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VinFuture Prize 2022 officially announces commencement of the pre-screening round

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – On May 18th, 2022 – The commencement of VinFuture Pre-Screening Round has been officially announced. Honoring the theme of “Reshaping and Reviving”, the VinFuture Prize has received a total of 970 nominations, submited by prestigious scientists and institutions from more than 70 countries in six continents for its second award season.

Under this year’s theme, nominations are centered around important research works and inventions that can help revive the post-pandemic world by solving humanity’s most pressing challenges related to health and the food supply, the environment and sustainable energy, as well as the application of technology in all aspects of life.

Currently leading in number of nominators is Asia with 34.6% of the total accepted nominators, followed by the Americas with 29.8%, Europe with 16.2%, and Oceania with 7%. Notably this year, Africa has 12.4% of the nominators, six times higher than its share in 2021.

In terms of quality, 584 out of 2618 nominators of the VinFuture Prize’s second season are individual nominators from the top 2% of most-cited researchers in the world, and 37.1% are from the world’s top 500 universities and research institutions, such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University (U.S.A), University of Oxford (U.K.), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University (China), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa), Cairo University (Egypt), and many other leading universities and institutions globally.

The VinFuture Pre-Screening round consists of a rigorous evaluation process based on the highest international standards in order to ensure scientific integrity, fairness, and transparency. The VinFuture Pre-Screening Committee will assess the nominations according to a set of core criteria, which includes the degree of scientific or technological advancement, the level of impact on people’s lives, as well as the project’s scale and sustainability.

Dr. Lê Thái Hà, Managing Director of the VinFuture Prize, shared, Witnessing the consequences of two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, VinFuture recognizes its role in contributing to, and promoting, the global process of post-pandemic revival, aiming ultimately for sustainable development. With the theme of “Reshaping & Reviving”, the VinFuture Prize 2022 has gathered leading scientists from a variety of science and technology fields from across the world to increase the number of multi-dimensional perspectives in the nomination evaluation process. From this, we hope to find scientific solutions to the world’s pressing problems, and to simultaneously inspire and disseminate the great values that science and technology can bring in different sectors to new countries and territories, particularly in vulnerable areas.

With the official commencement of the Pre-Screening round, the 2022 VinFuture Prize has announced three additional scientists to join its Scientific Councils this season.

Professor Dan Kammen from the University of California, Berkeley (U.S.A), the former Science Envoy for the U.S. State Department, one of the world’s leading experts in the field of energy, will be officially joining the VinFuture Prize Council from 2022.

The two other new professors joining the VinFuture Pre-Screening Council for the second season include Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim – The 2016 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Laureate, one of the Inaugural VinFuture Prize Laureates, and Professor Ermias Kebreab – the Director of the University of California, Davis World Food Center.

Sharing his thoughts about his new role, Professor Dan Kammen said, “I was especially impressed by VinFuture’s realistic message, as well as the mission of science and technology that has been disseminated through VinFuture’s humanitarian angle. I have high expectations for not only the quality, but also the applicability of the scientific nominations to real life. As a scientist who is dedicated to science for humanity, being able to participate in evaluating the nominations and choosing the scientific inventions and innovations to be the next Prize winners is a meaningful and enjoyable mission.

The 2022 VinFuture Pre-Screening round takes place from May 18th to late September, 2022 and aims to enable the Council to meticulously evaluate the most impactful and award-worthy works to proceed to the final round.

VinFuture Prize Council:
– Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend, FRS – University of Cambridge, UK, Millennium Technology Laureate in Physics 2010.
– Professor Gérard Albert Mourou – École Polytechnique Palaiseau, France, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2018.
– Professor Sir Konstantin (Kostya) S. Novoselov, FRS – University of Manchester, UK and National University of Singapore, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2010.
– Professor Michael Eugene Porter – Harvard Business School, USA, creator of the theory “Competitive Advantage of Nations”.
– Professor Leslie Gabriel Valiant, FRS – Harvard University, USA, A.M. Turing Laureate 2010.
– Dr. Padmanabhan Anandan – AI Matters Advisors LLC, USA.
– Professor Jennifer Tour Chayes – University of California, Berkeley, USA.
– Professor Pascale Cossart – Pasteur Institute of Paris, France.
– Professor Van-Chi Dang – Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, USA.
– Dr. Xuedong David Huang – Microsoft, USA.
– Professor Dan Kammen – University of California, Berkeley, USA.
– Professor Ha-Van Vu – Yale University, USA and VinBigdata Institute, Vingroup, Vietnam.

