éleste Boursier-Mougenot At London's Barbican
Missed it but this shows what we missed!
Nice one!
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Ratings agencies query Man-GLG takeover
Rating agencie's ratings are still key instruments in the financial sector.. and likely to be the case for the years to come.. or would there be another viable option that has more teeth & protections/support than just words/reports, I wonder?
short blog on: yes but for egotistic sectors only!? HOW TO: Land Your Dream Job Using Google AdWords
HOW TO: Land Your Dream Job Using Google AdWords
this makes perfect sense, but mostly in more 'individualistic' industry like for the creatives of the Agency world as everyone wants one day to be one of the innitials..
however, how would that be applicable for the truely busy CXOs .. I wonder for likes of Stephen Green of HSBC or Mervyn Davies of Standard Chartered who will have their diaries down to 10/15minutes slots.. would they google themselves?
or for industries like gaming gambling when key words are bid up to sky high cost of hundreds of dollars.. pay per click becomes non-viable even for multi-million business..
and how would one 'trust' people that has time on their hands for that kind of promotions..
guess it is publicity is better than no publicity!?
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
"transparency could also be a curse".. Trial ends with Chinese tycoon jailed for 14 years
Trial ends with Chinese tycoon jailed for 14 years
It is ashame that transparency in some country provide a tool for witch hunting..
sadly what happens with these jailing and behind the door judging does not really help to stem the real problems.
It need a much more comprehensive ways of addressing the key issues that is acceptable to the political power, and I sincerely hope that can also be devised, convinced and brought to fruition.. I hope there is a white knight that is brave enough.
Hurun and Forbes rich lists still post a big danger for whoever they are listed.. very much unlike how the forbes rich list and times rich list is received in the west..
Be safe.
We do try to address this issue as CXO Europe/Asia is totally private and can even leave no trace for those that qualify and involved in the offline gathering. of course however, we do not support nor welcome anyone who might be doing thing might be illegal!
Betting pair take on 3i over fund closure - Times Online
Betting pair take on 3i over fund closure - Times Online
In this kind of situation, it is really the last resort..
3i would have taken some precaution and taken that into account. selling the whole operation was not a light decision.. these suits might be a collateral.
Suing is the last resort, but no doubt the return of GP percentages might be contracted in but also highlighted the possibility of that not happening!?
Richard & Stephen might be taking what they can.. as there are more of them coming out from the sector.
Good luck to them all eitherway.
Singapore Makes Two Deals To Boost Its Film Industry - WSJ.com
Singapore Makes Two Deals To Boost Its Film Industry - WSJ.com
Singapore is aiming to also compete with Hong Kong in creative/film industry.. with the focus and resolution of government, they might be able to pull it off again..
good result for the MDA, well done.
Asia's Discerning Taste for Scotch Whisky - WSJ.com
Asia's Discerning Taste for Scotch Whisky - WSJ.com
Another facet/results of having wealthier people looking for ways to spend/invest their extra cash!
Monday, 17 May 2010
BBC NEWS | Health | Sitting straight 'bad for backs'
BBC NEWS | Health | Sitting straight 'bad for backs'
very interesting..
and the article on standing is the new sit, from New York Times:
not decided myself..
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Make Your Mark 2010 Winners | Enterprise UK
Make Your Mark 2010 Winners | Enterprise UK
Nice one.. particularly..
Outstanding individual
Scott Chapman, Allestree Woodlands School, Derby
Mother’s Day cards
Profit: £537.51
scale (of prints) and reach (via Sainsbury). well done!
How the wealthy can avoid the worst of UK tax rises
How the wealthy can avoid the worst of UK tax rises
some sage advise (still not 100% sure of course) for those that might be applicable..
Saturday, 15 May 2010
The Top Ten Most Resilient Luxury Brands
The Top Ten Most Resilient Luxury Brands
Its great for some.
but can one blame them? key is how to find & deliver best value..
Friday, 14 May 2010
The "fallacy of ratings (or not)" #might be time to change the gear box!#! , Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks’ Influence on Ratings - NYTimes.com
Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks’ Influence on Ratings - NYTimes.com
These two stories above highlight a few key fact of the financial world which we are now faced with: unlike the stock market back in 16th-18th century (still focused on the sustainability of the companies and their cash flows and viability of the company as going concerns, now due to intra day trading & hedge fund's our capital market is focusing on (for some) more profitable short term trading.
As power rests with companies that has money, focus naturally would put stress on their people to 'perform', typically by creating newer/more exotic securities, or an instrument {fundamental or derivative})... Nothing wrong with derivative instruments, mind you, as I would have loved to be the whiz kids/quants to create them and sell to other securities/wealth management houses.. as there is nothing wrong with selling to other sophisticated investors who should understand (or can afford to hire someone that understand).. the challenges comes when these same securities are then re-packaged and sold to another unsuspecting financial firms with support of a AAA rating.
I am watching with amazement when regulators worldwide keep talking about tighter monitoring/regulations/capital/cash ratios...as ..
