike to participate remotely, ask questions and approved all the agendas proposed during the meeting.

The AGM brought up one of the important note on how MFPC found its way to provide their programmes through a Learning Management System (LMS). During this unprecedented time of Covid-19, MFPC have fast-tracked and launched the LMS to ensure members can attend a series of free programmes; and paid professional courses and CPD programmes at the reasonable and affordable rate. The Digital Membership Card (eID) was also implemented effective 1 July for professional membership verification; and at the same time to reduce the usage of plastic and papers. In addition, the Council has also commenced My Money & Me workshops, a series of online learning programme that made available in different zones to ensure youths and public alike could follow our financial planning talk sessions at https://www.gokelas.com/course/mymoney/.

During the meeting, the Council has announced the conferment of Associate Membership for individuals who have passed a modular examination of the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) or Shariah RFP programme; and for individuals who have supported the Council and/or registered for the professional programme but yet to obtain an examination grade shall be categorised as Affiliate Member. The Council feels it is only appropriate and conceded in professional field by implementing this professional affiliation.

The Council hopes to motivate financial practitioners to pursue professional education; and continuously better their professional practise and offering advisory services to their clients and consumer at large. This is important because we want them to be professional while maintaining relevancy and competence level set in MFPC’s Code of Ethics. This ensure that our financial practitioners who adhere to the code act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect and in an ethical manner while engaging with their clients.

MFPC President Vincent Kwo in his speech said, “at MFPC, we make sure that our members continuously acquire, maintain and use the standards of knowledge and due care relevant to their role as a financial planning professional and to meet guidelines and rules set by the authorities and relevant self-regulatory organizations.”

The Council led by Vincent Kwo will continue its service from 2019 – 2021. The AGM was broadcasted live from MFPC office in Mont Kiara and only critical individuals involved in conducting the AGM were physically present at the broadcast venue, while obeying to the standard health and safety operating procedures (SOP) for businesses during the recovery movement control order (RMCO).

Interested individuals may refer https://mfpc.org.my/ for programmes offered at MFPC and register at https://1st.mfpc.org.my/

SOURCE : Malaysian Financial Planning Council

Digital Edge And Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners Announce Formation Of A Diversified Asia Pacific Data Center Platform, With A $1 Billion Capital Commitment

SINGAPORE & NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners (“Stonepeak”), an infrastructure-focused private equity firm, and a group of seasoned senior executives formerly with Equinix, Facebook, Tata Communications and Macquarie, have formed a diversified, independent data center platform, Digital Edge, with a focus on acquiring and developing carrier-neutral data centers and related digital infrastructure assets across the Asia Pacific region, the company announced today. Stonepeak, its investors and the Digital Edge management team have together made a $1 billion equity capital commitment to the platform.

Headquartered in Singapore, Digital Edge (https://www.digitaledgedc.com/) aims to deliver innovative data center and interconnect solutions in order to make customer deployments easy in complex, evolving environments. The platform is led by CEO Samuel Lee, who previously served as President of Equinix’s Asia Pacific business from 2005 to 2019, and several individuals from his prior senior team at Equinix, including Kei Furuta, Andrew Rigoli and Jonathan Chou. They are joined by senior executives Jay Park, formerly with Facebook, John Freeman, formerly with Tata Communications, and Jonathan Walbridge, formerly with Macquarie.

Digital Edge also announced today the closing of two initial investments in data centers in Japan, one of the platform’s key markets. The first is a partnership with Keihanshin Building Co. and Kanden Energy Solution Co., Inc. (Kenes – Kansai Electric Power group company) for the development of a 12MW facility in central Osaka that will serve a variety of customer needs. The second is a strategic partnership with ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation, beginning with their Mejirozaka Data Center in Tokyo. With these two transactions, Digital Edge will have an offering across the two largest data center markets in Japan serving both domestic and international demand.

