Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines

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Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
VOLUME 2 2019

                    Indonesia 4.0 Bisa!

 Preparing for
 a Blockchain
 Future

 Mercedes me                    Walk Up,
                                Voice Up
 Lifestyle Store
 Comes to Chengdu
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
Riding Indonesia’s
Digital Wave
Astra is moving fast
to embrace Indonesia’s
significant digital
opportunity in both the
consumer and industrial
sectors. Djap Tet Fa,
President Director of PT Astra
Digital Internasional, shares
more about the company’s
digital plans and current
focus areas.
Page 10
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
Contents
A Collaboration
to Fast-forward
New Concepts
Page 07
                                                             Multiple
                                                             Accolades
                                                             for Cycle
                                                             & Carriage
                                                             Page 22

                  Thailand’s Love
                  of Coffee Leads
                  Opportunity
                  Page 17
Hong Kong
Colleagues
Urged to
Go Green
Page 30

                        The Pulse                                                                04
                        Group-wide Senior Management Changes
                        Chongqing’s Express Economic Growth

                        Perspective                                                              10
                        Indonesia 4.0 Bisa!

                        Front Runners                                                            14
                        Virtual Lifestyle Bank livi to Launch in Hong Kong
                        JEC Thailand Wins Contracts for Eco-Friendly The Forestias Project

                        Celebrating Success                                                      22
New Training            Astra Strengthens its CSR Leadership Reputation
Programmes              Hactl Celebrates in Munich and Hong Kong

Support                 For Our Future                                                           26

Continuous              MINDSET Initiatives Showcased at Singapore Mental Health Conference
                        Improving Access to Education in Cambodia

Learning Across         Our People                                                               34
the Group               New Training Programmes Support Continuous Learning Across the Group
                        Jardine Motors Group E-book Celebrates Inspiring Colleagues
Page 34                 and their Achievements

                                                                       Thistle Volume 2 | 2019        01
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
Jardine Foundation
                          Scholarship Awards 2020
                               Applications for undergraduate courses
                           are now open for students who wish to apply to
                                  our affiliated Colleges at Oxford,
                                and Cambridge for the academic year
                                    commencing in October 2020

                                                APPLY NOW    Deadline: 21st October 2019

                                                The Jardine Foundation was set up in 1982 to mark the 150th
                                                anniversary of the Jardine Matheson Group. The Foundation
                                                provides scholarships covering tuition fees and living expenses
                                                to students originating from the countries where Jardines
                                                operates, primarily in Asia.

                                                The goal of the Foundation is to develop future leaders who
                                                aspire to give back to their communities.

                                                Scholarships are available for courses at the following Colleges:
                                                University of Cambridge –
                                                Downing, Magdalene, Peterhouse, Trinity
                                                University of Oxford –
                                                Exeter, Oriel, The Queen’s, Trinity

https://www.jardines.com/en/community/foundation.html
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
MD’s Desk

Six Reasons
to be Excited
Resilient is one of the best words to sum up the Group business
performance in the first half of the year, which saw continuing
strong results from our motor interests in China, as well as good
contributions from Hongkong Land’s investment and
development property businesses.
Dairy Farm also delivered improved sales in most divisions and
saw green shoots from its ongoing investment in its
                                                                          These projects
transformation plans. But there were also headwinds including
weaker consumer sentiment impacting some of Astra’s
                                                                      showcase the diversity
businesses, and challenging trading conditions in Southeast Asian     and dynamism of our
car markets. Looking to the rest of the year, while we have
everything to play for, potential geopolitical and macroeconomic         businesses and
                                                                         a growing spirit
factors – which continue to unfold – could be significant for us.
Taking a longer view, I am encouraged by the strategic focus of our
businesses, and their long-term plans, and six exciting                  of collaboration.
partnerships are profiled in this issue of Thistle, including:
1. Maxim’s partnership with Starbucks is a good example of
   long-term vision and cooperation with a great partner, and             Executive Chairman and
   Maxim’s – with a local partner – recently took over the right to          Managing Director
   operate and develop Starbucks stores throughout Thailand.                   Ben Keswick
2. Michael Wang, Chief Executive of the virtual bank livi, provides
   a progress report on this joint venture with Bank of China Hong
   Kong and JD Digits, outlining its potential benefits.
3. Astra is also embracing Indonesia’s vast digital opportunity
   and the Perspective feature looks at Astra’s ambitious digital
   plans, collaborations, and innovative mobility offerings.
4. A digital partnership between Startup Autobahn (an open
   platform powered by Plug and Play and backed by Daimler) and
   Jardine Cycle & Carriage, Zung Fu, and Jardine Motors Group in
   the United Kingdom has helped ‘fast-forward’ several projects.
5. A hackathon partnership between the Jardine Restaurant
   Group and the Hong Kong University of Science and
   Technology could also see the introduction of ‘Lord of the
   Wings’ – an AR game – at some KFC restaurants soon.
6. Finally, to celebrate Jardine Cycle and Carriage’s 120th
   birthday, a university scholarship programme was launched
   to support ASEAN students. The first school built under the
   ACLEDA-Jardines Education Foundation also opened in a
   remote part of north Cambodia.
These projects showcase the diversity and dynamism of our
businesses and a growing spirit of collaboration across the
Group, and with external partners, which provides a tremendous
springboard for more exciting opportunities in the future.

Ben Keswick

                                                                                   Thistle Volume 2 | 2019   03
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
The
     Pulse

 Preparing for a                                                                  From left: Dr Paul Sin, Leader of Fintech Practice and APAC
                                                                                     Blockchain Lab for Deloitte China; Gregory Simon, CEO
                                                                                   and founder of Loyyal; Martin Baumann, co-founder and

 Blockchain Future
                                                                                  Managing Partner of CMCC Global; and Emma Cui, CEO
                                                                                    and founding partner of LongHash, with event organiser
                                                                                  and moderator Laura Goldwyn, Jardine Executive Trainee.

             The transformative benefits offered by blockchain        Blockchain Opportunities for Jardines
             technology – and relevant applications that might be
                                                                      Loyalty programmes, automatic data reconciliation,
             suitable for Group businesses in the future – were the
                                                                      supply chain tracking and smart contracts were
             focus of a recent Speaker Series forum hosted by
                                                                      highlighted by the speakers as areas where blockchain
             Innovate Jardines (IJ) in Hong Kong.
                                                                      applications could make a significant difference for
             Blockchain experts including consultants, fund           Group businesses.
             managers and project leaders were among the
                                                                      Eager to learn more, over 50 guests, including Y K
             panellists in the session, which provided a
                                                                      Pang, Deputy Managing Director, John Witt, Group
             comprehensive introduction to the emerging
                                                                      Finance Director of Jardine Matheson Group, and Mark
             foundational back-end technology. Citing real-world
                                                                      Lunt, Group Managing Director for JOS, participated
             examples, the speakers explained how blockchain’s
                                                                      enthusiastically in the Q&A session. Questions
             peer-to-peer network system enables participants to
                                                                      covered the potential risks associated with blockchain;
             interact and trade digital assets without the need for
                                                                      what makes a good blockchain provider; how urgently
             an intermediary, thereby cutting costs and simplifying
                                                                      do we need to adopt new technologies; how to
             how we do business.
                                                                      determine the most relevant technology and more.