Surely, it is time now not to look at how the gears not worked and how best to monitor and oil the gears..!? Could it now be the time when we look at potentially changing the automatic gear box to a manual gear box??
that is we should focus on longer term outlook of securities/market, of say, duration of the company's life time, or godforbid, indeed the 'career lifetime' of the CEO/chairman/even the securities trader!!? i.e. make the Officers to be accountable even AFTER their appointments ... that would surely change the dynamics if just a little bit?
These forms part of the reason why I created my company GamBond® (yes our first test market is the insulated remote gaming gambling market, but with probably more profitable/vs cash flow) in the first place back in 2004. We aim to cut through the rubbish and 'see through' potentially messaged figures and go back to the fundamentals of how best to rate a company's viability as a going concern, by focusing on the potential default risks of the targeted industries. We do this by identifying the Key success factors of each targeted industry sector (what drives it's growth, likely KPI that affect it's future growth or potential death traps or decline triggers..) and put a price on the potential default risk of companies, after specific rating, disclosures and monitoring (direct or via value chain).. and also we put our money where our mouth/rating is.. (by creating the insurance and re-insurance sector)
Surely, this would cut through all the 'talk' and sabeponas and witch hunting.. as sadly now in 2010, it is NOT the time of looking back, but forward, what are the lessons learnt and what we can do from within and outside of the industry to ensure that this will NOT happen again?
sadly, I have been barking up the wrong trees so far, and real supports for creation of the default risk insurance market are scarce (yes, we are re-defining multiple industries and in fact mindset but hey, lets not hope that only warren buffet might be able to understand! and yes, if he is the only guy that can help us to make it, please someone help us to make the introduction!)
I personally think/recognise that the future of the securities and financial market is definitely of back to basic: cash flow, outgoing, industry risks, plus some nifty monitoring (active disclosure or value chain/3rd party disclosure) so that one can really monitor the risk and have early warning systems..
Key is cut through the noise and support the Gems.. thats what I call 'Global Trust & Confidence'.. as sadly we do not trust anyone or organisations now, and not likely for the short to medium or long term future!
The "fallacy of ratings (or not)" #might be time to change the gear box!#! , Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks’ Influence on Ratings - NYTimes.com
Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks’ Influence on Ratings - NYTimes.com
These two stories above highlight a few key fact of the financial world which we are now faced with: unlike the stock market back in 16th-18th century (still focused on the sustainability of the companies and their cash flows and viability of the company as going concerns, now due to intra day trading & hedge fund's our capital market is focusing on (for some) more profitable short term trading.
As power rests with companies that has money, focus naturally would put stress on their people to 'perform', typically by creating newer/more exotic securities, or an instrument {fundamental or derivative})... Nothing wrong with derivative instruments, mind you, as I would have loved to be the whiz kids/quants to create them and sell to other securities/wealth management houses.. as there is nothing wrong with selling to other sophisticated investors who should understand (or can afford to hire someone that understand).. the challenges comes when these same securities are then re-packaged and sold to another unsuspecting financial firms with support of a AAA rating.
I am watching with amazement when regulators worldwide keep talking about tighter monitoring/regulations/capital/cash ratios...as ..
Surely, it is time now not to look at how the gears not worked and how best to monitor and oil the gears..!? Could it now be the time when we look at potentially changing the automatic gear box to a manual gear box??
that is we should focus on longer term outlook of securities/market, of say, duration of the company's life time, or godforbid, indeed the 'career lifetime' of the CEO/chairman/even the securities trader!!? i.e. make the Officers to be accountable even AFTER their appointments ... that would surely change the dynamics if just a little bit?
These forms part of the reason why I created my company GamBond® (yes our first test market is the insulated remote gaming gambling market, but with probably more profitable/vs cash flow) in the first place back in 2004. We aim to cut through the rubbish and 'see through' potentially messaged figures and go back to the fundamentals of how best to rate a company's viability as a going concern, by focusing on the potential default risks of the targeted industries. We do this by identifying the Key success factors of each targeted industry sector (what drives it's growth, likely KPI that affect it's future growth or potential death traps or decline triggers..) and put a price on the potential default risk of companies, after specific rating, disclosures and monitoring (direct or via value chain).. and also we put our money where our mouth/rating is.. (by creating the insurance and re-insurance sector)
Surely, this would cut through all the 'talk' and sabeponas and witch hunting.. as sadly now in 2010, it is NOT the time of looking back, but forward, what are the lessons learnt and what we can do from within and outside of the industry to ensure that this will NOT happen again?
sadly, I have been barking up the wrong trees so far, and real supports for creation of the default risk insurance market are scarce (yes, we are re-defining multiple industries and in fact mindset but hey, lets not hope that only warren buffet might be able to understand! and yes, if he is the only guy that can help us to make it, please someone help us to make the introduction!)
I personally think/recognise that the future of the securities and financial market is definitely of back to basic: cash flow, outgoing, industry risks, plus some nifty monitoring (active disclosure or value chain/3rd party disclosure) so that one can really monitor the risk and have early warning systems..
