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25-Year-Old Man Fatally Shot in Vientiane Capital

25-year-old Anousa Jack, a resident of Chanthabouly District, was shot fatally on Saturday.

A 25-year-old man was shot dead by an unknown assailant at a cafe in Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital on Saturday.

Thailand to Offer Over USD 14,000 to Travel Around the Country

Thailand to offer USD 14,000 To Travel Around the Country
Person laying on a hammock by the beach. ( Photo : Ravish )

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced a new campaign called “ Tourist of Thailand,” where one lucky person will get to travel around the country for 4 months with a spending budget of THB 500,000 (USD 14,624).

Muay Lao Federation’s President Apologizes for Controversial Remarks

Muay Lao Federation's President Apologizes for Controversial Remarks
The President of the Muay Lao Federation, Mr. Saysamone Sayasone in his apology video

The President of the Muay Lao Federation, Mr. Saysamone Sayasone, released a video on Sunday apologizing for his comments comparing the Cambodian Kun Khmer martial art sport with Muay Thai that sparked controversy among Thai and Lao citizens. 

Aon’s Survey Finds Employee Wellbeing Has Risen in Importance and Investment; Mental Health is Top Wellbeing Issue in Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 May 2023 Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has released its 2022-2023 Global Wellbeing Survey, wherein – among other key findings – global data shows that improving employee wellbeing factors can enhance company performance by at least 11 percent and up to 55 percent. There is a relationship between wellbeing and a sustainable working life, which can impact company performance. The higher an employer’s ratings for overall employee wellbeing and the higher the performance of wellbeing initiatives, the better their scores are in the areas that form a sustainable working life.

Employee wellbeing rising in importance and seeing increasing investment

Overall employee wellbeing ranked the highest in Asia Pacific (APAC) compared to other regions, with 49 percent of companies describing it as excellent or very good, slightly higher than the global average (46 percent). This could be attributed to the growing importance of employee wellbeing for APAC organisations. Employee wellbeing ranked among the top three priorities for APAC businesses’ human capital strategy, with 67 percent of employers in APAC saying wellbeing is more important to their company and 48 percent say it has increased in priority, compared to 2020.

Furthermore, 49 percent of companies in APAC reported that they have increased their investment in wellbeing initiatives compared to 43 percent globally. With 50 percent of organisations allocating 4 percent or more of their overall benefits budget to wellbeing initiatives, funding allocation was the largest compared to other regions globally.

“An increasingly volatile business environment combined with evolving employee expectations exacerbated by COVID-19 requires that organisations change the way they think about building a resilient workforce,” Tim Dwyer, chief executive officer for Health Solutions, APAC at Aon, said. “Our study demonstrates the importance employers in the region place on employee wellbeing. Not only have they increased their financial investment, but more businesses are reporting integrating wellbeing with their business strategies and company culture. Understanding and addressing the diverse needs of employees through a well-designed wellbeing strategy will ensure businesses make better decisions that create a more flexible, engaged and resilient workforce.”

Mental health is top wellbeing issue

Mental health and burnout/languishing are the top two employee wellbeing issues in APAC. Burnout is defined as job-related stress that has not been managed, while languishing refers to a sense of being stuck and not making progress. Although burnout is the second-most cited employee wellbeing issue, only 18 percent of companies incorporate this topic in their emotional wellbeing initiatives and only 24 percent train their managers on managing burnout.

The survey further revealed that companies are increasingly taking a more strategic approach to employee wellbeing, with 85 percent of organisations in APAC having a wellbeing strategy in 2022, compared to 55 percent in 2020. In addition, 77 percent of employers reported that wellbeing is integrated into their overall business and talent strategy. The majority of participants also said that they have connected or integrated their wellbeing strategy with other parts of the company including health and safety (90 percent); diversity, equity and inclusion (90 percent); environmental, social and governance (87 percent); and total rewards (83 percent).

However, when compared to other regions, the APAC region rated second lowest in terms of the percentage of employers incorporating emotional wellbeing into their company’s strategy (52 percent).

Also, while 88 percent of companies in APAC have at least one wellbeing initiative in place, most wellbeing initiatives are one dimensional, and there is mismatch between what is offered and the issues that need to be addressed, indicating there is much work to be done.

