Oceania News Q1 2018

Q1 2018

OCEANIA news

Australia, The Melting Pot of Different Cultures Here at Oceania News, we have long noticed the increasing importance of Australia within the global corporate landscape, and as such we showcase this fascinating article from Jo Alelsto, who talks us through the range of cultures that have influenced the country.

Editorial credit: Shutterstock.com

In this Issue: Essilor Partners with Australian Government to Help Build Livelihoods in BangladeshResumes Tourmaline Partners Opens Australia Office Indian Firm Ola Looks to Take on Uber in Australia

Editor’s Note

Welcome to the final edition , of Oceania News, the quarterly publication that provides the latest information, news and insight into businesses from across the region.

In recent news, Air New Zealand is turning to technology to tackle the language barriers that often arise during travel. The airline has become one of the first corporates globally to trial a customer service use case for Google’s wireless Bluetooth Pixel Buds headphones, which enable live translation of 40 languages via Google’s Pixel handset.

Taking to the sky, we look at how a newly launched satellite is expected to become the brightest object in the night sky, creating a shared experience for all humanity, after being launched on board Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle last week. The Humanity Star is intended to serve as a focal point for humanity, as every single person on Earth will have the opportunity to see and experience it. The satellite will appear as a bright, glinting star shooting across the night sky.

Elsewhere in this issue, the team here at Oceania News have noticed for a while the increasing importance of Australia within the global corporate landscape, as such we have showcased in this edition a fascinating article from Jo Alelsto, who took time to talk us through the range of cultures that have influenced the country.

Also in this edition, we discover how Magnolia Finance, which is a part of the Magnolia Capital Group, is helping small businesses grow by offering easy finance at attractive interest rates.

Lastly, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing companies, Ola has recently announced their plans to enter Australia. As part of its international expansion, Ola has begun on-boarding private hire vehicles (PHVs) and driver-partners in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.

Here at Oceania News, we have thoroughly enjoyed creating this thrilling issue for you and we wish you all the very best for 2018.

Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: jessica.daykin@aiglobalmedialtd.com Website: www.business-news.eu AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them.

The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions.

Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.

2 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

Contents

,

*

4. News 6.

ACC Expands Activities Across Asia-Pacific

8.

Essilor Partners with Australian Government To Help Build Livelihoods in Bangladesh

10. St Vincent’s Health Australia Deploys Vocera to Improve Communication and Operational Efficiency 12. Tourmaline Partners Opens Australia Office 14. Australia, The Melting Pot of Different Cultures 16. New Appointment Showcases Ever-Strengthening India-Australia Bilateral Relationship 18. AI Firm Moves into Oceania Region 20. The Humanity Star 22. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ Used on Qantas flight from U.S. to Australia 24. Indian Firm Ola Looks to Take on Uber in Australia 26. The World’s First Bitcoin Savings Platform Launches in New Zealand 28. Magnolia Finance Fuelling Growth for Small Businesses in Australia 30. Manulife Enters Australian Real Estate Market

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 3

NEWS

,

Hainan Airlines Named the Cleanest Transpacific Airline Recently, The International Council on Clean Energy (ICCT) released their new study on fuel-efficiency for 20 airlines operating nonstop flights between the mainland United States, East Asia and Oceania in 2016. China’s Hainan Airlines and Japan’s All Nippon Airways ranked the first in efficiency performance, leading the leastperforming carrier--Qantas Airways--by 64%.

4 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

Editorial credit: Shutterstock.com

NEWS

, Hainan Airline’s high performance reflects its use of Boeing’s fuel-efficient aircraft: Dreamliner 787. Of Hainan’s 3,200 transpacific flights, covering 9 bases in America and accounting for 14 US-China routes in total, the carrier used Dreamliner 787 for over 80% of these flights. The company currently owns the most US-China routes as well as the biggest fleet of Dreamliner 787, with the total number of 26 aircraft.

The use of this aircraft reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 16% compare to other models of aircraft. It also provides travelers with a more comfortable and safe flying experience.

Airlines with lowest overall fuel efficiency, such as Asiana, Korean Air and Qantas, predominately use two-engine aircraft including the Boeing 747 and Airbus 380.

“There’s a reason that airlines around the world are starting to avoid very large aircraft like the 747 and A380,” said Dan Rutherford, ICCT’s aviation program director and co-author of the paper.

“Newer twin-engine widebodies provide the payload and range capabilities needed for transpacific flights with much lower fuel burn.”

