Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Why Hawkfest Is More Than Just Another Marketing Conference
Hawkfest is coming, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve put together this year. As someone who’s attended countless marketing conferences over the years, I know firsthand how they can blend together into a forgettable blur of PowerPoints and lukewarm coffee. That’s exactly why we created something different. When I founded Hawke…
Read MoreUS: S&P 500, Nasdaq approach record high as Middle East tensions ease
Published Wed, Jun 25, 2025 · 09:45 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes rose on Wednesday (Jun 25), hovering near a record peak, as a ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to be holding and investors awaited more comments from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose…
Read MoreGrab to pause changes to driver incentive scheme following backlash
[SINGAPORE] Ride-hailing service Grab will pause planned changes to its driver incentive scheme, following a backlash about the impact on drivers’ earnings and income stability. The pause is to ensure that drivers’ concerns “are fully addressed before rolling out further changes”, Grab and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) told The Business Times in…
Read MoreBoard directors must be mindful of family dynamics in businesses, says panellist
[SINGAPORE] Independent directors serving on boards of listed family businesses need to be sensitive to power dynamics within the family, and identify the decision-maker in the business, said one academic specialising in family business and strategy. Although the role of board directors is limited to business matters, family conflicts can spill over into these…
Read MoreSembcorp unit’s acquisition of 49 MW Vietnam hydropower asset delayed
The company will take ‘regulatory uncertainties’ into account for new investments in the country [SINGAPORE] The acquisition of a 49-megawatt (MW) hydropower asset in Vietnam by a unit of Sembcorp Industries has been delayed, the company said in a bourse filing on Wednesday (Jun 25). The completion of the deal by Sembcorp Solar Vietnam, a…
Read MoreDBS targets hiring 40 private bankers for North Asia market
Published Wed, Jun 25, 2025 · 05:41 PM DBS Group, Singapore’s largest lender, is targeting hiring about 40 private bankers this year in Hong Kong and Singapore to cater to wealthy clients in North Asia. The bank has hired roughly half of that number so far this year, said Carol Wu, head of private banking…
Read MoreDBS, CapitaLand and more: Singapore’s long term wealth creation set to boost local stocks, says Morgan Stanley
[SINGAPORE] As Singapore reaches its 60th birthday, Morgan Stanley says the city-state is “prime for wealth creation”. That could unlock real gains for investors, the investment bank said in a report released on Jun 24. Tapping its global leadership as a data, energy, finance and transport hub, combined with rapid adoption of emerging technologies, Singapore…
Read MoreBank of Korea warns of housing, debt risks as easing continues
[SEOUL] Persistent housing price gains, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area, could accelerate debt accumulation in South Korea and pose risks to financial stability, threatening a financial system that generally held up well in the face of prolonged political turmoil and US tariffs. In a semi-annual report on the financial system on Wednesday (Jun 25),…
Read MoreAustralia’s Star casino shareholders approve A$300 million rescue package
[SYDNEY] Star Entertainment Group’s shareholders approved on Wednesday (Jun 25) an A$300 million (S$250 million) rescue package that will allow the embattled Australian casino group to remain operational, according to a company presentation. The rescue bid is being led by US casino firm Bally’s Corp and the Mathieson family, which is Star’s largest existing shareholder. …
Read MoreChina urges AIIB to step up cross-border development funding, says global aid drying up
Chinese officials have increasingly emphasised ties with South-east Asia, which last year overtook the EU to become the US$19 trillion economy’s top export market Published Wed, Jun 25, 2025 · 11:22 AM [BEIJING] China’s finance minister on Wednesday (Jun 25) urged the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to expand funding for cross-border connectivity projects in…
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