VinFuture Pre-Screening Committee:
– Professor Thuc-Quyen Nguyen – University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
– Professor Albert P. Pisano – University of California, San Diego, USA.
– Professor Mônica Alonso Cotta – Institute of Physics “Gleb Wataghin”, University of Campinas, Brazil.
– Professor Ngoc-Minh Do – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA and VinUniversity, Vietnam.
– Mr. Akihisa Kakimoto – Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan.
– Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim – CAPRISA Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa
– Professor Ermias Kebreab – University of California, Davis, USA.
– Professor Duc-Thu Nguyen – Rutgers University, USA.
– Professor Alta Schutte – University of New South Wales and The George Institute for Global Health, Australia.
– Professor Molly Shoichet – University of Toronto, Canada.
– Professor Vivian Yam – The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

About the VinFuture Foundation:

The VinFuture Foundation, established on December 20th, 2020 on the occasion of International Human Solidarity Day, is an independent, not-for-profit foundation initiated by Mr. Phạm Nhật Vượng, and his wife, Madam Phạm Thu Hương.

The mission and vision of the Foundation is to create meaningful changes in the everyday lives of millions of people in the world. The core activity of the Foundation is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize to technological innovations that have already contributed or have the potential to contribute to the betterment of life for millions of human beings globally.

The VinFuture Prize consists of four prize categories, of which the Grand Prize – with a value of US$3 million – is one of the largest annual global prizes, and three additional Special Prizes, worth US$500,000 each, are dedicated to Female Innovator(s), Innovator(s) from Developing Country(ies), and Innovator(s) with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields.

In addition, the Foundation also conducts many activities to realize its mission, such as funding research, collaborating in academic development, and promoting STEM education.

#VinFutureFoundation

Huatai International announces global launch of Cash Pro service — an automated cash management tool by Zhangle Global

Earn dividend every day[1] ; Enter the market anytime

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – Huatai International Financial Holdings Company Ltd. (Huatai International) today announces that Zhangle Global, a wealth management platform built for the global Chinese community, has released Cash Pro service. Designed to automate the process of idle cash management, Cash Pro offers a relatively low-risk and liquid option for investors, giving them the flexibility of earning dividend by investing their cash holdings in fund while waiting for the right timing to enter the market.

Investors can now activate the Cash Pro service from the “Wealth” interface within the homepage menu of Zhangle Global App. After the service is activated, all idle funds in their Zhangle Global accounts will be automatically transferred to Cash Pro on every trading day. In other words, they will be automatically used to subscribe an exclusive fund linked to Cash Pro service, with the goal of earning dividend daily[2]. In the meantime, funds placed in Cash Pro can be redeemed for other investments at any time.

Cash Pro service requires no minimum investment amount. Currently there is no charges or fees for subscription, redemption, transaction, switching, and other services. The fund[3] currently available to users is jointly launched by Huatai International and China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited. It focuses primarily on low-risk assets such as money markets investments denominated in USD or HKD. The fund has been authorized and is regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong (SFC).

Zhu Yali, Managing Director at Huatai Financial and Head of Zhangle Global, said: “The successful launch of Cash Pro service by Zhangle Global is a result of Huatai International’s extraordinary ability to integrate finance and technology. It further fills the gap of automation of idle fund management in Hong Kong. Zhangle Global is committed to providing investors with a well-balanced service offering under the current volatile market, and to continuously promoting the concept of ‘idle fund management’. The successful launch of Cash Pro service is an important step for Zhangle Global to become the preferred one-stop wealth management platform for the global Chinese community. In the future, we will continue to invest in Fintech as we provide more innovative wealth management services for our clients.”

Target daily dividend accrual[4], automated fund subscription and redemption

As global financial markets became more volatile in recent years, investors’ demand for defensive asset allocations increased. The cash management options currently available in the market include savings and fixed deposits, money market funds, etc. These options are relatively illiquid and tend to have high entry barriers, unstable or even low returns, making them difficult to meet investors’ requirements of low risk, stable returns, and high liquidity.

Cash Pro service invests the daily balance amount in investors’ accounts into designated funds. Dividend is expected to be distributed on each trading day, while dividend may also be calculated on non-trading days and accrued until the next distribution day. Fund products[5] linked to Cash Pro service aims to achieve a stable return through investing in money market instruments denominated in HKD or USD.