Aviation is a major contributor to climate pollution, accounting for about 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasts airline traffic in Asia/Pacific will account for 31% of CO2 from international aviation in 2020, with North America at 15%. In order to

achieve ICAO’s long-term, aspirational goal of increasing the fuel efficiency of international flights by 2% annually, more fuel-efficient wide-body aircraft will need to be introduced to keep up with demand.

Besides aircraft type, Hainan Airlines has also been exploring other strategies for green travel and sustainable development. In June 2016, Hainan co-founded the “Green Aviation Initiative Network” with 27 other companies, aiming to develop a platform that facilitates conversations on green travel. The GAIN Network has hosted multiple forums and community activities so far. A year later, on November 21st, 2017, Hainan completed its first transcontinental flight with an aircraft fueled in part by bio fuels derived from waste cooking oil. The plane took off from Beijing and landed in Chicago. It marked a step forward in China’s plan of meeting goals for a green economy.

As the first airline from mainland China to be included in SKYTRAX’s Top 10 Airlines of the Year list, Hainan Airlines has been actively undertaking its social responsibility as well as promoting the development of green aviation. In the future, Hainan Airlines will introduce more environmental-friendly aircraft, incorporate more new technology and promote more new initiatives in order to carry out the concept of green aviation with practical action, and provide better “five-star” airline service to its travelers.

Air New Zealand Explores Translation Technology Air New Zealand is turning to technology to tackle the language barriers that often arise during travel.

The airline is one of the first corporates globally to trial a customer service use case for Google’s wireless Bluetooth Pixel Buds headphones which enable live translation of 40 languages via Google’s Pixel handset.

Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says the airline has a number of multi-lingual employees but naturally there are times when the relevant language speaker may not be on hand and technology could play a pivotal role in those moments.

“We operate to 30 international destinations and our customers speak an even more diverse range of languages. Google’s Pixel Buds could assist in areas such as check-in and boarding as well as inflight to help our staff communicate effectively with international customers.

“Both Air New Zealand and Google put people and technology at the heart of their products and experiences and it’s been excellent exploring how translation technology like Google’s Pixel Buds could enhance our customer experience.

“In this increasingly digital world our customers expect us to provide a fast and personalised experience. It’s crucial we embrace technology solutions and collaborating with like-minded partners helps us keep ahead of the game,” says Mr Golan.

Air New Zealand has an aspiration to be a leading digital airline.

It’s experimentation with Google Pixel Buds follows on from other initiatives this year involving Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Social Robotics.

Editorial credit: Shutterstock.com

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 5

,

ACC Expands Activities Across Asia-Pacific The Alternative Credit Council (ACC), the private credit affiliate of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), has stepped up its activities in Asia-Pacific for members operating private credit strategies in the region.

As part of the expanded activity, a new APAC Committee of the ACC has been formed, cochaired by global ACC Board members Justin Ferrier of BlackRock and Barry Lau of Adamas Asset Management.

The full Committee is as follows –

• • • • • • • • •

Co-Chair: Justin Ferrier, Managing Director, Asian Private Credit, BlackRock Co-Chair: Barry Lau, Managing Partner and CIO, Adamas Asset Management Derek Crane, Group COO, Pacific Alliance Group (PAG) Greg Donohugh, CEO, Double Haven Capital (Hong Kong) Barnaby Lyons, Managing Director and Head of Asia, Bain Capital Credit Dan Simmons, Partner, OCP Asia James Sweeney, COO, Tor Investment Management Matthew Turner, Head of Australian Senior Debt, Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) Peter Warbanoff, Head of Distressed and

• •

Opportunistic Credit, LIM Advisors Richard Williamson, Managing Director, CreditEase Wealth Management Edwin Wong, Managing Partner, SSG Capital Management (Hong Kong)

The ACC is already active in the US and European markets, and the formation of the APAC group will consolidate the association’s position as the voice of the global private credit sector.

The ACC anticipates that interest in legal and regulatory reforms to support the growth of private credit will grow as the value of this form of finance becomes better understood by policymakers and regulators.

Establishing this group will build on AIMA’s established relationships and provide a channel of communication between policymakers, regulators and private credit managers.

The committee will focus its activity in the following key areas: advocacy to raise awareness amongst policymakers and regulators about how private

6 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

credit supports economic growth; promoting legal and regulatory reforms that encourage the sustainable growth of private credit; research to quantify the size of the market for private credit in Asia-Pacific and identify key trends in the region; guidance on sound practices for private credit managers on credit underwriting, risk management processes and valuation; and education to raise awareness about private credit in Asia Pacific amongst investors and borrowers.

The ACC’s annual private credit survey “Financing the Economy”, recently predicted that the private credit market would reach $1 trillion of assets under management by the end of 2020.