04
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
Key Takeaways
                        Prepare your businesses to be blockchain-ready                    Blockchain has the potential to
                        sooner, rather than later, was the main call to action
                        from the event. Speakers noted that there is an urgent             transform the way that we do
                        need to learn about and prepare for a future when                 business. What all of our people
                        blockchain technology goes mainstream and impacts                 need to do is to really SWOT up
                        all parts of business.
                                                                                          on it, learn all about it, come to
                        Commenting on the session, IJ Chief Executive Michael               events like this, and prepare
                        Poon said, “The speakers explained blockchain in very
                        practical terms, and the various ways it can be adopted                ourselves for when this
                        across our businesses. They also provided potential                technology will arrive and be
                        reasons for us to start our own blockchain trial projects               part of our daily lives.
                        to ensure we stay ahead of the curve and [are] well-
                        positioned to optimise benefits in the future.”
                        If you would like more information about blockchain,                   Jardine Matheson Group
                        please contact the IJ team, who can provide more                       Deputy Managing Director
                        learning materials or host a blockchain workshop.                              Y K Pang

Group-wide Senior
Management Changes
Important changes are being made in senior
management at Jardine Matheson Group, effective
October. These reflect the evolution of the Group and the
achievements and commitment of its leadership team.
Deputy Managing Director Y K Pang will take on the newly
created role of Chairman of Hong Kong. Mr Pang is well
respected in Hong Kong due to his involvement in the
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Management
Association, Employers’ Federation of Hong Kong and
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. As the city’s                                Y K Pang                 Alex Newbigging
largest private sector employer, the Group makes a
significant contribution to the local economy and holds a
leading position in the market. Mr Pang will continue to
develop the Group’s strategy in Hong Kong to take
advantage of the opportunities expected to arise from
the proposed Greater Bay Area initiative.
Joining Mr Pang in Hong Kong is Alex Newbigging,
currently Group Managing Director of Jardine Cycle
& Carriage (JC&C). Mr Newbigging has been appointed
Chief Executive Officer of Jardine International Motors
(JIM), the unified motors group launched this May
– he will hold responsibility for managing the Group’s
relationship with Zhongsheng, in which Jardine Strategic                     Benjamin Birks                      John Witt
has a 20% interest.
Benjamin Birks will move to Singapore to replace
Mr Newbigging as Group Managing Director of JC&C.
With a strong history as a senior executive, Mr Birks will
be driving future growth at JC&C and further developing
key partner relationships in Southeast Asia.
John Witt, currently Group Finance Director, who has
been a Commissioner and Excom member of Astra since
2016, will also become the Chairman of Astra’s Excom.
Mr Witt has many years’ experience working in
Southeast Asia and has built an extensive knowledge of,
and familiarity with, Astra.

                                                                                                       Thistle Volume 2 | 2019   05
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
The Pulse

 Chongqing’s Express                                                       On the revenue front, Jardines businesses in Chongqing
                                                                           generated RMB29 billion (US$4.1 billion) in 2018 with
 Economic Growth                                                           48% from retail, 40% from property development, and
                                                                           12% from the car dealership business.
 Connecting the northern, southern, eastern and                            The businesses are benefitting from the enhanced
 western parts of China, Chongqing’s central location                      connectivity resulting from the OBOR and YREZ
 means it is well positioned to benefit from growth                        initiatives, said Mr Hsu. A good example of this is Zung
 opportunities offered by China’s expansive One Belt                       Fu’s agreement with Mercedes-Benz to transport cars
 One Road (OBOR) and Yangtze River Economic Zone                           from Germany to Chongqing via the Sino-European rail
 (YREZ) development plans.                                                 link. Similarly, Yonghui Superstores now imports more
 This was one of the key points made by Jardine                            high-value products such as seafood and fruit, thanks
 Matheson (China) Chairman David Hsu during his                            to increased air cargo services and faster, more efficient
 speech at the Belt and Road Forum for Interconnected                      custom clearance processes.
 Land-Sea Development, organised by the Silk Road
 Think Tank Association and Chongqing Municipal
 Government on 3 June.
 During his ‘Shaping a New Shared Future for
 Interconnected Land-Sea Development’ presentation,
 Mr Hsu said OBOR enables global partnerships in
 several important areas, including the New
 International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, industrial
 cooperation and people-to-people connectivity.
 Significant Investment in Chongqing
 Given these factors, Chongqing’s potential for growth
 is significant, said Mr Hsu, noting that in terms of
 investment in China, Chongqing is the city where
 Jardines has invested the most in recent years.

                                                                           Speakers and VIP attendees at the Belt and Road Forum for Interconnected Land-Sea Development
                                                                           included Guo Yazhou, Deputy Minister of CPC International Department (front row, seventh from left),
                                                                           David Hsu, Jardine Matheson (China) Chairman (front row, sixth from left) and Pan Yiqin, Vice Mayor of
                                                                           Chongqing (front row, sixth from right).

                                                                                                         2019 Belt and Road
                                                                                                         Forum for International
                                                                                                         Cooperation
                                                                                                         As Chairman of the China-Britain Business Council
                                                                                                         (CBBC) and Director of Jardine Matheson, Lord
                                                                                                         Sassoon attended President Xi Jinping’s Second Belt
                                                                                                         and Road Forum for International Cooperation in
                                                                                                         Beijing from 24 to 26 April.
                                                                                                         Deputy Group Managing Director Y K Pang also
                                                                                                         attended the Forum as a member of the Hong Kong
                                                                                                         delegation, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam. In
                                                                                                         addition, Lord Sassoon attended a banquet hosted
                                                                                                         by International Department of the Communist Party of
                                                                                                         China (IDCPC) Minister Song Tao. He also spoke at a
                                                                                                         British Embassy/CBBC reception at the British
                                                                                                         Embassy, along with UK Chancellor Philip Hammond,
 From left: UK Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Dame Barbara Woodward; Lord Sassoon;
 UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond; UK Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion      to launch the latest CBBC Belt and Road report, and
 Baroness Fairhead; UK Trade Commissioner for China Richard Burn; China International Contractors
 Association Chairman Fang Qiuchen; and the UK Treasury’s Special Envoy to the Belt and Road
                                                                                                         had individual meetings with IDCPC Vice Minister
 Initiative Sir Douglas Flint.                                                                           Li Jun and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
                                                                                                         President Jin Liqun.