100% cash purchasing power, a well-balanced approach

The liquidity of Cash Pro service is comparable to bank deposits. It supports T+0 settlement. An investor’s holdings in Cash Pro are fully counted as his or her cash purchasing power, meaning that they can be used for equity transactions, IPO subscriptions or mutual fund investment, etc. inside Zhangle Global App. While investors are waiting for the right time to invest, the idle funds are invested daily into the fund linked to Cash Pro service, increasing their utilization efficiency. When investors come across suitable investment opportunities, they can at any time utilize the purchasing power of the cash in their accounts without any risk of transfer delays.

At 11 am each trading day, the system automatically diverts all idle funds in users’ accounts to subscribe to the fund linked to Cash Pro service. Investors need not to give any instruction manually. Investors can also get a full view of their holdings and daily returns in Zhangle Global App.

As Cash Pro service goes online, Huatai International is simultaneously launching a double cash reward campaign, with reward amount up to HKD10,000. During the promotion period, investors who sign up for the Cash Pro service and invest over a designated amount will receive a limited-time reward of annualized return as high as 3%, with total reward amount as high as HKD10,000. At the same time, investors who successfully invite their friends to become effective users of Zhangle Global will receive limited-time reward of up to 3% annualized return. Users can participate in and receive rewards from both activities. For more details, please refer to information in the Zhangle Global App.

1,2,4 The Fund linked to Cash Pro service aims to pay dividends on a daily basis. However, there is no guarantee on the dividend payout rate and whether dividends will be paid regularly. Investors should read the Fund offering documents for details of the Fund’s dividend payout policy.

3,5 The Fund is not a money market fund authorized for sale to the public under the SFC Code on Unit Trusts and Mutual Funds. The Fund’s eligible investment instruments; the weighted average maturity and duration of the Fund’s portfolio; the remaining maturity of the instruments in which the Fund invests; and the percentage of the Fund’s total assets invested in sales and repurchase transactions do not meet the limits applicable to money market funds in Hong Kong. The Fund may be more adversely affected by interest rate changes and is subject to higher levels of credit risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, volatility and liquidity risk.

About Huatai International

Huatai International Financial Holdings Company Limited (“Huatai International”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Huatai Securities Co., Limited (601688.SH and 6886.HK). Huatai International operates its Hong Kong business under the SFC license type 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 via its wholly owned subsidiary Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited(“Huatai Financial”). It carries out the US wealth management business via its subsidiary, AssetMark, and the US investment banking business via Huatai Securities (USA). Because of its strong capital base, excellent business operations, and mature risk management system, the rating agency Standard & Poor’s assigned a credit rating of BBB+ (long-term issuer) and A-2 (short-term issuer) to Huatai International.

#HuataiInternational

About Zhangle Global

Zhangle Global is a one-stop wealth management platform developed by Huatai International, providing stock trading services for Hong Kong equities, US equities, A-shares and Singapore equities, and other financial products that include mutual funds, ETF, insurance, and AI-powered investment advisory services. The cumulative downloads of Zhangle Global has surpassed 1 million times.

Disclaimer

Cash Pro service is an idle fund management service launched by Huatai International’s Zhangle Global. Through automatic subscription or redemption, Cash Pro service invests idle cash in customers’ accounts into funds authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong. This document has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong and has been prepared by Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited.

Before making an investment decision, clients should read the relevant fund offering documents including the risk factors set out therein. In case of doubt and/or if the client considers it necessary, independent professional advice should be sought. This article should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to subscribe to, buy or sell any fund. Investment involves risks. Please read and understand the offering documents and risk disclosure statement before investing.

Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited is not your investment adviser or acting as your trustee. The above information is not and should not be construed as investment advice and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to subscribe to, buy, sell or redeem any investment products. Investment involves risks and past performance is not indicative of future performance. You should not rely solely on the above information to make any investment decisions. You should read the offering documents of the investment funds for detailed product information and risk factors before making any investment. If you are in any doubt about this information or any product offering documents, you should seek independent professional advice. This material is intended for users in the Hong Kong SAR only and the information provided is not for distribution outside the Hong Kong SAR and should not be construed as an invitation, offer, recommendation or solicitation for investment, products or services in any country, territory or jurisdiction (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the United States). Non-Hong Kong investors are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations of their respective jurisdictions.

