Wings Capital Partners secures US$125 million term loan

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 -- Wings Capital Partners LLC (Wings) has announced the successful closing of US$125 million term loan, collateralised by a 777-200LRF on lease to Korean Airlines. (US$1 = RM4.09)

The three-tranche financing has a maturity coterminous with the lease tenor and was provided by a syndicate of financial institutions including Barings, Nord LB, Bayern LB and Investec.

According to Wings treasurer, Jakob Gallagher in a statement, this financing is consistent with their strategic initiatives of diversifying sources of financing and managing asset liability. 

“The tenor and structure provide both a long-term solution for this asset and additional flexibility as Wings continues to build out its balance sheet.”

Wings is a private, full-service aircraft leasing platform based in Newport Beach, California. The company primarily invests in single-aisle, in-production commercial jet aircraft from new to 10 years of age on lease to airlines, globally.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF MEIJI YASUDA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

HONG KONG, Jan 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa-” of Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company (Meiji Yasuda) (Japan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Meiji Yasuda’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Meiji Yasuda’s balance sheet strength assessment reflects its risk-adjusted capitalization, which is at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Although the high common stock exposure suggests the company’s balance sheet may be exposed to considerable equity price risk, AM Best considers Meiji Yasuda’s relatively large adjusted capital base adequate to absorb this risk.

Meiji Yasuda also has maintained a consistently positive operating performance, supported by stable premium income and strong base profit. In fiscal-year 2018, the company posted a record high base profit of JPY 589.6 billion (USD 5.3 billion) for its domestic life insurance business, driven largely by an increase in interest surplus and expense gains. The company also maintained a stable net investment yield of approximately 2%, even under the ultra-low interest rate environment.

Meiji Yasuda is one of the leading life insurance companies in Japan in terms of annualized net premium and has held a lead position in the group insurance market for a long period of time. While the contribution of its overseas operations to premium income and base profit has grown, it remains relatively modest compared with the company’s domestic operations.

The stable outlooks reflect AM Best’s expectation that Meiji Yasuda will maintain a strong and consistent operating performance, supported by an in-force book of business, which AM Best expects will generate favorable returns on embedded value, and uphold a stable economic solvency ratio over the mid to long term.

Negative rating actions could occur if there is material deterioration in Meiji Yasuda’s risk-adjusted capitalization due to substantial investment losses, or if the company’s operating performance experiences a sustained decline.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200124005332/en/


Contact

Maggie Wu
Associate Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3421
maggie.wu@ambest.com

Jason Shum
Associate Director, Analytics
+852 2827 3424
jason.shum@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com

Source : AM Best

--BERNAMA

INSIGHTFUL TRAINING ASIA LIMITED TO PRESENT THEIR FIRST ELEARNING PLATFORM

HONG KONG, Jan 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Insightful Training Asia Limited, an innovation company in eLearning software and services, today announced a new platform for selling courses online. The new platform is designed to help companies provide their own training courses to their employees.

With Insightful Training’s platform, you can create a single source of e-courses and training materials. This will become a unique source of knowledge in your area to help your employees acquire knowledge and help their grow.

Features of the platform:

Integrated authoring tool
The patented authoring tool easily develops training courses, video and quizzes, optimizes existing content and uploads your training materials on the platform.

Quizzes and assessments
With interactive quizzes, assessments and surveys, you can know your employees’ knowledge and the understanding of the courses.

Powerful reporting tools
With over 20 reports to help you to easily analyse average quiz scores for more insight into each question.

White labelling
Apply your corporate logo, colours and style to create your own elearning platform.

To schedule a demo, please contact us via email enquiry@insightfultraining.asia

About Insightful Training Asia

Insightful Training Asia Limited is a software as a service (SAAS) learning management system that provides a learning system for companies, their employees, and clients. We have over 10 years’ experience solving our clients' training problems and provide solutions to them.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200129005002/en/

Contact

Insightful Training Asia Limited
Eric Chan
eric@insightfultraining.asia

Source : Insightful Training Asia Limited

Jumio video selfie authentication solution wins 2020 BIG Innovation Award

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 -- Jumio, an end-to-end identity verification and authentication solutions provider announced its Jumio Authentication solution has received the 2020 Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Innovation Award.