06
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
A Collaboration to Fast-                                                     Are there exciting projects in the pipeline?

forward New Concepts
                                                                             There are three today: the first is the roll-out of Salesforce for an
                                                                             end-to-end future-proof solution for sales and aftersales services.
                                                                             The second is online e-commerce for new and used vehicle sales
                                                                             and we are talking with several start-ups, including Roadstar.ai, to
                                                                             launch an online vehicle sales solution for the group. The third is a
                                                                             business-wide review and rationalisation conducted with Tata
                                                                             Consulting to standardise and simplify our IT stack.
                                                                             How does working with start-ups differ from projects
                                                                             developed internally?
The collaborative spirit runs strong across Jardine Matheson’s
Group of companies, with many seeking partnerships with                      Start-ups don’t have a legacy or preconception of how things
start-ups to create new solutions to improve customer service.               should be done; their innovation perspective is ‘anything is
A good example is the alliance with Startup Autobahn – a mobility-           possible’, which is hugely refreshing. They’ve also clearly defined
focused open innovation platform powered by Plug and Play and                their vision and point in the market. Often their view of the world
backed by Daimler. The partnership was facilitated by Innovate               is ‘an inch wide and a mile deep’, whereas ours tends to run ‘a mile
Jardines (IJ) and to date has involved Jardine Cycle & Carriage, Zung        wide and an inch deep’.
Fu, and Jardine Motors Group (JMG) in the United Kingdom.                    What are some of the key skills needed to advance partnerships
The partnership enables companies to be ‘matched’ to late-stage              with start-ups?
start-ups in Startup Autobahn’s network (Europe, Singapore and               Have an open mind and accept we won’t get it right first time.
China). Once matched, they collaborate to ‘fast-forward’ the                 We’re not going to buy a fully-tested turnkey solution at Startup
development of new concepts. Jason Cranswick, Commercial Director,           Autobahn. We must be willing to partner, mentor, be open-minded
JMG, shares more about the alliance and what we can expect.                  and have compassion for these young start-ups who are often very
What strengths do we bring to this partnership with Startup                  daunted to work with a large corporate – just like we’re daunted by
Autobahn and vice versa?                                                     rapid changes happening in our industry.

We bring the interface with the consumer – and scale – to provide            Finally, what are some of the biggest benefits to working
high-quality intel for start-ups. We also bring the reality of our ‘as is’   with start-ups?
business. The start-ups become more aware of the complexities                Without IJ or Startup Autobahn, our default would still be more
we’re dealing with and this often determines if we are a good match.         defending the status quo rather than challenging and disrupting. I
Startup Autobahn brings very open-minded automobile                          come back from Startup Autobahn events with vision, energy, ideas
manufacturers to the table and a genuine interest in understanding           and confidence that our initiatives are the right thing to do. I’m
our business challenges. The team works very closely with us to              energised to get us ready for the future – our data, IT, technology
curate a portfolio of people to meet during expo events and                  stack and mindsets. The benefits are multifaceted, and not always
alongside Daimler and Porsche, they really show that they’re up              obvious, but we’ve learned huge amounts from the partnership and
for the fight and that they’re interested to see how our ecosystem           from start-ups. We’re very excited for what lies ahead.
is changing. It’s a unique collaboration.

                                                                                                                 Jason Cranswick (second from right)
                                                                                                                 discusses with Salesforce reps the roll-out
                                                                                                                 of the company’s end-to-end sales and
                                                                                                                 aftersales solution, the need for which was
                                                                                                                 driven by JMG’s interaction with start-ups
                                                                                                                 in Startup Autobahn’s network.

                                                                                                                 Thistle Volume 2 | 2019                       07
Indonesia 4.0 Bisa! - Mercedes me Lifestyle Store Comes to Chengdu - Jardines
The Pulse

 AI and RPA Tech Powers                                                Receive
                                                                      Document       Scan
                                                                                                  Document            Data
                                                                                                                    Extraction
                                                                                                                                    Upload to
                                                                                                                                    SAP FICO
 Dairy Farm Singapore’s
                                                                                                 Classification

 Digital Transformation
                                                                                                  Scanning

                                                                                                                    Machine
                                                                                                     RPA            Learning            RPA

                                                                                                                  Data Analytics
                                                                                                                    Workflow

 A platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic      We have transformed paper-based invoices from warehouse
 Process Automation (RPA) that has transformed invoice               into SAP (Systems, Applications and Products) entries to
 processing for the Dairy Farm Singapore finance team has            significantly improve speed, scale and accuracy.
 the potential to do the same for other Group businesses, says
                                                                     What were some key learnings?
 Tom van der Lee, Dairy Farm Finance Director for South East Asia.
                                                                     As this was our first dip into AI and robotics, there was a lot of
 Designed by WorkFusion, the platform has revitalised invoice
                                                                     learning with the vendor, WorkFusion, IJ, and the finance teams.
 management, changing it from a slow, manual process to one
                                                                     While things can look straightforward on paper, when you start
 that is digital, accurate, predictable and scalable, delivering
                                                                     to automate manual operations, you forget that many decisions
 a host of tangible business benefits. Here, Mr Van der Lee
                                                                     are made subconsciously, and that we all have our own way of
 shares more about the project’s backstory, the benefits so far,
                                                                     doing things. So, it was challenging to program these factors
 the process of collaborating with Innovate Jardines (IJ), and how
                                                                     into the AI and robots. There was an element of trial and error,
 the platform has been received.
                                                                     and the project took a bit longer than anticipated.
 How did this project get started and what were the objectives?
                                                                     We also learned a lot from the collaboration with IJ, who played
 A review of our processes in 2016 was the starting point. This      a major role in identifying a suitable vendor for this specialist
 revealed that our operating costs were too high compared to the     request, as well as in negotiations and providing great advice
 benchmarks set, and the information generated was low-quality,      and support throughout the trial phases.
 which impacted important financial decisions made by our
                                                                     Although it is early days, what have been some of the positive
 businesses. So, we developed a vision: to become best-in-class
                                                                     outcomes so far?
 in finance discipline delivering more business impact.
                                                                     We’ve shown that automation can be deployed successfully
 To do this, we needed new systems to lower costs and improve
                                                                     in various roles. We can process invoices faster, our statements
 outputs. As a first step, we identified processes that could
                                                                     are more accurate, and our suppliers are paid on time, which
 be simplified, before analysing opportunities to standardise
                                                                     is important. Overall, there are far fewer errors and processes
 processes across the business. As different financial approaches
                                                                     are smoother.
 had been adopted by various brands over the years, we
 wanted to standardise as much as possible before looking            On the people side, we have automated tasks that were quite
 at automation opportunities.                                        mundane and time-consuming, so the teams who used to do
                                                                     this now focus on more interesting work. And when you bring
 What was automated and what was involved in making
                                                                     automation and cutting-edge technology to the function, many
 this happen?
                                                                     people are more motivated to explore and learn.
 Several changes were implemented, beginning with an RPA
                                                                     Now that this project is off the ground can it be adopted by
 solution to automate bank statement processing and month-end
                                                                     other businesses?
 reporting. Pre-RPA, colleagues had to download bank statements
 every morning and then upload them to different systems before      We did the trial in Singapore and hope to replicate it for Dairy
 they could be processed. As this was a simple, specific and         Farm in Malaysia and Indonesia, and potentially Vietnam. I want
 regular operation, RPA was well-suited to automate the process      to stress that this system can be very easily copied and adopted
 and could also be managed by the finance team themselves.           by any of the other Group businesses. Because the pain points
                                                                     that we faced – and have addressed – are shared by many other
 Invoicing processing presented bigger challenges; how did
                                                                     businesses and functions, I think there will be strong interest
 an AI solution overcome these?
                                                                     and I am very happy to talk to Group colleagues who would like
 Invoicing is a big pain point because many invoices from            to learn more.
 suppliers are paper-based or PDFs. This makes automation
 quite challenging because every invoice looks different; and          Business Impact
 companies often change the format of their invoices. Given
 the high variation, a lot of manual intervention was involved.                  Customer Experience                        Time to Value

 To make this more efficient – and this is where AI came into play          90%                    78%                             14
 – learning bots were trained to manage the diverse invoices sent
                                                                       less time to process   less time to process      weeks from discovery
 by our more than 2,000 vendors by scanning and continually              complex invoices       simple invoices            to production
 learning and fine-tuning to produce a new solution.

