KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in Asia‑Pacific (APAC) are accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), recognising its growing influence on the finance function while pursuing implementation in a deliberate, value-driven manner, according to the 2026 Future Ready CFO Survey – APAC Regional Insights by Wolters Kluwer.
The survey found that 83 per cent of APAC CFOs view AI adoption and implementation as a key force reshaping finance, closely aligned with the global average of 85 per cent.
This near parity highlights the rising importance of AI across regions, while APAC finance leaders continue to prioritise disciplined execution shaped by governance requirements and return-on-investment considerations, according to a statement.
The report, which surveyed 1,672 respondents across more than 20 markets, also found that 72 per cent of APAC finance leaders expect AI to have a significant impact on finance operations within the next three years, reflecting strong confidence in its potential to enhance insight, agility and decision-making.
Rather than viewing AI solely as an automation tool, CFOs in the region are focusing on use cases that strengthen control and strategic foresight. Key areas expected to be most impacted include financial planning and analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, as well as risk management and compliance monitoring.
Despite strong adoption momentum, APAC finance leaders cited several barriers to AI investment, including cost relative to expected returns (58 per cent), concerns over loss of human judgement and oversight (55 per cent), and data quality and governance challenges (53 per cent).
These factors underscore a measured approach to AI adoption in the region, with an emphasis on governance, transparency and regulatory alignment.
The survey also noted that APAC CFOs are expected to take on an expanded role at the intersection of technology, and enterprise risk, particularly in areas such as digital strategy, enterprise risk management and strategic decision support.
Wolters Kluwer said this evolution positions CFOs as key stewards of both innovation and resilience, as organisations balance AI-driven transformation with governance and control.
It suggested that APAC CFOs may gain a long‑term advantage by aligning AI investment with strong controls, talent readiness, and regulatory confidence, as those who are able to balance innovation with governance are best fit to navigate the next stage of finance transformation.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
BODOR LASER RETAINS GLOBAL NO.1 IN LASER CUTTING MACHINE SALES FOR SEVENTH YEAR
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Bodor Laser has ranked No. 1 globally in sales of laser cutting machines (1,000 watts and above) for the seventh consecutive year, according to data released by Qianzhan Industry Research Institute in March 2026.
The company also surpassed 10,000 units in annual sales in 2025, remaining the only manufacturer to achieve this milestone. The recognition was announced at ITES 2026 in Shenzhen, where Bodor Laser highlighted advances in manufacturing, innovation and global expansion.
“A seventh consecutive No. 1 ranking is not the end but a new starting point,” said Bodor Laser Senior Vice President, Zhan Zhihao, noting the company’s continued focus on innovation and support for global manufacturing.
At the event, the company said its DreamSpace super factory delivered more than 10,000 machines over the past year, while its South China headquarters in Shenzhen has commenced operations, strengthening its production and operational capabilities.
In a statement, Bodor Laser said it attributed its sustained leadership to continued investment in research and development, with tens of millions of United States (US) dollars invested over the past five years.
The company has built in-house capabilities across core components and developed a substantial patent portfolio, with products receiving international recognition, including Red Dot and iF Design Awards.
In 2025, the company expanded its portfolio with high-speed, high-precision systems and intelligent production solutions, enhancing efficiency in applications such as automotive parts manufacturing and sheet metal processing.
Bodor Laser has also strengthened its global footprint, with manufacturing bases in China and Thailand, more than 10 overseas subsidiaries and service centres, and operations spanning over 180 countries and regions with more than 3,500 employees worldwide.
-- BERNAMA
The company also surpassed 10,000 units in annual sales in 2025, remaining the only manufacturer to achieve this milestone. The recognition was announced at ITES 2026 in Shenzhen, where Bodor Laser highlighted advances in manufacturing, innovation and global expansion.
“A seventh consecutive No. 1 ranking is not the end but a new starting point,” said Bodor Laser Senior Vice President, Zhan Zhihao, noting the company’s continued focus on innovation and support for global manufacturing.
At the event, the company said its DreamSpace super factory delivered more than 10,000 machines over the past year, while its South China headquarters in Shenzhen has commenced operations, strengthening its production and operational capabilities.