The overall private credit market in APAC, while still small by global standards, has grown rapidly in recent years. According to Preqin, committed capital grew 80% over the five years to the end of 2016, the most recent data available, reaching $26.1bn.

At the same time, 22% of private debt investors intend to target the Asia-Pacific region this year, up from 16% who said the same the previous year.

AIMA’s Co-Head of APAC Kher Sheng Lee said: “The AsiaPacific region is undoubtedly receiving much more attention from private credit investors and managers, and the growth potential is considerable. But capital-raising across the region is mixed, legal and regulatory frameworks are not uniform and the pool of sponsors, advisors and private credit managers is shallower than in the US and Europe. It is therefore important for the continued development of this nascent market that the ACC steps up its activities in the region, outlining to policymakers how private credit supports economic growth and demonstrating the value proposition of private credit to investors.”

g

ACC Expands Activities Across Asia-Pacific

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 7

,

Essilor Partners with Australian Government To Help Build Livelihoods in Bangladesh Essilor has proudly announced its selection by the Australian Government to be part of its Business Partnership Platform – an aid investment programme to generate social and commercial returns in developing countries. This partnership will create affordable vision care for almost 100,000 low income consumers in rural Bangladesh and train young people to become primary vision care providers known as Eye Mitras.

By launching its flagship inclusive business model, Eye Mitra Essilor and partners will help young people to set up village-based businesses to detect vision problems and dispense affordable eyeglasses.

The programme will improve the lives of rural Bangladeshis by improving their sight.

Essilor’s inclusive business arm, 2.5 New Vision Generation (2.5 NVG), launched its Eye Mitra program in 2013 in India as part of its strategy of increasing awareness and access to vision care for underserved populations and at the same time improving their livelihood.

Eye Mitra (Hindi for “friend of the eyes”) addresses unmet needs for vision care by recruiting and training unemployed and underemployed young people to become primary vision care providers.

Essilor’s inclusive business programmes impact seven out of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include no poverty, quality educations, gender

equality and decent work and economic growth.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Her Excellency Ms Julia Niblett said, ‘The Australian Government supports private sector engagement in development and is very pleased to partner with Essilor, who will work with local partners to train Eye Mitras to help provide eye care services in rural Bangladesh’.

Essilor’s Chief Mission Officer, Jayanth Bhuvaraghan commented; “We’re delighted to partner with the Australian government to further our common goal of social and economic development in developing countries.

Uncorrected poor vision affects 1 in 3 people worldwide impacting their ability to learn, work and be safe. At Essilor we are working to eradicate poor vision by raising awareness on the issue and creating access to vision care where it is needed most. We look forward to bringing the immediate benefits of eyeglasses to people in rural Bangladesh.”

8 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

Uncorrected poor vision is the world’s most widespread disability and affects 2.5 billion people, 90% of whom live in developing countries. Every year USD 272bn is wasted in the global economy due to lost productivity as a result of uncorrected poor vision. This impact is felt acutely in rural areas where awareness and access to vision care is often poor.

In partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Essilor launched the Eye Mitra programme in December 2017 with non-profit organisation Grameen Kalyan and local training partner MART. Grameen Kalyan will support with the setup of 400 Eye Mitra shops and, where necessary, provide microloans to Eye Mitras as they build their micro-enterprises.

This project comes as no surprise from such an internationally renowned firm, as Essilor is the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company.

Essilor designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of

lenses to improve and protect eyesight. Its mission is to improve lives by improving sight.

To support this mission, Essilor allocates more than €200 million to research and innovation every year, in a commitment to continuously bring new, more effective products to market.

Its flagship brands are Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, EyezenTM, Xperio®, Foster Grant®, BolonTM and Costa®. It also develops and markets equipment, instruments and services for eyecare professionals.

In 2016, Essilor reported consolidated revenue of more than €7.1 billion and employs approximately 64,000 people worldwide. It markets its products in more than 100 countries and has 33 plants, 490 prescription laboratories and edging facilities, as well as 5 research and development centers around the world (as of December 31, 2016).

Looking ahead, the firm intends to drive both its own success and contribute to the eradication of poor eyesight through this innovative project.

g

Essilor Partners with Australian Government To Help Build Livelihoods in Bangladesh

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 9

,

St Vincent’s Health Australia Deploys Vocera to Improve Communication and Operational Efficiency Team communication at aged care facilities vastly improves with Vocera solution.

Vocera Communications, Inc., a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, has announced St Vincent’s Health Australia is expanding Vocera technology across all its aged care facilities.

The health and aged care organization selected the Vocera hands-free communication badge and smartphone application to improve workflow efficiency and staff response times.