08
Coming to a KFC Outlet                                                                    Students flexed their creative skills in two challenges: hardUST,
                                                                                          a 48-hour hardware development challenge to create a working
Soon: Lord of the Wings                                                                   prototype of their idea, and hackUST, a 24-hour software
                                                                                          development contest. Throughout the 48 hours, JRG employees,
‘Lord of the Wings’, an augmented reality game for KFC customers,                         as well as colleagues from Innovate Jardines and Group Human
and Chick N’ Go, an automatic food vending machine optimising                             Resources in Jardine Matheson, were on hand to mentor and offer
KFC kitchen operations, were some of the outstanding ideas                                feedback to the teams.
generated at the recent 2019 Hackathon@HKUST (Hong Kong                                   After a fun – and sometimes gruelling – 48 hours, Chick N’ Go, a
University of Science and Technology).                                                    vertical, automatic food vending machine to reduce food prep time
These projects, and more, were brainstormed by more than 500                              and kitchen clutter was judged the winner of the hardUST contest.
students from 33 countries at the annual HKUST hackathon, of                              The winner of hackUST meanwhile, was ‘Lord of the Wings’ – an
which the Jardine Restaurant Group (JRG) was the title sponsor.                           augmented reality gaming solution that customers can play; if
It was the first hackathon backed by JRG and its brands, KFC                              they win, they can redeem rewards from their dining tray.
and Pizza Hut; and it may the first of many, said JRG Chief                               Cash prizes and internship opportunities were presented to Chick
Executive Andrew Wong.                                                                    N’Go and ‘Lord of the Wings’ teams to reward their efforts. JRG
“As we accelerate our digital transformation – and triple our                             also provided seed funding to further develop ‘Lord of the Wings’.
investment in digital initiatives over the next three years – we will                     Commenting on the hackathon, JRG Chief Digital Officer Matthew
look to support more hackathons, as they are great platforms to                           Chan said, “It is a great platform to show the next generation
generate bold, fresh ideas and nurture new talent,” said Mr Wong.                         of potential talents what the F&B industry is really about, and
“Our involvement in the Hackathon@HKUST is a starting point                               through engaging them to tackle industry-wide challenges, we
to not only cultivate new ways of thinking, but also drive a cultural                     hope to give students a better understanding about the industry,
change within the organisation and inspire our 23,500 employees                           and ultimately become interested to join and make an impact
to come up with new entrepreneurial ideas to take our business                            in the future.”
to new heights.”                                                                          Following Hackathon@HKUST, the students visited JRG’s newly
hardUST and hackUST                                                                       opened office in Hung Hom to participate in a knowledge-sharing
                                                                                          and reflection session.
Hackathon@HKUST 2019 challenged students to develop creative
solutions to either optimise operations or improve the customer
experience at JRG restaurants.

JRG staff Wesley Zhai (left) and Jason Klanderman interacting with and guiding students during the mentoring session at the competition.

                                                                                                                                       Thistle Volume 2 | 2019   09
Perspective

                    Indonesia 4.0 Bisa!

               Indonesia’s middle-class opportunity is
               especially bright and key numbers back
               this up. With 264 million people, it is the
                                                                  Our growth prospects today,
               most populous country in ASEAN and the
               fourth largest consumer market in the               and in the future, are tied to
               world in terms of population behind China,         Greater China and Southeast
               India, and the United States.                      Asia. This is our backyard – it’s
               Powered by a burgeoning middle-class and           where we have a competitive
               fast-growing consumer base, the Indonesian
                                                                     advantage. In short, we
               economy has enjoyed an annual GDP growth
               rate averaging 5% over the past decade.             believe strongly in the future
               Longer-term, the outlook remains positive             of Asia’s middle classes.
               because 60% of the population is below 30
               years of age, and it is growing at a rate of 2.9
               million a year. Urbanisation is also expected                Ben Keswick
               to reach 71% of the total population by 2030.

10
Urbanisation to reach 71%
                                                                                                                                     of total population by 2030*

                                       ASEAN

                                                                                                                               Population of 264 million
                                                                                                                               Largest in ASEAN^

                                                                                                                               Fourth largest
                                                                                                                               consumer market#

                                                                                                                               Digital market value prediction:
                                                                                                                               triple increase from US$27 billion in

                                                                                INDONESIA                                      2018 to US$100 billion by 2025∆

*McKinsey and Company, The Evolving Indonesian Consumer, 2014; ^The Jakarta Post, Indonesia has 171 Million Internet Users: Study, 2019 #The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, ASEAN
in Focus: The Indonesian Consumer Market, 2017 ∆The Jakarta Post, Indonesia’s Digital Economy to Dominate Southeast Asia by 2025, 2018

            Indonesia’s Rising Digital Wave                                                 As Indonesia moves forward with Making Indonesia
                                                                                            4.0 initiatives, and with the country predicted to be
            For Astra these macro trends point to a positive future                         the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia by 2025,
            in the industries it operates in: automotive; financial                         how is Astra preparing to embrace this opportunity?
            services; heavy equipment; mining; construction and
            energy; infrastructure and logistics; agribusiness;                             We have identified a few key areas to focus on and get
            IT and property. While these sectors are diverse, they                          right. Knowing our customers better to get a deeper
            are linked by new opportunities offered by Indonesia’s                          understanding of their purchasing behaviour was the
            vast digital potential and aspirations. On the industrial                       first essential step – quality data enables us to design
            front, the government’s Making Indonesia 4.0 campaign                           products and services to meet the needs and
            aims to accelerate the digitisation of industry and                             behaviours of our customers.
            manufacturing, and auto is a focus sector.                                      Designing and analysing the business models best
            Indonesia’s digital economy is also poised to become                            suited to our businesses was the second focus area.
            the largest in Southeast Asia. Driven by e-commerce,                            Do we stay with what we have? Or look at more
            online travel, ride-hailing services and online media,                          disruptive options? Building our competence and
            the digital market value is predicted to triple to US$100                       capabilities was the third area and we are doing this
            billion by 2025 from US$27 billion in 2018. Modernisation                       organically via Astra Group Holding, and investments
            and expansion in the industrial and consumer sectors,                           including a joint venture between Astra and WeLab
            coupled with the passionate ‘bisa’ (can-do) attitude                            to launch Maucash, a peer-to-peer lending app.
            shared by millions of Indonesians towards digital,                              We have also made two rounds of investments
            signals a major wave of opportunity for Astra. Djap Tet                         (totalling US$250 million) in Gojek, a leading
            Fa, President Director of PT Astra Digital Internasional                        ride-hailing decacorn in Indonesia, and we anticipate
            (Astra Digital), shares more about the company’s digital                        strategic Astra-Gojek collaborations in the near future.
            plans and focus areas in the near and medium term.                              In addition, we have also joined Plug and Play, an
                                                                                            incubator company that connects us with leading
                                                                                            start-ups in Indonesia, Asia, and the rest of the
                                                                                            world. Last but not least, Astra has also established
                                                                                            Astra Digital, an incubation arm with a goal to build
                                                                                            an Astra-owned ecosystem while offering innovative
                                                                                            solutions for the next generation of customers,
                                                                                            covering areas such as marketplace, personal
                                                                                            mobility, loyalty and big data analytics, and more.