Brian McMullen, Senior Managing Director at Stonepeak, said, “The Asia Pacific digital infrastructure market is among the fastest growing in the world, with demand continuing to outpace supply. We are delighted to partner with Samuel and his team, who bring unparalleled experience and an exceptional track record of development, and are investing in Digital Edge to help us achieve our shared vision for the region.”

Samuel Lee, CEO of Digital Edge, said, “We are very excited to partner with Stonepeak and to have completed the initial capacity acquisitions to fulfill our vision of bridging the digital divide in the Asia-Pacific region. The transactions in Tokyo and Osaka give the platform a dual footprint offering to customers in Japan’s two primary data center markets.”

Stonepeak has been an active investor in digital infrastructure, with multiple investments across the data center, fiber and wireless space. Stonepeak is the majority owner of Cologix, a leading carrier-neutral data center platform in North America, with 30 prime interconnection hubs and four hyperscale facilities, and euNetworks, delivering high bandwidth connectivity in Europe, with deep fiber networks in 17 cities and a long-haul network spanning 15 countries. Earlier this year, Stonepeak announced the acquisition of Xplornet Communications, the leading provider of broadband connectivity in rural Canada. Over the past three years, the firm has established a presence in Asia Pacific and has been active in infrastructure investments across multiple sectors.

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SEEK ASIA APPOINTS PETER BITHOS AS CEO AS ASIA’S LABOUR MARKETS NAVIGATE COVID-19 IMPACT

_{Caption – SEEK Asia new CEO Peter Bithos: “Our purpose to improve lives through better careers has never been more urgent amidst the current social and economic environments.”}

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) — SEEK Asia, which combines two leading brands JobStreet and jobsDB under one roof, today announced the appointment of Peter Bithos as Chief Executive Officer.

In his new role, Peter will be responsible for leading and driving business growth and operations of SEEK Asia, while building on the company’s success and presence over the past 23 years throughout Southeast Asia.

Peter’s 25-year career thus far includes various CEO and senior management positions throughout the region, encompassing both developed and developing markets and covering a spectrum of companies from start-ups to large enterprises.

Peter’s notable achievements include building and scaling up digital businesses from scratch, and helping spearhead one of the most successful telco transformations in the world over the past decade.

“Peter has a proven track record growing Tech, Media and Telco (TMT) businesses, leading digital business transformation programs and building strong company cultures in diverse markets across Asia Pacific and the United States,“ said Ian Narev, the SEEK Group Chief Operating Officer and Asia Pacific and Americas (AP&A) CEO.

“I am very excited about what he will bring to our business, while taking SEEK Asia to the next level of growth.”

Peter is taking over from Suresh Thiru, who has served as CEO since 2016, and has been with SEEK Asia (JobStreet) since 2000.

“All of us at SEEK, JobStreet and jobsDB thank Suresh for his leadership over two decades.  He was a real pioneer of our business, and was instrumental in establishing it as a market leader in this region and a trusted brand for millions of job seekers and organisations,” said Ian.

Commenting on his appointment, Peter said: “I am deeply privileged to join one of the largest and best tech companies in the region. It’s truly exciting to be a part of fulfilling SEEK’s purpose in these times. The opportunity to work with SEEK’s teams and people across Asia to create step-change growth and an even better experience for our customers is unique and special.”

“I feel fortunate to be joining at this very moment because SEEK Asia’s purpose to improve lives through better careers has never been more urgent amidst the current social and economic environments brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Over the past decade, Peter has been working across Asia and was most recently the CEO of premium digital streaming service HOOQ, a joint venture between Singtel, Sony and Warner Brothers.

He previously held senior roles at Singtel, including Chief Operating Officer of Globe Telecom in the Philippines. 

Prior to this, he was CEO of Virgin Mobile Australia, and Director of Strategy and Corporate Development of Optus in Australia. He also has nearly a decade of strategy consulting experience, having served in a management capacity with Bain & Company.