Key is cut through the noise and support the Gems.. thats what I call 'Global Trust & Confidence'.. as sadly we do not trust anyone or organisations now, and not likely for the short to medium or long term future!
Thursday, 13 May 2010
How to survive in China as a foreigner - Shanghaiist
How to survive in China as a foreigner - Shanghaiist:
Great read.. short and suggest you click through above. particularly:
"Don’t freak out when someone invades your personal space. Try not to eat Western food, it’s expensive and often times unsatisfying. Visit the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Summer Palace, but don’t linger. Get off the beaten path. Get lost. Take your time. Man zou. Walk slowly. Learn how to use chopsticks. Buy or rent a bike. Weaving in and out of traffic, dodging taxis and donkey pulled carts, and ringing your bell at pedestrians in your way will make you feel like you’re one of them. Don’t go in the water. Get used to sleeping on a rock hard bed."
Monday, 10 May 2010
my blog comments re peHUB � What’s So Great About Being Public, Anyway?
peHUB � What’s So Great About Being Public, Anyway?
There are may good/great reasons for being listed.. but yes, I agree, for some private equity/fund management firms, it might not make sense for them to be listed at all..
It might make sense for them as part of the 'access to acquisition capital' at time of listing (for acquisition or gaining independence)..
It just does not make sense especially for PE/buyout funds where their investment horizon is 3-10years when the 'market' of 'wall street' in many ways is more bothered with the intra-day/hour/minute trading..
and people wonder why Warren buffet is doing well.. cos he is playing the game but really don't care as much about the short term game..
@GarethWong
Sunday, 9 May 2010
On Twitter, Followers Don't Equal Influence - Research - Harvard Business Review
On Twitter, Followers Don't Equal Influence - Research - Harvard Business Review:
It is difficult to come up with hard & fast rules to measure effectively a still evolving technology/trend/community's behaviour & dynamics..
but "Meeyoung Cha" 's work is a good start and reported above on HBR.
Key however still is how 'trusted relationships is measured and how these people are listened to and their advices/suggestions are acted upon.
e.g. if Oprah says buy a book, millions of american would buy it, but when richard & judy says buy the book, maybe only hundreds/thousands?
So, it seems to me, its still as difficult as measuring the 'fellowship' on the traditional media world.. but surely on the digital world, we should have a better way of doing it..
It maybe we need to find a new KPI that is applicable (no more eye balls please!).. and no, not followers either!
Someone?
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Google Goggles Translates Text In Images -- InformationWeek
Google Goggles Translates Text In Images -- InformationWeek: "As an example of this maxim -- attributed by O'Reilly to technologist Ray Kurzweil and strikingly similar to hockey great Wayne Gretsky's advice 'to skate where the puck's going, not where it's been' -- O'Reilly pointed to Google's substantial investment in translation technology."
make perfect sense but who would have that kind of resources to do that?
Conan O’Brien at Google. Hilarious. Honestly. Hilarious.
Conan O’Brien at Google. Hilarious. Honestly. Hilarious.
Question is how much did google pay for this audience..
Friday, 7 May 2010
Becareful when buying from Aqua Koi Aquatics
Aqua Koi Aquatics
RT @GarethWong: super annoying! after paid £3.20 4 delivery of a £10 filter with "recorded 1st Class/24Hr Courier Zone 1UK".. am *told that its not 24hr!
So, suggestion, don't buy from them online but call up and confirm.. when i did, apparently it was too late and if I had wanted refund, need to read their T&Cs and send the thing back at my cost.
frustrating to say the least!
hope this post bring some transparency and warning for potential users.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Re: I-level placed into administration - Media news - Media Week
I-level placed into administration - Media news - Media Week:
Agency world is notorious re customer loyalty.. with a major account worth up to 40% of a company's revenue is a dangerous game. However, government contracts would in normal economy be a 'safe bet', like tories & Saatchi for example.
But I think the biggest challenge is when Private Equity gets involved, esp. not cash flow industries like marketing/agency world (compare to cash & carry/banking etc.)
..
good luck to those guys at I-level.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Dailymotion - Indian - Akkadannu Nanga - une vid�o Musique
Dailymotion - Indian - Akkadannu Nanga - une vid�o Musique
One of my all time favourite Tamil Song (biased as I was in Madras then!) Indian - Akkadannu Nanga http://dai.ly/dBlKpC on @dailymotion
Time flies or what!
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Re: "Nordic Quack" Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) cartoons on Christmas Eve. - By Jeremy Stahl - Slate Magazine
Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) cartoons on Christmas Eve. - By Jeremy Stahl - Slate Magazine
I thought it was a joke..
but with our swedish friends, late in the night, and now transpire that it is true! ;-)
recommended reading.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
YouTube - Les 7 doigts de la main / The 7 Fingers- TRACES -main �main
YouTube - Les 7 doigts de la main / The 7 Fingers- TRACES -main �main: ""
Look forward to seeing it at Peacock theatre in London..
hope its better as this video is 3/4yrs old! ;-)
support the Frenchie..
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