In a statement, Bodor Laser said it attributed its sustained leadership to continued investment in research and development, with tens of millions of United States (US) dollars invested over the past five years.
The company has built in-house capabilities across core components and developed a substantial patent portfolio, with products receiving international recognition, including Red Dot and iF Design Awards.
In 2025, the company expanded its portfolio with high-speed, high-precision systems and intelligent production solutions, enhancing efficiency in applications such as automotive parts manufacturing and sheet metal processing.
Bodor Laser has also strengthened its global footprint, with manufacturing bases in China and Thailand, more than 10 overseas subsidiaries and service centres, and operations spanning over 180 countries and regions with more than 3,500 employees worldwide.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, 20 April 2026
HKTB SHOWCASES HONG KONG AS ‘EVENTS CAPITAL OF ASIA’ AT HONG KONG SEVENS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is promoting Hong Kong’s position as the “Events Capital of Asia” by leveraging the 50th anniversary of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens under its “Hong Kong Mega 8” campaign.
In a statement, HKTB said the globally renowned rugby tournament serves as a key platform to attract international visitors, highlighting the city’s ability to host world-class events that combine sports, culture and innovation.
Adding a technological dimension to the celebrations, China-made robots previously featured on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala performed at the opening ceremony, delivering a dynamic showcase alongside traditional elements such as a dragon dance and cheerleading routines.
HKTB Chairman, Dr Peter Lam said the Hong Kong Sevens has evolved into a major international sporting event over the past five decades, drawing global attention and reinforcing the city’s appeal as a premier destination for large-scale events.
Blending tradition with innovative elements, the opening performance of the 50th edition was packed with highlights. Following a dragon dance, 10 robots teamed up seamlessly with a cheerleading squad, kicking off the event with dynamic choreography and precise coordination.
After the cheerleading performance, lasers danced across the Main Stadium pitch and displayed the participating nations over the years, the names of legendary Sevens players, and the effect of twin dragons soaring over Hong Kong, celebrating 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens development.
The closing ceremony also featured a spectacular pyrotechnic display launched from the stadium roof, bringing the three-day tournament to a dazzling finale.
Beyond the stadium, HKTB extended promotional efforts by featuring the robots at iconic locations including the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui and the East Coast Boardwalk in North Point, creating content to boost Hong Kong’s global visibility.
To further strengthen outreach, HKTB collaborated with Hong Kong China Rugby to host international key opinion leaders (KOLs), alongside representatives from the travel trade, MICE and cruise sectors, offering firsthand experience of the event and the city’s tourism offerings.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, HKTB said the globally renowned rugby tournament serves as a key platform to attract international visitors, highlighting the city’s ability to host world-class events that combine sports, culture and innovation.
Adding a technological dimension to the celebrations, China-made robots previously featured on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala performed at the opening ceremony, delivering a dynamic showcase alongside traditional elements such as a dragon dance and cheerleading routines.
HKTB Chairman, Dr Peter Lam said the Hong Kong Sevens has evolved into a major international sporting event over the past five decades, drawing global attention and reinforcing the city’s appeal as a premier destination for large-scale events.
Blending tradition with innovative elements, the opening performance of the 50th edition was packed with highlights. Following a dragon dance, 10 robots teamed up seamlessly with a cheerleading squad, kicking off the event with dynamic choreography and precise coordination.
After the cheerleading performance, lasers danced across the Main Stadium pitch and displayed the participating nations over the years, the names of legendary Sevens players, and the effect of twin dragons soaring over Hong Kong, celebrating 50 years of the Hong Kong Sevens development.
The closing ceremony also featured a spectacular pyrotechnic display launched from the stadium roof, bringing the three-day tournament to a dazzling finale.
Beyond the stadium, HKTB extended promotional efforts by featuring the robots at iconic locations including the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui and the East Coast Boardwalk in North Point, creating content to boost Hong Kong’s global visibility.
To further strengthen outreach, HKTB collaborated with Hong Kong China Rugby to host international key opinion leaders (KOLs), alongside representatives from the travel trade, MICE and cruise sectors, offering firsthand experience of the event and the city’s tourism offerings.
-- BERNAMA
MULTI-COLOR CORPORATION CONFIRMS REORGANISATION PLAN
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- Multi-Color Corporation (MCC), a leader in prime label solutions, has confirmed its prepackaged plan of reorganisation and expects to emerge from prepackaged Chapter 11 in the coming weeks.