The first-to-market video selfie authentication solution was honoured for its ability to prevent account takeover and online fraud by leveraging AI, facial biometrics and certified liveness detection.

Jumio uses a unique hybrid approach of augmented intelligence, AI, machine learning, face-based biometrics, certified liveness detection and computer vision technologies to thwart fraud, simplify compliance and determine if users are who they claim to be.

Launched last year, Jumio Authentication leverages a 3D face map to verify a user’s digital identity for online transactions in seconds, replacing passwords on any device.

It is the first to leverage biometrics for initial identity proofing and ongoing user authentication, protecting businesses from fraudsters while providing users an online experience that is fast, secure, accurate and easy to use.

Global organisations submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

-- BERNAMA

Uniphore's intelligent virtual assistant offers seamless customer experience

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 -- Uniphore, an early conversation service automation category leader, is expanding its solution offerings by delivering an intelligent conversational digital assistant, akeira™ 2.0.

According to a statement, akeira helps automate conversations and reduce the cost of customer service for enterprises while providing a better customer experience. 

Akeira can handle simple transactional conversations which should not require a human agent in the first place. 

They make suggestions during a call, proactively look up information and can take actions. Uniphore’s automated digital agents resolve issues in real time, with the capability to seamlessly hand back to a human, any time.

The intelligent solution can build out a digital virtual assistant on existing interactive voice response channels, web chat and mobile app channels to interact with the customers answering or responding to a wide range of questions and requests. 

At the core of akeira is a new visual modeler. This easy-to-use interface gives administrators the ability to design and deploy entire conversations from start to finish, in a few minutes.

The virtual assistant is multi-lingual, supporting global languages and flexible deployment options whether it is on cloud or on premise.

Uniphore aims to disrupt an outdated customer service model by bridging the gap between human and machine using voice, AI and automation. More details at https://www.uniphore.com/solution/akeira/ 

-- BERNAMA

28th International Conference on Statistical Physics set in Yokohama, come 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 -- The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau, along with Pacific Convention Plaza Yokohama (PACIFICO Yokohama) will host the 28th International Conference on Statistical Physics (STATPHYS28) in 2022.

STATPHYS28 will be held for five days, beginning July 25, at PACIFICO Yokohama North. About 1,200 participants, including 600 from overseas, are expected to attend the conference, according to a statement from Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB).

At STATPHYS27 held on July last year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Yokohama was chosen as the host city after competing with Beijing, making it the first STATPHYS in Japan in 54 years since 1968.

Yokohama won the bid due to the tradition and high-level research on statistical physics in the country as well as enthusiasm and a vision for the event expressed by a local committee chaired by Prof T. Deguchi, Ochanomizu University.

In addition, the superior advantages the city has to offer as a conference venue was also highly appreciated, including easy access from worldwide as well as safety and cooperation among the local committee and organisations in hosting the event.

Throughout the bidding process, the YCVB, City of Yokohama and PACIFICO Yokohama working in unison with Japan National Tourism Organization supported the local committee and a successful bid was made to host this conference.

-- BERNAMA

SINGAPORE BASED STARTUP SYNOPTION LAUNCHES VENUE FOR FX OPTIONS TRADING

SINGAPORE, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Singapore based start-up SynOption Pte. Ltd. launched its platform for electronic trading of FX Options this week. An institutional platform, it allows investors to execute FX Options trades by requesting quotes from multiple banks on a centralized venue, thus enabling Best Execution for clients.

SynOption is the first firm approved by Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to establish and operate an organized market for a period of 9 months under the Sandbox express framework. The firm has also been awarded a grant by MAS Financial Sector Development fund as a designated special project.

SynOption supports MAS’s vision to make Singapore the FX trading hub in Asia by focusing on the derivative segment of the market. By being part of the FX hub, SynOption intends to provide high speed connectivity to clients with lower trade rejection rates as more liquidity providers set up operations in Singapore.

SynOption’s founder, Anchal Jain, is a veteran in the FX Options markets. Mr. Jain’s experience includes stints as a banker, where he was Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase Bank managing the bank’s FX Options business in Asia; and as a Hedge Fund Portfolio Manager with Balyasny Asset Management.