St Vincent’s Health Australia is a leading provider of health and aged care services, employing more than 18,000 staff across its six public hospitals, nine private hospitals, and 17 aged care and retirement living facilities. St Vincent’s Health Australia has been providing healthcare in Australia for 160 years, since its first hospital was established in Sydney in 1857 by the Sisters of Charity. Today, St Vincent’s Health Australia is a leading provider of health and aged care services, operating public and

private hospitals, aged care and retirement living facilities and clinical research centers in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. A medical research leader, St Vincent’s Health Australia has three co-located research institutes and works in close partnership with other research bodies, universities, and health care providers.

St Vincent’s Health Australia provides compassionate healthcare to people from all walks of life, but reflecting its mission, the health system is especially committed to people from vulnerable and marginalized backgrounds.

After achieving impressive results from deploying Vocera wearable devices at residential aged care facility St Vincent’s Care Services Bardon, the organization began implementing Vocera technology at all its aged care facilities in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

“Implementing the Vocera technology at our facilities was

10 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

a logical decision for us, as so many activities and so much of our employees’ work require their hands to be free when caring for our residents,” said John Leahy, Chief Executive Officer of St Vincent’s Care Services.

“Vocera allows our staff to talk to one another, broadcast messages and communicate key information, regardless of where they are located on site.”

St Vincent’s Care Services Bardon in Brisbane, Queensland, had just undergone a major building extension when the Vocera technology was deployed throughout the two level, 84-bed residence. The existing nurse call system at the senior living facility was integrated with the Vocera communication solution, which provides residents and their families with direct access to the team of highly mobile nurses, caregivers, physiotherapists and support staff.

“Our facility at Bardon is quite large, so Vocera has been particularly useful in ensuring

the appropriate mobilization of staff according to resident requirements. We believe it has enhanced team communication and efficiency, and as a result, has benefited our residents and their families,” said Mr. Leahy.

The success of Vocera at St Vincent’s Care Services Bardon made a compelling case for St Vincent’s Health Australia to expand the Vocera technology across its network.

The organization has now deployed hands-free badges and the Vocera smartphone application at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane, and will replace the hospital’s existing paging system with the Vocera texting solution to enable more patient context in messages and improve communication between physicians and other care team members.

“It’s inspiring to see how this compassionate care organization is using Vocera technology to support its mission of helping

g

St Vincent’s Health Australia Deploys Vocera to Improve Communication and Operational Efficiency

others in need,” said Brent Lang, President and CEO of Vocera.

“St Vincent’s Care Services Bardon, and other aged care facilities and hospitals within St Vincent’s Health Australia, are improving the lives of the people they serve.”

Fundamentally, the mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to simplify and improve the lives of healthcare professionals and patients, while enabling hospitals to enhance quality of care and

operational efficiency. In 2000, when the company was founded, we began to forever change the way care teams communicate.

Today, Vocera continues to offer the leading platform for clinical communication and workflow.

More than 1,400 hospitals and health systems around the world have selected our solutions for care teams to text securely using smartphones or make calls with our hands-free, wearable Vocera Badge. Interoperability between Vocera and more

than 120 clinical systems helps reduce alarm fatigue, speed up staff response times, and improve patient care, safety and experience. In addition to healthcare, Vocera is at home in luxury hotels, aged care facilities, nuclear facilities, libraries, retail stores and more. Vocera makes a difference in any industry where workers are on the move and need to connect instantly with team members and access resources or information quickly.

St Vincent’s Health Australia is one of many organizations in the country using Vocera technology to improve care team communication, patient and resident experience, and operational efficiency. In 2017, Vocera added 35 aged care facilities in Australia to its client roster. Additionally, Vocera is steadily increasing deployments in public and private hospitals across the country.

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 11

,

Tourmaline Partners Opens Australia Office Expands global trading footprint to accommodate growth, with this latest development highlighting importance of Oceania region in the global investment market.

Tourmaline Partners, LLC, a global institutional trading solutions firm, has recently announed the expansion of its Asia trading team via the opening of a new office in Sydney, Australia. Tourmaline’s Australia office will be established by James Santo and Neil Hetherington, both hailing from Northern Trust, and joining Managing Director Chris Murphy in providing coverage across the region.

“We are pleased to welcome both James and Neil to the Tourmaline team. Together, they bring a wealth of expertise and industry experience serving the Asia-Pacific market, as we expand our global footprint,” said Aaron Hantman, Tourmaline’s Chief Executive Officer.