MCC President and Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Rmaile said with the support of financial stakeholders, MCC will emerge with a significantly deleveraged balance sheet and liquidity to support operations, invest in innovation, and continue delivering label solutions for its customers.
“I am grateful to our teammates, customers, and suppliers for their steadfast commitment and support throughout this process, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead,” he said in a statement.
Under the terms of the plan, MCC will complete a comprehensive restructuring transaction that significantly deleverages its balance sheet and recapitalises the business.
The restructuring reduces net debt by approximately US$3.8 billion, lowers annualised cash interest expense by more than US$330 million, and extends long-term debt maturities to 2033. (US$1 = RM3.95)
In addition, MCC will receive a US$889 million investment from CD&R and a group of existing secured lenders, and is expected to hold more than US$500 million in available liquidity post-emergence to support long-term growth and investment.
Plan confirmation follows a successful mediation and global settlement among all major constituencies in MCC’s prepackaged Chapter 11 cases, with more than 99 per cent of voting stakeholders approving the restructuring plan.
With approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, MCC expects to receive proceeds from the new equity investment and complete its financial restructuring in the coming weeks.
-- BERNAMA
MCC President and Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Rmaile said with the support of financial stakeholders, MCC will emerge with a significantly deleveraged balance sheet and liquidity to support operations, invest in innovation, and continue delivering label solutions for its customers.
“I am grateful to our teammates, customers, and suppliers for their steadfast commitment and support throughout this process, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead,” he said in a statement.
Under the terms of the plan, MCC will complete a comprehensive restructuring transaction that significantly deleverages its balance sheet and recapitalises the business.
The restructuring reduces net debt by approximately US$3.8 billion, lowers annualised cash interest expense by more than US$330 million, and extends long-term debt maturities to 2033. (US$1 = RM3.95)
In addition, MCC will receive a US$889 million investment from CD&R and a group of existing secured lenders, and is expected to hold more than US$500 million in available liquidity post-emergence to support long-term growth and investment.
Plan confirmation follows a successful mediation and global settlement among all major constituencies in MCC’s prepackaged Chapter 11 cases, with more than 99 per cent of voting stakeholders approving the restructuring plan.
With approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, MCC expects to receive proceeds from the new equity investment and complete its financial restructuring in the coming weeks.
-- BERNAMA
MONEYHERO TO RELEASE 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS ON APRIL 30
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- MoneyHero Limited (MoneyHero), a tech- and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, will release its fourth quarter and full year 2025 results on April 30.
The results will be released before market opens, followed by a conference call on the same day to discuss the performance, according to a statement.
Investors and other interested parties are able to join the conference call by registering for the webcast or audio conference, with a replay available on the Investor Relations website for 12 months.
Operating in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, MoneyHero had over 260 commercial partner relationships as at Sept 30, 2025, and had approximately 5.1 million monthly unique users across its platform for the three-month period ended Sept 30, 2025.
-- BERNAMA
The results will be released before market opens, followed by a conference call on the same day to discuss the performance, according to a statement.
Investors and other interested parties are able to join the conference call by registering for the webcast or audio conference, with a replay available on the Investor Relations website for 12 months.
Operating in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, MoneyHero had over 260 commercial partner relationships as at Sept 30, 2025, and had approximately 5.1 million monthly unique users across its platform for the three-month period ended Sept 30, 2025.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, 17 April 2026
AM BEST AFFIRMS NEW ZEALAND’S PINNACLE LIFE CREDIT RATINGS
KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and the long-term issuer credit rating of “bbb-” (Good) of New Zealand’s Pinnacle Life Limited (Pinnacle Life), with a stable outlook.
The credit ratings (ratings) reflect Pinnacle Life’s adequate balance sheet strength, operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM), alongside a neutral impact from its parent, Greenstone Holdco Pty Limited (Greenstone).
In a statement, AM Best said Pinnacle Life’s balance sheet strength is supported by strong risk-adjusted capitalisation at fiscal year-end 2025, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, along with sound regulatory solvency and financial flexibility.
However, reliance on third-party reinsurance and a relatively small capital base increase sensitivity to business growth, interest rate changes and external shocks.