            Djap Tet Fa at media gathering Astra Digital Menyambut Indonesia.

                                                                                                                                            Thistle Volume 2 | 2019                       11
Perspective

         Astra has invested in Indonesian ride-hailing phenomenon, Gojek.

         What online solutions or offerings do you have today?              E-commerce, travel, ride-hailing services and media
                                                                            are anticipated leading growth sectors for digital in
         As we have a vast customer base and broad reach
                                                                            Indonesia – what else do you see as emerging sectors?
         nationwide, we have range of offerings from Astra
         Digital including Seva.id, an online marketplace to                Fintech, whether lending, payments, insurance or
         showcase the full range of Astra products, and attract             other services, has big potential here. I think the ability
         more visitors to track their purchasing behaviour. By              to get a loan quickly and relatively hassle-free online
         doing so, this helps us provide personalised offerings             would appeal to many Indonesians. Right now, getting
         to customers. As transportation is a big issue for                 a loan from a bank in the traditional way can take days
         Indonesia – an archipelago with more than 18,000                   or even weeks. Healthcare is another growth sector
         islands – we also have mobility solutions covering                 – more Indonesians are spending more on healthcare
         parking and ride-sharing for urban residents, as well              and increasingly they will want services and support
         as those who want to travel from city to city – we call            they can access online. This is also compounded by
         this the ‘hitchhike’ solution.                                     the fact that Indonesia’s middle class is growing,
                                                                            with many moving up the socio-economic pyramid.
         We also have an aggregator business run in
         collaboration with 25 intercity travel agencies to
         provide a united, seamless online booking system
         for inner-city shuttle buses. Our other mobility solution
         called MoviC is an online rental product with more than
         3,000 cars listed and a presence in 46 cities, which is
         especially popular with car rental SMEs who serve as
         the supply side on the platform.
         Given Astra’s scale, do you currently run big-data or
         analytics-driven programmes to better understand
         customers in various sectors?
         Getting to know our customers better – especially
         their consumption and payment behaviour – is vital
         for our businesses, considering the low engagement
         frequency in Astra’s businesses today. So, we have
         started several big data projects including an AI
         (artificial intelligence) initiative. We have built
         AI prototypes such as facial recognition and crowd
         counting, with the aim of gathering in-depth information
         about customers to provide our businesses with better
         insights that they can use to improve their products and                                                     The Maucash app provides a
                                                                                                                      variety of services to meet the
         services, and how they engage with customers.                                                                daily needs of Indonesians.

12
The rise of the digital economy has led to the            New Digital Offerings to
development of a strong collaboration culture;            Get Indonesians Moving
even between long-time competitors. Is this
something Astra is open to?                               Whether taking on Jakarta’s frequently gridlocked roads
                                                          or making plans for inter-city travel across a nation of
Right now, our collaboration efforts are mostly           18,000 islands, getting around Indonesia is a challenge
internally focused to strengthen our businesses,          for many. That’s why several of Astra’s latest digital
but in time I can see more partnerships evolving,         offerings are transport-related with a focus on enhancing
such as the one between Gojek and Astra.                  urban commuting (and job creation) and inter-city travel.
Internally, how does Astra support and encourage          GOFLEET, a mobility solution for people who don’t have
a culture of innovation and disruption? Do you run        access to a car – but want to work with a ride-hailing
training programmes or innovation challenges?             platform as a driver-partner – is the latest offering from
Our drive to build a culture of innovation is ingrained   Astra and Gojek. As well as getting access to a car,
within our DNA. One of our high-profile programmes        GOFLEET driver-partners will also be given free
is InnovAstra, an internal innovation competition         maintenance service at Astra-owned workshops, road
that has been held annually since 1980 to showcase,       safety training, 24-hour emergency support, and
accelerate, and recognise innovation across all           accident plus life insurance.
Astra companies.                                          Speaking at the launch in July, Astra President Director
Within Astra, the demand for data scientists has          Prijono Sugiarto said, “GOFLEET is an implementation of
grown exponentially. To meet this demand, Astra           Astra and Gojek’s strategic partnership that was
Digital runs a programme to grow the next generation      established since our investment in Gojek in February
of data scientists through a Data Scientist Bootcamp,     2018. We endorse partnerships between [the]
where we actively provide mentorships to fresh            automotive industry and technology to bring more
graduates from top universities. Upon completion          positive socio-economic developments to the public, in
of the programme, we offer full-time positions in         line with Astra’s goal to prosper with the nation.”
Astra Group companies.                                    GOFLEET is available in greater Jakarta initially, with
We also run Astra Digital Forums regularly, where we      plans to roll out the programme to other cities and
invite external experts from the likes of Microsoft,      provinces in the near future.
Facebook, Twitter and Google to share best practices      Sejalan, meanwhile, is a social ride-sharing app that
with us, and vice versa, followed by a Q&A session.       facilitates carpooling. It is designed primarily for the
Sharing expertise is also the focus of our Data Demo      many people who drive from neighbouring cities such as
Day, during which data experts from our various           Depok, Bekasi and Tangerang to Jakarta every day for
businesses talk about their projects and learnings.       work. The app enables drivers to offer a seat in their car
We also have a Digital Marketing Community where          to fellow commuters from their home town. The driver
our various content management, digital marketing,        can share the costs of transport, and play a part in
and social media teams come together to update us         reducing traffic. Besides the work commute, the app is
all on their projects and experiences – it’s a great      popular for those planning long drives to other cities and
way to collaborate and share knowledge.                   have room in their vehicle for ‘hitch-hiker’ passengers.