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

Okta Recognized in the 2022 Gartner Peer Insights™ ‘Voice of the Customer’: Access Management

Okta Named a Customers’ Choice for Access Management Across All Categories Evaluated

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ: OKTA), the leading independent provider of identity, today announced it has been recognized as a Customers’ Choice for the fourth time in a row in the Gartner® Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer” report for Access Management (AM) that evaluates vendors based on customer reviews. Gartner defines the AM market as, “customers’ needs to establish, enforce and manage runtime access controls for internal and external types of identities, interacting with cloud, modern standards-based web and legacy web applications.”

Download the Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer” report for Access Management to learn why Okta is:

  • The most reviewed vendor based on 268 reviews as of February 28, 2022 for AM (based on customer reviews of Okta’s offerings including Auth0)
  • A recommended vendor – Okta has a 92% ‘Willingness to Recommend’
  • A Customers’ Choice in the overall AM market
  • A Customers’ Choice in the Large and Midsize Enterprise Markets
  • A Customers’ Choice in North America
  • A Customers’ Choice in Services

Okta’s and Auth0’s impact on its enterprise customers and developers are well-expressed in these reviews:

“Okta is the gold standard when it comes to MFA/SSO. It is used company-wide and integrated with other applications. We have active log monitoring for Okta to review all Okta sessions to ensure secure access to our applications and systems and alert to any anomalous activity.” -Cybersecurity Analyst, Banking Industry

“Auth0 works out of the box, and it’s very developer-friendly to create generic authentication flows. The rules make it super simple and flexible to customize it to improve customer experiences.” -Product Manager, Utilities Industry

“Okta has been amazing from the start, it’s so easy to set up the system…” -CTO, State and Local Government

Source: Gartner Peer Insights ‘Voice of the Customer’: Access Management, April 27, 2022

“Identity is one of the most important decisions an organization will make. We believe being recognized by our customers is an honor and a reflection of our commitment to provide world-class products that drive secure and seamless digital experiences for our customers,” said Todd McKinnon, CEO and Co-Founder, Okta. “Customer success is our top priority, and we are grateful for their trust and the feedback they share with us on Gartner Peer Insights.”

Gartner also recently recognized Okta and Auth0 as Leaders in the “Magic Quadrant™ for Access Management, November 2021,” and Okta placed the highest for “Ability to Execute” of all vendors evaluated.

For more information on this Customers’ Choice distinction, please review the Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer” report for Access Management and Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer” Methodology.

Gartner® and Peer Insights™ are trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner® Peer InsightsTM content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences, and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates.

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Henrique Teixeira | Abhyuday Data | Michael Kelley, 01 November 2021

Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About Okta

Okta is the leading independent identity provider. The Okta Identity Cloud enables organizations to securely connect the right people to the right technologies at the right time. With more than 7,000 pre-built integrations to applications and infrastructure providers, Okta provides simple and secure access to people and organizations everywhere, giving them the confidence to reach their full potential. More than 15,000 organizations, including JetBlue, Nordstrom, Siemens, Slack, Takeda, Teach for America, and Twilio, trust Okta to help protect the identities of their workforces and customers.

#Okta

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Recognised as One of Singapore’s Best Employers of 2022

The company topped the rankings for the automotive industry in The Straits Times 2022 Singapore’s Best Employers survey

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – Toyota Motor Asia Pacific has been recognised by Singapore’s The Straits Times as one of the top 200 employers in the country within its Best Employers list for 2022. Ranked as the top company in the automotive industry, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific achieved a score of 7.78 out of a maximum of 10, also landing it a spot within the top 60 highest-scoring companies on the list.

The annual list ranks companies and institutions in Singapore based on an assessment of their attractiveness to employees, which was conducted through a large-scale, independent survey by global data firm Statista. The survey polled more than 17,000 respondents across six main areas: working conditions, workplace environment, potential for career development, employer’s reputation, salary, and diversity.

“At Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, employees are at the heart of everything we do and our culture is built on diversity and inclusion, helping them to connect with the brand’s vision and mission through various company-wide initiatives. As we transition from an automotive company to a mobility company, we will continue seizing opportunities to help drive the brand while ensuring an inclusive and healthy workspace for our people,” said Preston Tan, Vice President for Human Resource, Admin and Systems Division of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific

With a culture centred on enriching lives and supporting a more inclusive, sustainable and mobile society, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific employees in Singapore have access to a myriad of programmes focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR), employee wellness and engagement, and diversity and inclusion. These company-wide initiatives include a hybrid working model with flexible hours, in-house gym and yoga facilities. Additionally, as part of Toyota Gazoo Racing and e-motorsports participation, employees can experience sim racing in “Gran Turismo” with the GR simulator in the Singapore office.