SOURCE:SEEK ASIA

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Firdaus Tarmizi                                                 
Communications Manager, SEEK Asia                    
Email: firdaus@seekasia.com

Name: Michael Ang
Consultant for JobStreet Malaysia
Email: mike.ang@alconsulting.asia 

–BERNAMA

SWEEGEN AND CCFT GROUP FORGE JOINT VENTURE TO DISTRIBUTE STEVIA SWEETENERS IN CHINA

One of China’s largest sugar providers will expand access to SweeGen’s Non-GMO Bestevia® stevia sweeteners in the country.

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Aug 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, SweeGen announced its joint venture with the China Commercial Foreign Trade Group (CCFT) as the strategic partner to distribute Bestevia® next generation non-GMO zero-calorie stevia sweeteners through its extensive distribution channels in China.

CCFT’s affiliate company China Commerce Sugar Industry Co. is one of the largest sugar distributors and trading partners internationally. The joint venture will transform the sugar market by providing food and beverage manufacturers in China with the highly sought-after sugar reduction solutions from Sweegen.

SweeGen’s Bestevia® Taste Solutions proprietary taste and sweetener platform offers solutions for food and beverage applications across the spectrum, including beverages, dairy, confectionery, bakery and sauces. The platform features the exclusive Bestevia® e+ stevia sweeteners as well as other next generation ingredients like Reb M. Bestevia Taste Solutions deliver the industry’s most cost-effective and best tasting complete sugar reduction options.

SweeGen’s advanced technology of bioconversion of the stevia leaf results in sustainable products with a taste closest to sugar. Unlike other production methods, SweeGen’s bioconversion process starts with stevia leaf extract. The company’s proprietary process enables efficient land use and supports farmers by using their stevia leaves.

The strategic partnership with CCFT comes at a time when SweeGen is expanding its regional applications capabilities around the globe to support and collaborate closely with its customers to enable unique local solutions. Stevia distributorship in China is in line with SweeGen’s mission to help reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners in the global diet.

China consumes approximately 15 million tons of sugar annually. Growing health problems linked to obesity and diabetes are a concern to government health officials. Sugar intake is expected to decrease because of China’s “Healthy China 2030” initiative to reduce sugar consumption by at least 17 percent.

Non-GMO stevia sweeteners have led the way in replacing sugar in foods and beverages, nutritional and personal care products, pharmaceuticals and many other market products world-wide.

About SweeGen

SweeGen provides sweet taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers.

We are on a mission to reduce the sugar and artificial sweeteners in our global diet.  Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero sugar products that consumers love.  With the best next-generation stevia sweeteners in our portfolio such as Bestevia® e+, Bestevia® Reb M, and Bestevia® Reb D along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, SweeGen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want and consumers prefer. www.sweegen.com

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, among other statements, statements regarding the future prospects for Bestevia® Taste Solutions. These statements are based on current expectations, but are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond the control of SweeGen, Inc.

Relevant risks and uncertainties include those referenced in the historic filings of SweeGen, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, and therefore should be carefully considered. SweeGen, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

About China Commercial Foreign Trade Group (CCFT)

###

Attachment

· Woman eating cupcake with Logo
Ana ArakelianSweeGen, Inc.
+1.949.709.0583 and cell:+1.949.750.6812
ana.arakelian@sweegen.com

Source: SweeGen, Inc.

—BERNAMA

EMAS Fintech opens first Regional Support Centre in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — EMAS Fintech Inc (EFI), a Philippines-registered investment fund operator, recently announced the opening of its first Regional Support Centre in Malaysia to support its expansion and capitalise on the full potential of investment trading in the region.

The EFI South East Asia Regional Support Centre will support and offer the benefits of EFI’s cross-industry digital investment trading platform to regional investors.

The centre will assist to integrate and aggregate investments, right size portfolios, provide access to wider industry data, and apply predictive analytics to generate insights that can improve investment performance and productivity.

EFI is confident in Malaysia’s favourable economic conditions, infrastructure, and abundance of multilingual and diverse talent.

According to EFI chief executive officer Jason Kellady in a statement, the regional support centre is the first of six planned regional support centres. It represents the first phase of its business plan.

“We have evaluated different countries and decided to house our first regional support centre in Malaysia. We have started our talent acquisition programme.