Operating performance is assessed as adequate, driven by stable underwriting results and healthy investment returns, although earnings have shown moderate volatility due to interest rate movements and elevated expenses. The company is expected to maintain adequate performance as it continues its expansion strategy.
AM Best also noted Pinnacle Life’s limited business profile, reflecting its small scale and concentration in the New Zealand market, with a focus on mortality products such as term life and funeral insurance. Growth is largely supported by Greenstone as a key distribution partner, alongside direct online channels.
Pinnacle Life’s ERM is considered appropriate for the company’s size and complexity, with further development expected as the company expands its operations.
-- BERNAMA
The credit ratings (ratings) reflect Pinnacle Life’s adequate balance sheet strength, operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM), alongside a neutral impact from its parent, Greenstone Holdco Pty Limited (Greenstone).
In a statement, AM Best said Pinnacle Life’s balance sheet strength is supported by strong risk-adjusted capitalisation at fiscal year-end 2025, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, along with sound regulatory solvency and financial flexibility.
However, reliance on third-party reinsurance and a relatively small capital base increase sensitivity to business growth, interest rate changes and external shocks.
Operating performance is assessed as adequate, driven by stable underwriting results and healthy investment returns, although earnings have shown moderate volatility due to interest rate movements and elevated expenses. The company is expected to maintain adequate performance as it continues its expansion strategy.
AM Best also noted Pinnacle Life’s limited business profile, reflecting its small scale and concentration in the New Zealand market, with a focus on mortality products such as term life and funeral insurance. Growth is largely supported by Greenstone as a key distribution partner, alongside direct online channels.
Pinnacle Life’s ERM is considered appropriate for the company’s size and complexity, with further development expected as the company expands its operations.
-- BERNAMA
DENODO REPORT HIGHLIGHTS "TRUST GAP" IN AGENTIC AI ADOPTION
KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Denodo, a leader in data management, has released The AI Trust Gap Report, a global study revealing that the next phase of artificial intelligence (AI)—agentic AI—is facing significant trust challenges driven by data-related issues.
“AI is rapidly shifting from systems that merely answer questions to systems that take autonomous action, and this transition changes the data requirement entirely,” said Denodo vice president of Product Marketing, Dominic Sartorio, noting that real-time, governed and contextually relevant data is critical for scaling agentic AI with confidence.
The report finds that 63 per cent of organisations struggle to locate relevant, context-specific data, while 66 per cent say real-time data access is essential for AI to be considered trustworthy.
At the same time, 67 per cent face difficulties maintaining consistent security and access controls, adding to the complexity of deploying autonomous AI systems safely, according to a statement.
Data scale is also a growing concern, with enterprise AI initiatives drawing from an average of over 400 data sources and 20 per cent of organisations managing more than 1,000 sources.
Nearly 60 per cent of respondents report performance challenges in handling the intensive workloads required for large-scale AI.
The report concludes that the "trust gap" stems not from AI models themselves, but from fragmented and outdated data architectures. Bridging this gap will be essential for organisations seeking to transition from experimental AI use cases to fully automated, enterprise-scale deployments.
-- BERNAMA
“AI is rapidly shifting from systems that merely answer questions to systems that take autonomous action, and this transition changes the data requirement entirely,” said Denodo vice president of Product Marketing, Dominic Sartorio, noting that real-time, governed and contextually relevant data is critical for scaling agentic AI with confidence.
The report finds that 63 per cent of organisations struggle to locate relevant, context-specific data, while 66 per cent say real-time data access is essential for AI to be considered trustworthy.
At the same time, 67 per cent face difficulties maintaining consistent security and access controls, adding to the complexity of deploying autonomous AI systems safely, according to a statement.
Data scale is also a growing concern, with enterprise AI initiatives drawing from an average of over 400 data sources and 20 per cent of organisations managing more than 1,000 sources.
Nearly 60 per cent of respondents report performance challenges in handling the intensive workloads required for large-scale AI.
The report concludes that the "trust gap" stems not from AI models themselves, but from fragmented and outdated data architectures. Bridging this gap will be essential for organisations seeking to transition from experimental AI use cases to fully automated, enterprise-scale deployments.
-- BERNAMA
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