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, the regional corporate headquarters for Toyota Motor Corporation in Singapore, has over 320 employees.

The Singapore’s Best Employers 2022 list can be viewed here. Candidates who are interested in career opportunities with Toyota Asia Pacific can visit the Toyota Motor Asia Pacific LinkedIn to find out more.

About Toyota Motor Asia Pacific

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific [TMAP] is incorporated in Singapore and is the regional corporate headquarters and subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.

TMAP leads and supports the Asia Pacific region in sales and marketing activities, service parts, accessories and customer services, thus contributing to the overall development of auto industry and the growing economies in the region.

Toyota envisions the future mobility society to bring freedom of movement to all. Moving forward, Toyota will provide a diverse range of mobility services and transportation solutions to people around the world as we transform Toyota into a mobility company.

#ToyotaMotorAsiaPacific

KPMG announces pay adjustments for Singapore employees, firm-wide bonuses and S$30 million lifelong learning programme amid a drive for talent and quality

  • KPMG in Singapore’s latest pay adjustments and investments in a lifelong learning programme is in recognition of and a bid to contribute to the profession’s critical need to attract and retain top talent.
  • Majority of employees to see their pays adjusted. In particular, starting pays for entry level professional staff will increase by up to 20 percent.
  • About S$25 million invested this financial year into pay raises to recognise quality of talent and delivery.
  • Market-competitive bonus pay-outs to be expected
  • S$30 million investment into the lifelong learning of employees over the next five years
  • Technology investments doubled in 2022 for the Future of Work

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – KPMG in Singapore announced today salary adjustments for the majority of its Singapore employees. In particular, the starting pays for entry level professional staff will increase by up to 20 per cent. On top of the S$25 million the firm is investing this financial year into salary increments, the firm will also pay out market-competitive bonuses. KPMG in Singapore is also investing in a multi-million-dollar (S$30 million) lifelong learning programme for its 3,200-strong local workforce as it continues to lead the market in cross-sector trends and transformative expertise.

This move by the Singapore office of the global firm comes as demand by companies for quality advisors rises significantly – highlighting the pivotal role that professional services firms will continue to play in the future landscape for businesses. Integral to this is the profession’s ability to attract and retain top talent within and outside the profession who can solve complex problems and deliver the effective and impactful outcomes demanded by businesses today.

Ong Pang Thye, Managing Partner, KPMG in Singapore, said, “Investing substantially in our people is really our way of telling KPMG’s staff and all stakeholders that it is critical to recognise the importance of professional services, auditors and advisers to the continued functioning of the financial markets and that the quality of talent is fundamental in delivering outcomes of impact/value as well as meeting stakeholders’ expectations. With digitalisation, sustainability agenda and global geopolitical tensions, the complexity of problems has doubled – requiring higher precision and foresight, with innovative outcomes to keep enterprises resilient amid uncertainties. We do not take for granted the pivotal role that each employee plays in creating measurable change that betters life for countries, companies and communities.”

Pay raises and bonus pay-outs recognise quality of talent and delivery of outcomes

These latest round of salary adjustments will benefit the majority of staff and comes alongside firm-wide annual increments that are in-step with or ahead of market. The firm will also continue to pay out bonuses competitively at the market rate despite global geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

The strong showing for compensation and rewards signals KPMG’s continued confidence in Singapore’s economic outlook. It is also reflective of the firm’s steady expansion of its business globally. In FY21, KPMG reported annual aggregated global revenues of US$32.13 billion – a 10 per cent growth in US dollar revenue from FY20.

The pay hike is timely as industry baseline standards are lifted for professional services, given the increase in complexity of businesses. This comes in the form of evolved tax and audit requirements and legislations today, along with widening stakeholder expectations for quality advisory, tax and audit expertise in areas that require deeper sectorial expertise and subject matter knowledge, along with an ability to integrate technological and ESG considerations as well as other non-traditional areas.

KPMG in Singapore has been leading the market in raising salaries for audit and tax employees who attained the Singapore Chartered Accountant (SCA) qualification or Accredited Tax Advisor (ATA) qualification. This 20 per cent pay adjustment, which was the first such move in the industry, is already in place. Eligible staff with these qualifications will continue to enjoy market-leading total salary.