Finally, Indonesian internet users today spend
an average of eight hours and 36 minutes online
every day – why do you think Indonesians love
the internet so much?
Yes, about 65% of the population – about 170 million
Indonesians of all ages and in urban and rural areas –
are online every day. But one reason why we have
big numbers is the fact that we have a huge millennial
population who make up about a third of all internet
users and social media – sharing photos, videos,
comments – is where they spend a lot of their time.
Many also get their news from social media
platforms only.
YouTube is especially popular, and it is a channel we
target a lot in our digital marketing. E-commerce is
also big here and it makes sense as our country is
massive, and some communities live a long way from
city centres or malls. Chat apps such as WhatsApp
are also popular. The final driver is the fact that
internet data plans and devices are quite affordable
now and embraced by everyone.
                                                          GOFLEET provides driver-partners with a car, accident insurance and
                                                          maintenance service at Astra-owned workshops.

                                                                                                                     Thistle Volume 2 | 2019   13
Front
     Runners

 Virtual Lifestyle Bank livi                                                                                            Chief Executive Michael

 to Launch in Hong Kong
                                                                                                                        Wang (in foreground)
                                                                                                                        with the livi team.

 The previous issue of Thistle announced a high-profile joint         Several virtual banks are set to be launched in Hong Kong
 venture (JV) between Bank of China (BOC) Hong Kong, JD Digits,       – what makes livi unique?
 and Jardines to launch a virtual bank called livi in Hong Kong.
                                                                      The expertise of our shareholders, a good mix of talents from
 Here, livi Chief Executive Michael Wang shares more about the
                                                                      different industries, excellent support from a partner network,
 progress of the project and how livi will make an impact.
                                                                      and resources from our backers are among livi’s significant
 What is a virtual bank and what is livi’s primary target market?     advantages. Put these factors together and I think we bring
                                                                      a unique perspective and offering to help consumers rethink
 In simple terms, a virtual bank is branch-less as it’s totally
                                                                      how they bank and manage their finances.
 online. We want livi to be a lifestyle bank to meet the everyday
 needs of many people in Hong Kong – our mission is to help our       What are some of the anticipated benefits for our retail businesses
 customers save smartly, spend consciously and live a lot more.       in HK – and how do you plan to work together with them?
 Because our bank will be open all hours and available to anyone      Jardines’ consumer businesses – including retail, F&B, hotels and
 who has a smartphone, you can – and should! – become a livi          motors – will enjoy access to livi’s exciting products and services
 customer. Our products and services will have broad appeal           that will help them better serve their customers. In addition, as
 and we hope to redefine what that means to banks in Hong Kong.       Jardines businesses in Hong Kong have relationships with a deep
 In addition, an important part of our bank will be our small and     and broad ecosystem of suppliers – particularly SME suppliers –
 medium-sized enterprises (SME) services, helping to grow Hong        livi’s online solutions can enhance those interactions.
 Kong businesses with simple, easy-to-use financial services.
                                                                      What are the next major steps for the project team, and when
 What does each JV partner – BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited,        is livi expected to launch?
 JD Digits, and Jardines – bring to the table?
                                                                      We are working hard to develop the banking system with
 This project is incredibly lucky to have a powerful partnership of   several major goals to achieve in the next few months, including
 established backers pushing it forward. Robust risk management       developing a brand-new, secure banking system. We also want
 and banking expertise from BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited,         to deliver a seamless, easy-to-use app design and user
 the technology development capability from JD Digits, and the        experience to match the everyday routines of customers.
 broad customer touchpoints offered by the Jardines network give      We want to create an open bank that really makes an impact
 livi a unique competitive advantage in this brand-new industry.      – if you are interested in participating in app testing or anything
                                                                      else to do with livi, please get in touch with the team!

14
Second Mandarin Oriental                                                  The owners and developers of the project are Astaș Holding A.Ş
                                                                          and Yapi & Yapi. This is the group’s third venture in Turkey with
Property in Istanbul                                                      Astaș Holding A.Ş, owner of the group’s two other Turkish
                                                                          properties: the award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum and
Istanbul’s exclusive Etiler central residential area is the location of   Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul, which is scheduled
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s second luxury hotel in the city,          to open in 2020.
scheduled to open in 2022.
One of the three towers of the property will house Mandarin
Oriental Etiler, Istanbul, with 158 guest rooms and suites, and 16
serviced apartments. The others will house 251 luxurious
Residences at Mandarin Oriental.
“We are delighted to announce a second Mandarin Oriental
property in Istanbul, together with an exciting luxury residential
project. We look forward to extending further the group’s presence
in one of the world’s most historic and vibrant cities,” said James
Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental.
“Operating two complementary hotels in a single city is something
that the group has already done successfully in Hong Kong and
will soon do in London. We believe there is room for more than just
one Mandarin Oriental hotel in certain select destinations around
the world,” he added. The hotel will have three restaurants and
bars, meeting spaces with outdoor areas for business and leisure
events, a spa and fitness centre, and an indoor and outdoor pool.

Cycle & Carriage Expands                                                  Adrian Short, General Manager of C&C Myanmar said, “Since
                                                                          representing the brand in 2014, we have delivered some 2,000
Footprint in Myanmar                                                      Mazda vehicles, which attests to the confidence our customers
                                                                          have placed in the Mazda brand, its philosophy and drivability
Cycle & Carriage (C&C) has expanded its presence in Myanmar               of the vehicles.”
with a new Mazda 3S facility in Yangon, as well as a second               Mercedes-Benz Display Centre Opens in Mandalay
Mercedes-Benz Display Centre in Mandalay.
                                                                          Following the launch of the first Mercedes-Benz 3S Autohaus in
New Mazda 3S Facility in Yangon                                           Yangon in March 2018, C&C opened a second Mercedes-Benz
Following the establishment of the first Mazda showroom                   showroom in The Move Shopping Centre, Mingalar Mandalay,
in Myanmar in 2014, C&C opened another Mazda facility in                  which launched in April.
Yangon in March to reach more customers. The new                          The 255.5 sq. m. Mercedes-Benz Display Centre and showroom
1,060 sq. m. Mazda 3S facility boasts a showroom capacity of six          boasts a contemporary design with exciting features such as the
display vehicles and five work bays to provide industry-leading           new Mercedes-Benz iShowroom, a three-vehicle showroom
aftersales service.                                                       capacity and other services to provide customers the convenience
Since Mazda’s introduction to the market, it has won four                 of a single-point hub.
Myanmar Car of the Year awards and is now the fifth most popular          C&C Automobile Myanmar Managing Director Aung Moe Kyaw said,
brand in Myanmar, with a year-on-year growth rate of 15%. Mazda           “We have witnessed significant changes in Mandalay as investors
also ranks second in the Brand New Imported Vehicles sphere.              are seeking opportunities beyond Yangon. With the opening of the
                                                                          Mercedes-Benz Mandalay Display Centre, we believe we can offer
                                                                          a vibrant sales experience to our discerning upper Myanmar
                                                                          Mercedes-Benz customers.”
                                                                          Big Growth Opportunity
                                                                          As the fifth largest country in ASEAN – with more than 50 million
                                                                          citizens – and over 500,000 four-wheeled privately registered
                                                                          vehicles currently, the auto sector growth opportunity in Myanmar
                                                                          is huge. New vehicle sales have doubled year-on-year and the
                                                                          government has introduced policies to try and reach the goal of
                                                                          more than one million new car sales per annum by 2033.