Alan Oates, head of advisory and specialty for Health Solutions, APAC at Aon, said: “As businesses in the region allocate ever-greater investments to improve the wellbeing of their employees, our data reveals gaps in what businesses think is important versus what employees need and are offered. Organisations must therefore avoid implementing one-off individual wellbeing initiatives with no connection to a larger business plan. Using data and analytics to identify employee needs and aligning interventions with those needs will ensure organisations make better decisions to improve wellbeing and overall workforce resilience.”

About the survey

Aon conducted the survey of human resources and benefits leaders from more than 263 companies across 14 countries and sovereignties in Asia Pacific across multiple industries in collaboration with IPSOS, a leading global market research company, through August and November of 2022. Explore findings of Aon’s 2022-2023 Global Wellbeing Survey here.

Hashtag: #MentalHealth #EmployeeWellbeing #EmployeeHealth #WorkforceResilience

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Aon

(NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

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Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavours to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.

NetApp Appoints Andrew Sotiropoulos as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific

Industry veteran joins cloud data management leader to chart its next lap of growth in Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 May 2023 – NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today announced that it has appointed IT industry veteran and senior business executive Andrew Sotiropoulos as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific (APAC).

Andrew Sotiropoulos, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific (APAC)

Andrew Sotiropoulos, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific at NetApp

Based in Singapore, Andrew will preside over NetApp’s business and spearhead the company’s expansion plans in the region. Reporting to NetApp President Cesar Cernuda, his priorities include growing NetApp’s enterprise storage and cloud business, strengthening its partner ecosystem, and extending its leadership in regional markets.

Andrew has over three decades of experience in the technology industry, leading pan-regional teams to drive business growth and capture emerging opportunities. He most recently served as VP of Asia Pacific and Japan at Pure Storage. Andrew has also led teams at IBM and Lenovo. In IBM, he led the Global Technology Services division in Asia Pacific. He has extensive experience leading organisations in Asia Pacific and Global roles across both product and technology services segments.

Andrew takes over from Sanjay Rohatgi, who will be departing the company to pursue opportunities outside of the company, after nearly four years of leading NetApp’s sales teams in Asia Pacific.

“As a global company, and having spent many years in APAC myself, we appreciate the importance of building and strengthening our long-standing relationships with business communities in the region,” said Cesar Cernuda, President at NetApp. “I am delighted to have Andrew join us to continue the growth of our business as we empower our customers wherever they are on their respective cloud transformation journeys.”

“NetApp is resolute in helping APAC organizations mitigate complexities to accelerate their digital transformation journeys, across on-premises and hybrid multicloud environments,” said Andrew Sotiropoulos, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp Asia Pacific. “I am excited to build on the 30-year foundation that NetApp has laid down, letting customers further boost their innovation speed, lower costs, and improve agility.”

Hashtag: #NetApp



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About NetApp

NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at or follow us on , , , and .

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

World Mode Holdings Group brings to APAC full suite of capabilities for a rapidly evolving world of retail

World Mode Holdings Asia Pacific delivers even more robust and dynamic solutions

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 May 2023 – Japanese retail solutions provider World Mode Holdings (WMH) Group has set up an Asia Pacific (APAC) arm as part of an accelerated expansion plan across the globe. With the APAC arm mirroring capabilities of its Japanese parent, WMH is now in a significantly stronger position to serve up integrated retail solutions in the region.

Organisational chart of World Mode Holdings Group

Organisational chart of World Mode Holdings Group

WMH APAC provides full range of integrated solutions

Set to elevate retail solutions in APAC, WMH APAC’s services now mirror those offered by its Japanese parent. WMH APAC has bases in a total of five countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Australia. On top of solutions to address human resource, training, and operations, WMH APAC is also equipped to consult on digital marketing, e-commerce, CRM, retail technology, and visual merchandising as part of its integrated solutions.

Retail trends

“The luxury industry in APAC is bouncing back even stronger in many aspects than before COVID-19. More retail brands have also eagerly entered SEA as luxury consumers balloon in numbers and spending power. Hence, there is a huge demand for high-standard retail solutions to resolve the customer experience (CX) challenges of today,” Mr. Shinsuke Kafuku, CEO and President of WMH Group, shared about the establishment of WMH APAC. He added that for Southeast Asia (SEA), due to systematic and cultural diversity, there is also a real need for solutions which can achieve standardisation for swift scaling and business growth, while leaving room for detailed customisations specific to in-market needs.