“In the next 24 months, we will gradually expand and increase our presence from South East Asia to East Asia, South Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America with an aim of 20 countries.”

He added EFI has started implementing plans to apply for regulatory approval at every market that it intends to pursue.

With regulatory approval in hand, EFI intends to aggregate like-minded investors to benefit from its unique trading methodology, optimised to generate small but consistent interests.

— BERNAMA

Pontus Cornelius appointed the president and CEO of Bona, effective Jan 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Bona, products supplier for installing, renovating, maintaining and restoring premium floors, has appointed Pontus Cornelius as president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective Jan 11, 2021.

Kerstin Lindell, the current president and CEO, will shift her role to Chairman of the Board at Bona.

“Pontus is an exceptionally talented leader and will bring strong strategic insight to the company. The board and I welcome him to the team,” said Lindell.

“It has been an honour to serve as president and CEO at Bona for the past 14 years. I look forward to staying connected in my future role as Chairman of the Board.”

Meanwhile, Cornelius commented: “I look forward to working closely with the talented team at Bona and continuing the positive momentum of leading and innovating in the industry for a sustainable future.”

Cornelius will work closely with Lindell to ensure a smooth transition, according to a statement.

Most recently, Cornelius served as president and CEO of Ernströmgruppen AB, a Swedish, privately-owned industrial conglomerate focusing on developing B2B companies in various niche industries.

Prior to his tenure with Ernströmgruppen, Cornelius worked in leading positions with small and large companies, affording him a broad understanding of best practices for business growth.

More details at http://www.bona.com.

— BERNAMA

Finterra Global Plantations Enters Into A Joint Venture With United Paulownia Plantation Sdn Bhd

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug 24 (Bernama) — Finterra Global Plantations has announced its joint venture with United Paulownia Plantation Sdn Bhd (“UPP”), a subsidiary company of Green Afforestation International Network (Gain Green). The focus of the joint venture is on the sustainable afforestation sector and will see more than a 150,000 Paulownia trees being planted over the next 6 months in Kedah on a 500 acres land.

The announcement was made by Finterra Global Plantation’s CEO, Satesh Khemlani, according to whom, “ Gain Green after years of R&D, has come up with a Paulownia selected variety which has the ability to grow in tropical climates and be ready for harvest in a short period of just 40 months”. In doing so, “with the joint venture project with UPP, we will be able to meet the demands of the timber industry since the wood has been developed not only to grow fast, but to have characteristics and features that are highly desirable to the timber industry both locally and internationally”. In the first phase, Finterra Global Plantations together with UPP, will be planting the Paulownia tree on 500 acres and this will be scaled up to 5000 acres by 2022.

The Paulownia timber wood is a light, yet hardwood with numerous applications and is used for plywood, furniture, decking, doors, wood shavings and many other uses. It is able to absorb ten times more carbon dioxide while also producing ten times more oxygen as compared to other trees. In this way Finterra Global Plantation together with UPP will also contribute to reducing carbon footprint and do their part in helping the government’s initiative of planting one million tree in the next ten years. Finterra will be playing a strong part in accelerating afforestation of sites which lay barren or are deforested with the quick growing Paulownia species and will be supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals for environment. Finterra is known for its role for developing Waqf. This project will bring Finterra’s Waqf asset development knowhow to large scale sustainable land development with impact investing.

This venture marks a new beginning for Finterra, which has its eyes set on sustainable yet profitable green ventures. CEO, Satesh Khemlani also mentioned that Finterra is evolving and looking at other sustainable development projects which benefit the environment and calls upon landowners who sit on large parcels of land to become partners with Finterra in exploring opportunities of embarking on environmentally sustainable projects on their land. This new area of business will be an addition to its current business which is providing a blockchain based technology solution for crowdfunding, transparency, and traceability. Finterra will be utilizing the blockchain to monitor the development of its plantations.

For further information, please visit www.finterraventures.com or contact our Marketing Team at support@finterra.org

SOURCE: Finterra Global Plantations

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