Multi-million-dollar commitment for Lifelong Learning

As an industry thought leader, KPMG in Singapore is also investing about S$30 million into lifelong learning programme over the next five years to groom its talent as it continues to lead insights, discourse and developments for future trends. Training will focus on futurist capabilities, harnessing skillsets such as data and digital literacy as well as valuing and creating measurable impact, alongside ESG topics. These are all aimed at ultimately delivering quality business outcomes for enterprises, industries and communities.

The firm also supports its audit and tax employees towards professional accreditations such as the SCA and ATA, investing about S$21,000 per employee in tuition fees, exam fees and generous paid study leave. To date, the firm has already committed at least $7 million in such sponsorship for FY22.

Beyond this, KPMG will also be equipping employees with multidisciplinary skills and knowledge to tackle emerging challenges in ESG and digital transformation. Last year, the firm announced investments of more than US$1.5 billion over the next three years to embed ESG competencies throughout the global organisation. The investment focuses on ESG training for KPMG’s 236,000 global workforce to empower employees to be agents of positive change. KPMG has partnered two leading global academic institutions – the University of Cambridge Judge Business School and NYU Stern Executive Education – for this initiative. Employees also have unlimited access to over 16,000 courses across business, innovation and technology and have opportunities to put learning into action.

Technology investments doubled for the Future of Work

KPMG in Singapore is also doubling its technology investments in 2022. Aside from empowering its employees to co-create digital assets with clients and industries, the firm is implementing the future of work in its new office space later this year. State of the art technologies will be in place to facilitate enhanced collaboration through virtual, hybrid or physical meetings and work arrangements.

KPMG’s efforts in delivering a strong employee value proposition for talent growth and wellbeing have led it to be consistently ranked as a top employer in Singapore. In 2022, the firm was recognised as one of Singapore’s Best Employers 2022, an annual ranking by The Straits Times and global data firm Statista. In 2021, LinkedIn also named KPMG as a top 15 Singapore Company in Singapore. Among these accolades and others, the firm has been highlighted as a great place for employees to build a professional foundation that sets them up for success at their work and beyond. This includes opportunities for career development, atmosphere at work, working conditions, workplace, salary, equity and diversity.

As companies experience increasing complexity in the years ahead, KPMG in Singapore will continue to stand by its values-driven and purpose-led approach to create a meaningful and positive difference for employees, clients and our communities.

About KPMG in Singapore

KPMG in Singapore is part of a global network of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 146 countries and territories and in FY20 had close to 227,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.

For more information, visit LinkedIn:

#KPMG

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

Virtuos Makes Strategic Investment in Vietnam with Acquisition of Glass Egg

The addition of Glass Egg to Virtuos’ global network of studios will significantly bolster the company’s art production and game development capabilities

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – Virtuos, a leading global game development company, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Glass Egg Digital Media (“Glass Egg”), a 2D and 3D art production studio with 400 employees based in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Together with Glass Egg, Virtuos – which already owns HCMC-based Sparx* – will employ close to 1,000 game specialists in Vietnam, where another studio will be opened in June 2022. This supports Virtuos’ goal of growing to 1,500 employees locally, and becoming the largest game development company in Vietnam.

Members of the Glass Egg team

Members of the Glass Egg team

Co-founded in 1999 by Phil Tran, CEO, and Steve Reid, CFO, Glass Egg‘s extensive art production services cover 2D and 3D assets and concept design. After gaining industry-wide recognition for its excellence in 3D vehicles, the studio has contributed to notable AAA games including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Marvel Spider-Man, Jurassic World Evolution, Need for Speed Heat, Demon Souls, and Forza: Horizon 4.

Following the acquisition, Glass Egg will rebrand itself as “Glass Egg – a Virtuos Studio”. The studio will continue to operate independently, with Tran and Reid staying on to helm the studio as CEO and CFO, respectively.

Virtuos’ acquisition of Glass Egg is set to bolster the company’s offerings in art production and game development. Leveraging Vietnam’s position as a Southeast Asian game development hub, the new studio will not only bring the company closer to its Asian clients, but also give Virtuos access to a deep pool of creative talent.

Gilles Langourieux, CEO at Virtuos comments, “We’re excited to bring the Glass Egg team on board the Virtuos family. With its strong brand equity, coupled with its sizeable and long-term local operations, Glass Egg demonstrates excellent synergies with Virtuos, and we look forward to harnessing our combined expertise to strengthen our commitment to excellence.”