The establishment of WMH APAC is proof of its commitment to serving and growing with the retail industry in APAC. As the fashion and beauty sectors see major shifts and transformations, it is crucial for retail businesses to keep up with trends. This includes the adoption of practices such as personalised CX, augmented reality, and sustainability-driven efforts to remain competitive. “Our core objective is to raise industry standards, and we do this by supplementing clients’ teams with operational capabilities and adequate skills development to drive memorable customer experiences,” stated Ms. Angeline Yap, Director of WMH APAC. She continued, “We’re a leader on the talent development front – supporting and grooming talent by imparting expert knowledge, technical skills, soft skills, and other transferrable skills.” Through skills certification, WMH APAC incentivises employees to undergo training and upskilling through certification. This is key to propelling the retail workforce to meet dynamic market demands and various changes to come.

Meeting APAC’s demands in recruitment, training, operations, and technology

Thanks to its expertise in various components of the retail, beauty, and fashion industries, and corresponding consultancy services, WMH APAC brings to the table holistic integrated solutions that meet the many demands of clients and end-customers.

Recruitment

Recruitment remains a core service of WMH APAC. Its job portal MyBRANDS has been serving fashion and beauty retailers in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and will soon have a presence in even more countries in the region. Through WMH APAC, MyBRANDS aims to expand its candidate database across markets in the region. The mission is to groom the next generation of the retail workforce, eventually connecting qualified job applicants with potential employers internationally.

Training

To elevate the calibre of the workforce, WMH APAC presents Mode Academy, built to deliver its education and training component. Ever evolving factors such as clients’ needs, customer journeys, shopping habits, retail touchpoints, and any limitations inform the ways the training framework and curricula are crafted at Mode Academy. Through on-ground research and the approach of blended learning, Mode Academy aims to establish a benchmark for service excellence in the fashion and beauty industry. It takes on the role of a job-skills integrator to help employees achieve continuous employability with regularly updated and upgraded skills.

Operations

Delivering effective retail solutions at scale, WMH APAC offers human-centric services to enhance CX and productivity. For instance, WMH Group has been managing stores of major luxury brands and, based on its in-depth know-how, offers quality store operation management services. Creative visual merchandising is also one of the services that WMH APAC now boasts. Thanks to the Group’s decades of experience at the frontline in stores and ongoing field research, brick-and-mortar retailers can expect creative solutions that take into consideration store front aesthetics and functionality, marketing, and human resource. The result is a delightful customer experience complemented by robust backend support.

Technology

CX solutions are only possible due to the seamless fusion of fashion and technology. WMH APAC works with partners to strengthen customer engagement and maximise retail sales by offering CX-enhancing technologies. For instance, physical stores can take advantage of technologies such as heat maps, digital colour matching, and business intelligence systems to analyse in-store and backend data in an integrated manner, transcending silos and fortifying the existing business strategy.

Mr. Shinsuke Kafuku, CEO and President of WMH, and Ms. Angeline Yap, Director of WMH APAC, are available for comment and interviews. For media enquiries, please see below.

Hashtag: #WorldMode

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About World Mode Holdings Group

Established in 2012, World Mode Holdings Inc. (WMH) is a one-stop consultancy for retailers in the fashion and luxury brand industry. There are six business pillars under WMH Group’s wide-ranging consultancy expertise, namely iDA, BRUSH, Four Ambition, AIAD, AIAD LAB, and Visual Merchandising Studio. Each specializes in different service streams, including recruitment, training, store operations, digital marketing, e-commerce, CRM, retail technology and visual merchandising.

WMH Group is proud of their track record of effectively supporting businesses through customised solutions for an impressive list of clients.

WMH Group is the evolved form of the founding company iDA, a human resource company serving the fashion and beauty industry that was established in 1999 by Keisuke Kafuku, father of now-CEO and President Shinsuke Kafuku who took over in 2008. The younger Kafuku founded WMH Group because of its expansion from human resources alone to many more verticals.