C&C now has seven facilities in Myanmar representing different marques
and is well positioned to optimise growth opportunities in the country.

                                                                                                             Thistle Volume 2 | 2019          15
Front Runners

 Mercedes me Lifestyle Store                                          The store showcases the latest and future concept of Mercedes-
                                                                      Benz models, with product concierges to organise test-drives in
 Comes to Chengdu                                                     person or via the MercedesmeStore WeChat account. Seamlessly
                                                                      integrating the retail components into the customer experience,
 Chengdu car enthusiasts and shoppers can now get an                  the store features Mercedes-Benz accessories and Mercedes me
 up-close and personal taste of the stylish Mercedes me store,        merchandise, including localised products exclusively for the
 which features retail and food and beverage outlets, and             China market, and new concept food and beverage destinations.
 an event space alongside the latest – and upcoming –                 Hungry visitors who enjoy fine cuisine can visit the Sifang
 Mercedes-Benz cars on display.                                       Sanchuan restaurant, a multipurpose venue that showcases
 Located in the hip Taikoo Li shopping district in central Chengdu,   Yun, Gui, Chuan, Yu-style dishes. Thirsty customers, meanwhile,
 next to the famous Daci Temple and close to bustling Chunxi Road,    can sip local and international craft beers at Brew Haus while
 the 1,278 sq. m. store opened in spring with a unique line-up,       enjoying live entertainment.
 offering guests a bespoke lifestyle venue to experience              The Chengdu Mercedes me store is the first to open in south-
 the Mercedes-Benz brand through luxury hospitality.                     west China. It follows the successful launch of similar
 Combining elements of food and beverage, retail                            flagship stores in Beijing and Shanghai, with more
 and automotive, the new Mercedes me store                                      expected to land in other parts of China this year.
 has a clearly defined customer journey
 with multiple touchpoints providing
 personalised experiences to
 its customers.

                                                                                                     The Mercedes me store in the Taikoo
                                                                                                     Li district is adjacent to the Daci
                                                                                                     Temple and bordered by the
                                                                                                     high-traffic Chunxi Road – a prime
                                                                                                     central location in Chengdu.

 Schindler Vietnam                                                    Schindler Vietnam Ltd was one of the first foreign-owned elevator
                                                                      companies to begin operating in Vietnam, in 1995. Daily
 Breaks Ground for                                                    operations include importing, installing and maintaining Schindler
                                                                      elevators and escalators. In 1998, Schindler opened its own
 Ho Chi Minh Factory                                                  factory in Vietnam, which produces brackets, beams and builder’s
                                                                      elevators for both local and export purposes.
 Earlier this year a ground-breaking ceremony for the Schindler
 Vietnam Factory project was held at the Hiep Phuoc Industrial
 Park, Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City.
 To meet demand in a fast-growing elevator market, the new
 10,000 sq. m. factory is expected to open for production in
 October 2019. The factory will be outfitted with state-of-the-art
 machinery, including laser cutting machines, CNC machines,
 and a shot-blasting machine. In addition, the factory has been
 designed and built to reduce waste and energy use.
 The ceremony was attended by Chief Executive Officer of
 Jardine Schindler Group Jujudhan Jena, General Director of
 Schindler Vietnam Ta Huy Vu, factory manager Duong Quy Suu,
 the management team of Schindler Vietnam, the board of
 directors of Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park Joint Stock Company,
 Director of Construction of Phan Vu Investment Corporation
 Lu Trieu Duong, Director of SEAS Consultant Tran Xuan Ho
 and other esteemed guests.                                           Directors of Schindler Vietnam, board of directors of Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park Joint
                                                                      Stock Company, Director of Construction of Phan Vu Construction Investment
                                                                      Corporation, and a director of SEAS Consultant at the ground-breaking ceremony.

16
Javanese Mountains
Inspire New Toll Road
Rest Area Project
Astra Property Group and Astra Infra recently announced a
partnership with PT Jasamarga Properti and PT Sarana Pembangunan
Jawa Tengah to build and manage the Tempat Istirahat dan Pelayanan
(TIP) rest area on the Semarang-Solo toll road.
Set to open in 2021, the RESTA Pendopo 456 rest pavilion will
consist of five buildings in two locations set over three ha. of
land. With design elements influenced by traditional Javanese
architecture and five mountains in Central Java – Mount Merapi,
Mount Merbabu, Mount Sindoro, Mount Sumbing, and Mount
Ungaran – it is expected to be one of the most striking TIP                  From left: Director of Technical and Operational of PT Trans Marga Jateng, Ali Zainal
                                                                             Abidin; Director of Astra, Bambang Widjanarko Santoso; Semarang Regent Expert
facilities in Indonesia.                                                     Staff, Sukaton Purtomo Priyatmo, SH, MM; Central Java Regional Secretary, Sri Puryono
                                                                             Karto Soedarmo; Salatiga Mayor, Yulianto SE, MM; President Director of PT Sarana
A recent ground-breaking ceremony for the project was attended               Pembangunan Jawa Tengah, Adi Fitra and Director of PT Jasa Marga Properti, Dian
                                                                             Takdir Bardsyah commemorate the ground-breaking ceremony of RESTA Pendopo 456.
by the Central Java Regional Secretary, Sri Puryono Karto
Soedarmo; Director of Astra, Bambang Widjanarko Santoso and
Director of PT Trans Marga Jateng, Novianto Dwi Wibowo. Other
guests included Director of PT Jasamarga Properti, Dian Takdir
Badrsyah and Adi Fitra, President Director of PT Sarana
Pembangunan Jawa Tengah.
Asya Project in Eastern Jakarta in Progress
Asya, a major residential property in Cakung, East Jakarta is
currently being built by PT Astra International Tbk through PT Astra
Modern Land, a joint-venture company. It is a city-scale project with
a strong eco-friendly influence offering quality housing for a broad
range of homebuyers. Set around a 15 ha. lake area, the property
will include a host of modern design features. Asya is not far from
Jalan Tol Lingkar Luar Jakarta, also known as the Jakarta Outer Ring
Road or JORR, which connects to other major roadways, including
the Jakarta Inner Ring Road and the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road.