Phil Tran, CEO at Glass Egg – a Virtuos Studio adds, “We are honored to be a part of an industry stalwart, Virtuos. This means our staff will have the ability to expand skills and take on a wider array of projects, which will benefit our clients as well. With the support and resources of Virtuos, we are energized to meaningfully contribute to the industry in its next phase of growth.”

Steve Reid, CFO at Glass Egg – a Virtuos Studio adds, “Operational integration is our top priority post-acquisition. By using the same project management, communication tools and platforms, we can better facilitate interoperability with other Virtuos studios globally, and ensure we have more production options to offer to our clients than competitors.”

Glass Egg – a Virtuos Studio adds to Virtuos’ track record of studio acquisitions and integrations in the past decade, including Volmi Games in January this year, CounterPunch Studios in Los Angeles in 2020, Black Shamrock in Dublin in 2017, and Sparx* in Vietnam in 2011. In 2021, Virtuos also secured a USD150 million investment from Baring Private Equity Asia and opened a studio in Lyon, adding to its growing global network of studios.

Virtuos was advised by Lincoln International, while Sperry, Mitchell & Company assisted in negotiations and served as the exclusive financial advisor to Glass Egg.

About Virtuos

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is a leading global video game development company headquartered in Singapore with studios across Asia, Europe, and North America. With over 2,500 full-time professionals, Virtuos specializes in game development and 3D art production for AAA consoles, PC, and mobile titles, enabling its partners to generate additional revenues and achieve greater operational efficiency.

For over a decade, Virtuos has successfully delivered high-quality content for more than 2,000 projects and its clients include 18 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide. More information at .

#Virtuos

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

Callsign: Identity First returns in 2022 with James Comey, Dr. Timnit Gebru, and Dr. Zia Hayat confirmed to keynote

Prestigious speakers to discuss the rebuilding of digital trust and driving accountability

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – Identity First 2022, presented by Callsign, the digital trust pioneer, has announced a world leading lineup for this year’s virtual event to discuss the erosion, rebuilding and accountability of digital trust. Former FBI Director James Comey, the renowned computer scientist Dr. Timnit Gebru, and Dr. Zia Hayat, CEO and co-founder of Callsign will all keynote. Former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Lord (Jim) O’Neil of Gately, who famously coined the term ‘BRICS’ will host a banking panel and a Formula 1 Team Principal is also confirmed to speak.

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Taking place virtually on 21 June 2022, Identity First 2022 will be a live broadcast spanning multiple time zones to enable global inclusivity, and feature keynotes, fireside chats and industry panel discussions by experts offering insights and viewpoints from a public and private sector perspective.

According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies the global cost of cybercrime reached US$544.5 billion in 2018, with US$171 billion reportedly from the Asia Pacific region alone. This is when the World Bank estimates that the digital economy is equivalent to 15.5% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and growing 2.5 times faster than global GDP over the past 15 years.

“We are living in an era where online fraud is rife, criminals masquerade as organizations or individuals for financial gain, sensitive data is harvested wholesale, and there is a reliance on outdated authentication and verification technologies leading to an erosion of digital trust and lack of accountability,” said Namrata Jolly, General Manager for Asia Pacific, Callsign.

Identity First was created to become the leading global event on digital trust by uniting leading experts with a global community to explore the topic from all angles. Last year’s inaugural, and subsequently award-nominated event, saw Professor Brian Cox and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak deliver keynote presentations on digital trust.

“Although the digital age is meant to propel businesses and peoples’ lives forward, offer inclusion to populations and lower barriers to entry, digital trust is in crisis globally putting the online ecosystem in jeopardy,” continued Jolly.

Dr. Hayat will open the event and deliver a keynote on why it is imperative to establish both digital trust and accountability today. Dr. Hayat will also reveal the first global study into the economic value of digital trust from proprietary research, demonstrating the economic and societal good if digital trust is established.

This year, Identity First 2022 also features a fireside chat with the former Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (2013-2017), James Comey who will examine trust in digital lives and the lack of accountability in today’s society.

Dr. Timnit Gebru, the renowned computer scientist and 2021 50 Great Leaders by Fortune magazine, will deliver a keynote on how fairness, transparency and accountability can be delivered. The ex-Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Lord (Jim) O’Neil will discuss the role banks can play in helping to solve accountability and trust.