BingX Presents $SUI Token Listing Event for early investors

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 May 2023 – BingX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange with over 5 million users in over 100 countries and regions, is excited to support the launch of Layer 1 project , SUI Mainnet. SUI is a decentralized proof-of-stake blockchain with high scalability and throughput, making it ideal for application development. BingX believes that SUI network innovative approach to parallel processing and optimized single-write objects can revolutionize the digital asset ecosystem.

To celebrate the launch, BingX will be hosting a series of events from May 3, with prizes totaling up to $100,000. New and existing users who sign up can enjoy SUI spot trading pairs (spot grid and unlimited grid) with zero handling fees for 7 days. New users registered during the event can receive up to 5125USDT. In addition, there will be SUI airdrops and a spin and win contest for a chance to win $30,000 SUI.

In addition to the launch events, BingX is offering several perks to its users who trade SUI. Users can enjoy zero handling fees for SUI/USDT trading pairs for a limited time, as well as receive rewards up to $50 in SUI when they deposit SUI into their BingX account. Spot traders can also get up to $100 in SUI, while future traders can participate in BingX’s lucky draw for a chance to win more SUI, an iPhone 14, and other prizes. Get updates from BingX SUI airdrop event page.

“We are delighted to support the launch of SUI Mainnet.” said Elvisco Carrington, PR and Communications Director of BingX. “We share the vision of revolutionising the digital asset ecosystem, creating a safer, more accessible world of digital currencies with the potential to disrupt the traditional financial system. BingX is always looking to partner and introduce more quality projects to benefit our users and change the crypto landscape.”

Hashtag: #BingX

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

BingX

BingX is a leading crypto exchange that offers spot, derivatives, copy, and grid trading services to over 100 countries and regions worldwide with over 5 million users. BingX continues to connect users with expert traders and the platform in a safe and innovative way. If you are still doing your own research for , BingX provides top quality content and news and analysis.

BlueOnion announces the Appointment of Dr. Agnes K Y Tai as Chief EC.ESG Investment Strategist

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 2 May 2023 – BlueOnion announced today the appointment of Dr. Agnes K Y Tai as Chief EC.ESG Investment Strategist of the Group, effective May 1, 2023.

Agnes brings 43 years of experience in sustainability, governance, strategy, and risk oversight with board training across five continents. Before joining BlueOnion, Agnes was Managing Director and Head of Sustainability Investment and Advisory of Arta Asset Management.

In this new role, Agnes leads the Investment Strategy Service that employs BlueOnion’s financial, economic, climate, and ESG performance modeling for funds, portfolios, and the listed constituents. She leads the team to empower BlueOnion institutional clients on their responsible investing strategy while aligning their products’ sustainability goals. Agnes formulates bespoke climate-and ESG-themed portfolio construction and monitoring for meeting local and international frameworks’ requirements and supporting clients in effectively adopting Climate and ESG integration.

“I cannot express my excitement enough of Agnes joining BlueOnion for this important role to bridge the critical gap currently frustrating most asset and wealth managers. Her wealth of experience and wisdom in both financial and sustainability materiality will enhance the intelligence and expedite the growth of BlueOnion in meeting the rapidly rising market appetite for sustainability and help scale BlueOnion’s business to new heights”, says Pau.

Agnes continues to be a Steering Committee member of the Climate Governance Initiative Hong Kong Chapter, an Expert Review Panel member for the MTR Corporation sustainability reports since 2014, an Advisory Board member of Asia Climate Forum, a Council member and training committee Deputy Chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors and faculty of Competent Boards. She has a Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, an MBA from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, and a B.Sc. from Roosevelt University in the USA. She is a Stanford University Senior Executive Leadership Program and a 2011 Stanford Directors’ College graduate. She is an author and frequent speaker.

www.blueonion.today/agnes-tai/

Hashtag: #BlueOnion

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About BlueOnion

BlueOnion is an intelligent sustainability platform that empowers genuine, responsible investing with a mission to solve the world’s greenwashing problem. BlueOnion’s suite of products is designed to identify ESG risks and promote investment returns performance with intuitive visualization across 300k mutual funds and ETFs and 42k global companies. Intelligent data analytics and interactivity have created the most efficient and helpful saving costs for asset owners, asset managers, banks, and corporates while boosting productivity.

Additional information can be found at

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