MUFG APAC Insights Podcast

IWD 2022 - How we #breakthebias at MUFG

Biases take various forms and can impede our own personal and professional growth as well as of those around us. In line with this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, #breakthebias, we delve into common biases, expounding on areas that apply to both women and men because, at MUFG, we promote a fair and equal workplace.

Colleagues from China, Indonesia and Vietnam share their unique experiences and recommendations on how to break the bias.

The Commodities Conundrum of ’22

Commodity prices are expected to remain high for the rest of the year, starting with oil prices. Against a backdrop of surging demand, shrinking supply, and a volatile geopolitical climate, what does this mean for global companies & markets, sand how long is this trend expected to last? 

In this episode, Shiv Sivarajah, Head of Energy & Resources for Asia Pacific, and Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, share their outlook on the current surge in the prices of oil and other commodities, and the state of the energy transition in APAC economies. 

Human capital in China

Human capital is crucial to any given business.

In this podcast, Peggy Mo, Managing Director, Head of HR, MUFG China, will provide insights on the importance of talent development and fostering a more diverse and inclusive culture as part of MUFG China’s human capital strategy in driving business growth.

She will also share how MUFG is embracing cultural change through the New Experience Transformation project (Project NEXT) and internal “green” efforts in line with its carbon neutrality pledge.

Lastly, Peggy will talk about her experiences working with one of China’s leading foreign banks, including thoughts on how China’s human capital can thrive in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

Russia-Ukraine: A brief assessment of the current crisis

In this special episode of the MUFG APAC Insights Podcast, we share a webinar recording whereby Tom Joyce, MD of Capital Markets in New York, and Matt Fennessy, head of Global Market Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking, Asia, assessed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, its impact on markets, and what this all means for Asia Pacific economies.

How will oil prices react? Will intensifying western sanctions result in a supply shock for the global economy? And how will China, which has recently reaffirmed its relationship with Russia, react to this crisis?

Key currency themes for Asia in 2022

Dr. Lin Li, Head of Global Markets Research for Asia, and currency analysts Jeff Ng and Sophia Ng, share their outlook on Asian currencies for 2022, and key themes for the economic developments and financial markets for the region in the year ahead. 

What would success look like at COP26?

The 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference – or COP26 – will see leaders from governments, businesses, and advocates gather to agree on the strategies and actions to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In this episode, Shiv Sivarajah, head of energy and resources for Asia Pacific, Ehsan Khoman, head of emerging markets research for EMEA, and Michele Peduzzi, director of energy for corporate banking in EMEA, share what they would like to see discussed and resolved at this year’s meetings, and how the outcomes from COP26 might impact developed and emerging markets in the global energy transition.

Asia FX Outlook: Navigating to a More Resilient Q4 2021

In this episode, Dr. Lin Li, Head of Global Markets Research for Asia, and FX Analyst Sophia Ng discuss the performance of Asian markets to date and the economic outlook for the rest of the year.  With our moderator Matt Fennessy, Head of Global Markets Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking in Asia, they cover the key economic and market themes for the region, and their impact on rates, foreign exchange, capital flows and multinational corporations. 

”And Now for the Tricky Part”: the Fed‘s cycle corrections, COVID-caused disruptions and Asia‘s uneven recovery

With the recent aggressive amounts of monetary and fiscal stimulus, global economies are now looking at how to reverse this to deal with disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Derek Halpenny, Head of Research for EMEA and International Securities, and Matthew Fennessy, Head of Global Market Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking, Asia, discuss the US Fed's likely launch of QE tapering by year-end, the impact of the Delta variant, and how economies in Asia will respond. 

Our strategic plans for China

MUFG has a long-standing presence in China dating back 60 years. As one of the first foreign banks to enter the market, we have to this day a strong footprint of 14 branches and well over 2,000 staff.

 

So how do we drive further growth in this vast economy? We talked to Tony Lee, head of Global Corporate Banking for East Asia, about our strategic plans for China, and how we can partner our clients to better capture opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy.

Energy Transition - The Next Normal (Part 2)

The journey to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 raises questions for individual companies at a micro level, and in particular the oil and gas sector. In this follow-up episode on the next normal for the energy transition, Shiv Sivarajah, Head of Energy & Resources for APAC, Ian Catterall, Head of Natural Resources for EMEA, and Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, discuss how corporates in the energy sector address the risks and opportunities that climate change pose for their businesses, and how are they navigating the complex and evolving investment, technology, and policy trends.