“SynOption attempts to build a fair platform for trade execution for all participants in the niche FX Options market. We provide an efficient workflow to clients, by getting involved in their entire investment process from idea to implementation, while protecting liquidity for banks in an illiquid space”, says Mr. Jain.

SynOption has started onboarding Institutional clients based in Singapore and has gained good traction. The platform has signed up top tiered banks up as liquidity providers and is rapidly looking to expand its participant base in the next few months.

Speaking about the vision for the platform, Mr. Jain says, “In a world where electronic trading now dominates most linear products, the FX Options market has lagged behind primarily due to the complexity of the product. Leveraging on our experience, we are trying to create an intuitive product that will make the electronification journey easier. We intend to increase the scope of product and geographical reach as we gain more of a foothold in Singapore, and for that reason we continue to look for talented individuals to join us in our journey”.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200128005896/en/

Contact

Anchal Jain
Email: anchal@synoption.com
+6594591259

Source : SynOption Pte. Ltd.

JAPAN'S FRIENDSHIP TIES PROGRAMS JENESYS 2019 ASEAN OUTBOUND PROGRAM 7TH BATCH

Theme: Japanese Culture Exchange

Country: Singapore

TOKYO, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sixteen Japanese university students are scheduled to visit Singapore from February 4th to 12th as part of the Japan’s Friendship Ties Programs “JENESYS 2019” promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The group will visit the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Singapore and Japanese companies, they will learn the relationship between Japan and Singapore, and deepen the knowledge of Japanese contribution to Singapore, and through the experience of school exchange, homestay, and observation of traditional industry, cultural property protection, history and art, they are expected to have a better understanding of culture and society of Singapore. They will also appeal Japanese culture during each program.
Through this program, we hope the participants proactively share the appeals of Japan and other information after returning to Japan and it ties the relationships between Japan and Singapore.

[For reference] Japan’s Friendship Ties Programs “JENESYS 2019”
People with the ability and future mission to deliver messages between Japan and the countries and regions of Asia and Oceania are invited and dispatched in order to promote an understanding of Japan with regard to politics, economics, society, culture, history, foreign policy, and the like, and pro-Japanese people and experts on Japan are discovered in order to strengthen Japan’s message to other countries and expand Japan’s diplomatic foundation by having the guests and dispatches take the initiative to spread information about the diplomatic stance, appeals, and other facets of Japan.

[Participants] 5 students from Soka University, 6 students from Tokai University and 5 students from Meiji Gakuin University

(Itinerary)
Tuesday, February 4th
[Arrival in Singapore]

Wednesday, February 5th
AM
[Orientation] JTB Pte Ltd / JTB Asia Pacific Headquarters
PM
[Orientation] Embassy of Japan in Singapore
[Courtesy Call] Japan Creative Centre (JCC)
[City observation] Singapore city, including the Battle Box

Thursday, February 6th
AM
[Lecture] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
PM
[Observation] Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Singapore

Friday, February 7th
AM
[Observation] Local Foundation for Education
PM
[School Exchange] National University of Singapore (Discussion, presentation etc.)

Saturday, February 8th
AM
[Observation] Marina Barrage
PM
[Homestay]

Sunday, February 9th
AM
[Homestay]
PM
[Observation] Bugis/Arab Street, Chinatown and Little India etc.

Monday, February 10th
AM
[Observation] JTB Pte Ltd / JTB Asia Pacific Headquarters
PM
[Company visit] Sky Greens
[Workshop] Preparation for the Reporting Session

Tuesday, February 11th
AM
[Reporting Session]
PM
[Departure]

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200129005250/en/

Contact

Inquiries about the program
JENESYS 2019 ASEAN + Timor-Leste Project Implementing Agency
JTB Kasumigaseki Operations Department
Contact: Junji Mise (Mr.), Yutaka Shintani (Mr.), Takashi Komatsu (Mr.)
TEL: +81-3-6737-9447 Weekdays: 9:00-17:30 (Closed on weekends and holidays)
[Email] jenesys2019haken@jtb.com

Source : JTB Corp.