                                                                          Thailand’s Love of Coffee
                                                                          Leads Opportunity
                                                                          Thais love coffee. Although per-person consumption is about 300
                                                                          cups a year – compared to 400 in Japan and 600 in Europe –
                                                                          demand for lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and more is rising by
                                                                          an average of 15% per year throughout Thailand.
                                                                          This robust demand is fuelling expansive growth plans in the
                                                                          sector, and Maxim’s Group, a long-term strategic partner of
                                                                          Starbucks, recently announced a joint venture (JV) with its Thai
                                                                          partner to operate and develop Starbucks retail stores in Thailand.
                                                                          The JV combines the market expertise of the local partner and
                                                                          the deep understanding of the Starbucks culture and brand that
                                                                          Maxim’s Group has developed over 19 years.
Global brand, local flavour: the Starbucks outlet at Langsuan, Bangkok.   Moving forward, the two parties aim to continue to deliver the
                                                                          unique Starbucks experience to Thai customers and accelerate
                                                                          growth in the country. Bangkok’s Convent Road was the location
                                                                          of the first Starbucks store to open in Thailand in 1998, and there
                                                                          are 372 stores nationwide today.
                                                                          Since Maxim’s Group and Starbucks began their relationship in
                                                                          2000 in Hong Kong, they have enjoyed consistently strong growth
                                                                          and there are more than 400 Starbucks stores in Hong Kong,
                                                                          Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore today.

                                                                                                                      Thistle Volume 2 | 2019                    17
Front Runners

 IATA CEIV Fresh-certified is                                                                    optimum storage positions in cool rooms were other initiatives
                                                                                                 launched. Already-stringent hygiene and pest-control practices
 Another World First for Hactl                                                                   have been tightened further and suppliers have been instructed
                                                                                                 on what they must do to comply with the new standard.
 Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) celebrated                                        About CEIV Fresh
 a global first in March when it was named one of the first
 two cargo handling agents in the world to receive the new                                       Growing global demand for fresh food throughout the year
 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Centre of                                        required an update in air transportation guidelines to standardise
 Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Fresh accreditation.                               time and temperature management to minimise food loss. Given
                                                                                                 this, the CEIV Fresh programme was launched by IATA to raise the
 The accreditation is the result of Airport Authority Hong Kong’s                                bar in managing and handling perishable logistics. It is designed
 initiative to make the airport the world’s first CEIV Fresh hub.                                to improve staff competency through training, ensure food safety
 Hactl Chief Executive Wilson Kwong said teamwork and a                                          and prevent waste along the supply chain through quality and risk
 commitment to world-class operating standards were key drivers                                  management controls.
 of this success, when he accepted the certificate at IATA’s World
 Cargo Symposium in Singapore in March.
 He added, “CEIV Fresh certification is very useful to benchmark
 the quality and standard of an organisation, and Hactl applauds
 both IATA’s initiative in driving the adoption of CEIV Fresh
 throughout the industry, and Hong Kong International Airport’s
 leadership of this project.”
 The Road to Accreditation
 Hactl’s quest for CEIV Fresh accreditation began in late
 2018 when key staff attended an IATA training programme.
 Changes were also made to facilities, such as the designation
 of a new Fresh Lane to accelerate the unloading of perishable
 cargo to place in temperature-controlled storage, or for
 collection by customers.
 Four critical control points were also identified and enhanced.
 The use of thermal dollies to maintain optimum temperatures
 was one upgrade. Segregating perishable commodities through
 dedicated truck docks and the mapping and visual marking of                                     Hactl’s Fresh Lane includes thermal dollies to maintain optimum
                                                                                                 temperatures on the ramp.

                                                                                                                JEC Thailand
                                                                                                                Wins Contracts
                                                                                                                for Eco-Friendly
                                                                                                                The Forestias Project
                                                                                                                Jardine Engineering Corporation (JEC) Thailand
                                                                                                                was awarded a number of contracts for The Forestias
                                                                                                                project in Thailand including the supply, installation,
                                                                                                                testing and commissioning of the air-conditioning
                                                                                                                and ventilation system, the sanitary and fire
                                                                                                                protection system, as well as the electrical
                                                                                                                and communication systems.

 The Forestias is the world’s first mixed-use multigenerational lifestyle project to establish
                                                                                                                The Forestias is a nature-integrated, mixed-use
 and incorporate a large forest ecosystem.                                                                      development located in Bangna, Bangkok with
                                                                                                                a total area of 480,000 sq. m. It includes
                                                                                                                a forest landscape, office buildings and a medical
                                                                                                                complex, as well as a variety of community
                                                                                                                developments such as residences, a community
                                                                                                                space, a six-star boutique hotel, and a four-star
                                                                                                                business hotel and serviced apartments.
                                                                                                                The project incorporates green building technology
                                                                                                                in its design and operation systems, and aims to
                                                                                                                achieve a Gold rating in the Leadership in Energy
                                                                                                                and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

18
Martabe Gold Mine Visit
Marked by Local Tradition
Astra’s Board of Commissioners and Directors paid a visit
to Martabe Gold Mine in North Sumatra, Indonesia, in March
to observe mining operations and the gold-making process on
a day infused with local tradition. United Tractors, a subsidiary
of Astra, acquired a majority stake in the Martabe Mine in 2018.
PT Agincourt Resources (PTAR), the operator of the mine, hosted
the entourage, which included Commissioners of Astra Alex
Newbigging, John Witt, Jeremy Parr, President Director of Astra
Prijono Sugiarto, Directors of Astra Gidion Hasan, Gita Tiffany
Boer, Chief of Corporate Affairs of Astra Pongki Pamungkas,
and several Astra Executives.
A presentation by PTAR was followed by a speech by
Mr Newbigging, and tours of the site including the
observation deck to view the entire mine field, which covers
1,303 sq. km., making it one of the largest in Indonesia.
Among the highlights of the visit was a Mangulosi ceremony –
the presenting of traditional Ulos cloth – to the guests of honour.                       Shake Shack Takes
Mr Newbigging, Mr Sugiarto, Mr Hasan, President Director of PAMA
Frans Kesuma (serving as Director of Astra at the General Meeting                         Shanghai by Storm
of Shareholders in April), Mulyadi Sutio, President Director of
PT Agincourt Resources, and Vice President of PT Agincourt
Resources Tim Duffy also signed an inscription to commemorate
‘The Pouring of 2,000,000 of Gold & 15,000,000 Oz of Silver.’

                                                                                          Shake Shack shook up Shanghai’s food
                                                                                          scene when it opened its doors in the city’s
                                                                                          hip Xintiandi district earlier this year.
                                                                                          The China debut of the cult New York burger
                                                                                          restaurant attracted long lines of
                                                                                          customers – braving cold temperatures –
                                                                                          to get a first bite of the famous Shack
                                                                                          Burger, Shroom Burger and other delicious
                                                                                          NYC delights.
                                                                                          Brought to Shanghai by the Maxim’s Group
                                                                                          in partnership with Shake Shack, the
                                                                                          restaurant furthers Maxim’s mission to
                                                                                          bring fresh, exciting dining experiences to
                                                                                          customers in China and other parts of Asia.
                                                                                          Since its big splash opening, Shake Shack
                                                                                          Shanghai has seen brisk business, with
   Astra’s Board of Commissioners and Directors arrived at Batang Toru, South Tapanuli.
                                                                                          customers indulging in Shake Shack
                                                                                          classics as well as Shanghai-inspired menu
                                                                                          items such as the Strawberry Yu(zu) Garden
                                                                                          Shake and the On the Bund dessert.

                                                                                                                 Thistle Volume 2 | 2019   19
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