Also confirmed to speak at the event is a Formula 1 Team Principal* who will explain how they manage the opportunities and challenges of building digital trust across the team brand.

Registration is free and attendees can join any of the sessions below:

Singapore / UAE

1400 SGT / 1000 GST

UK / Europe

1300 BST / 1400 CET

North America

1400 EST / 1100 PST

*Revealed to attendees when they confirm attendance to the event

About Callsign

is pioneering digital trust through proprietary technology that uniquely mimics the way humans identify each other in the real world. Positive identification of genuine users delivers privacy, safety and minimal friction whilst ensuring that bad actors are blocked. Through a simple Swipe or Type, users can be personally recognized to a 99.999% accuracy, delivering the highest-fidelity AI based user recognition for the digital world. To learn more about how this technology is used to underpin digital trust across financial institutions, governments and commerce globally visit:

#Callsign

Vetter Achieves a Three-Peat in Winning the Best Managed Companies Award

The company’s ongoing focus on strategic execution and sustainability sealed the win

  • Company efforts balance strategic growth and sustainability
  • A successful record of meeting increasing market dynamics
  • Ongoing commitment to fulfilling the expectations of stakeholders


RAVENSBURG,GERMANY Media OutReach19 May 2022 – For the third year in a row, Vetter, a globally leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has won the Best Managed Companies Award. With this three-win feat, the pharmaceutical service provider has once again demonstrated why it is considered one of the industry leaders. The awards committee selected the CDMO based on a variety of initiatives such as its culture of sustainability, continuous commitment to growth, and the development of a new strategic program intended to prepare the company for future market dynamics. In Germany, Deloitte Private, the prominent German business newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Credit Suisse, and the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (the Federation of German Industries) grant the annual award to medium-sized companies they deem to be the best managed. Representatives of Vetter’s owner family and senior management were proud to receive the award during the official ceremony on May 12, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“Winning this award three years in a row is an outstanding achievement for our company and current base of 5,700 employees,” said Senator h.c. Udo J. Vetter, Chairman of the Advisory Board and member of the owner family. “The award signifies that we are a stable and reliable company, basing our performance on both long-term strategic execution as well as on sustainable orientation.”

In close partnerships with its global customer base, Vetter’s intent as a solution provider is to provide patients around the world with flawless, high-quality medications to treat a wide range of severe diseases. By applying innovative, multidimensional programs, the company strives to operate in a sustainable manner, giving equal weight to environmental aspects as well as social and economic considerations. Further company highlights that contributed to sealing the winning of this year’s award were the timely receipt of the manufacturing authorization for its clinical production facility in Rankweil, Austria, combined with the start of the company’s new strategic program Vetter NExT 2029.

“As a winner of the Best Managed Companies Award, Vetter has once again successfully demonstrated its outstanding corporate management,” emphasizes Markus Seiz, Best Managed Company Program Leader and Director at Deloitte Private. “Vetter is thus not only a benchmark for German SMEs, but at the same time stands for a strong as well as thoughtful economy in turbulent times.”

As Vetter’s Managing Directors Thomas Otto and Peter Soelkner shared, “The successful outcome in the award process for the past three years is a strong proof point that we play a significant role in the vital pharma and biotech industry, one with ever-increasing demands from customers and regulatory authorities alike. Despite the current challenges we face concerning the significant increase in prices and delivery times, we are making every possible effort to continue on our successful path. We are doing so in close partnership with our customers, partners, and suppliers.”

The Best Managed Companies award program recognizes excellence in privately held companies across more than 40 countries celebrating winning companies for their organizational excellence, success, and entrepreneurial spirit. Every year, numerous companies worldwide compete in a demanding and thorough independent process where they are benchmarked against a common evaluation framework. In this context, each company’s performance in the key categories of strategy, productivity, innovation, culture, and commitment, as well as finance and governance, are analyzed. An independent jury consisting of high-ranking representatives from business, science, and the media also weighs in on the best choice for a winner.

Find the Vetter press kit and more background information here.

About Vetter

Headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter is a family-owned, global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production facilities in Germany, Austria and the United States. Currently employing more than , the company has long-term experience in supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers both large and small. Vetter range from early stage development support including , to and for vials, syringes and cartridges. As a leading solution provider, Vetter appreciates its responsibility to support the needs of its customers by developing devices that contribute to increased patient safety, convenience, and enhanced compliance. Great importance is also given to including environmental protection and sustainability. Learn more about Vetter at .

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