Expanding its reach with a third office that covers trading across Asia is part of Tourmaline’s growth strategy to both continue to improve the trading solutions that it offers clients as well as adding capacity to handle trades in these markets. Murphy noted, “Having boots on the ground helps us better support clients in the region as well as those trading Asia-Pacific markets from Europe and North America.”

“We are excited to join Tourmaline Partners,” said Santo,

“Tourmaline’s unique structure and commitment to robust global coverage provide the right platform to help clients manage their trading around the clock and around the world.” Acting as Managing Director of the Sydney office, Santo brings 20 years of trading experience working with investment banks, having run hedge fund sales and trading desks at JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, with particular focus on Pan-Asian event-driven opportunities and share-class trading.

“Also importantly, Tourmaline’s service model is well positioned to help our clients navigate a changing sell-side landscape.

Unbundling will lead to a new framework for best execution.

Having access to leading industry algorithmic tools, dark pools and over 350 global brokers will be paramount in representing our clients,” added Hetherington, who will serve as Managing Director in Tourmaline’s Australian operations. Hetherington is responsible for trade execution within the Asia-Pacific region and brings over 10 years of equity trading experience, having previously worked for Bennelong Asset Management and Northern Trust covering a range of asset classes across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the rest of Asia.

12 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

“Our new Australia office builds on the fantastic growth we have seen in the United States and Europe and the increasing demand for the kind of trading solutions and expertise that Tourmaline provides,” said Hantman. “This new office is another step in our growth and I’m excited to have James and Neil join the other 32 Tourmaline employees, including our 26 senior traders, to serve our 300 institutional clients in a post MiFID II world.”

Overall, Tourmaline Partners, LLC is a global institutional equity trading solutions firm with offices in Stamford CT, London, UK and Sydney, Australia. Tourmaline functions as a 100% conflictfree trading partner, with no proprietary trading, research or banking. Tourmaline’s unique structure provides clients with unparalleled access to natural liquidity, global market reach and operational compliance.

Tourmaline’s flexible solution serves emerging funds seeking trading expertise and economies of scale, larger industry players seeking anonymity and broader access to liquidity, and multimanager platforms. Looking ahead, the firm’s latest move will allow it to grow even further and build upon its current success.

g

Tourmaline Partners Opens Australia Office

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 13

,

Australia, The Melting Pot of Different Cultures Here at Oceania News, we have long noticed the increasing importance of Australia within the global corporate landscape, and as such we showcase this fascinating article from Jo Alelsto, who talks us through the range of cultures that have influenced the country.

The first inhabitants of this vast continent are the aborigines, coming to the land some 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, and the scholars thought they may have crossed the land bridges from Southeast Asia. These people were mostly hunter-gatherers with a complex oral tradition and spiritual beliefs.

The Aborigines were able to use and sustain the continent’s resources, concurring to stop hunting and gathering at certain times to give ample time to the resources and populations to flourish. It is believed that before the European settlement, as many as half a million to a million Aborigines lived peacefully.

Today, an estimated 350,000 Aborigines are living on the continent.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Aboriginal culture is their belief of the Dreamtime or the sacred time of the world’s creation. Stories of the Dreamtime are depicted in bark painting and rock art as well as lyrical music, which are handed down from generation to generation and has remained intact for at least 50,000 years.

Dances are also major feature of the Aboriginal culture and tradition portraying the creation

myths as well as recent events of historical significance.

The Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch explorers have landed on the continent but it was not until the late 18th century that a European settlement really started with the arrival of settlers and prisoners from Great Britain.

Australia was a penal colony of the British Empire until the system was abolished around the mid-1800. The former prisoners and other pioneers founded six colonies and these are New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.

The colonial past of this land has inspired the Australian affinity for social equality, for justice and liberty, and for the will to survive in new and largely unfamiliar lands and situations very much like the pioneers of the land.

During the gold rush of the 1850s, immigrants from all over the world, such as Europe, North America and China, traveled to Australia in search for the gold and the riches buried beneath the red sands of this vast continent. These immigrants brought with them their unique culture to merge with the flourishing culture of the settlers

14 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

and the long-standing Aboriginal tradition. However, this period of prosperity was short-lived and the 1890s was a time of financial recession.

After the Second World War, Australia promoted immigration from Europe and later on, immigrants from Asia and elsewhere begun coming in and building new lives in the Land Down Under. Once again, Australia experienced another cultural transformation.

From then on, this vast arid land has undergone so many transformations and Australia is now one of the highly industrialized countries in the world.

Another distinct feature of the Australians is their sheer love for sports. There are more than 120 national sports organizations and thousands of state, regional and even local sports associations.

Australian athletes have proven time and time again in international sports competitions that they can step up to the challenge. Football, cricket, and water sports are just some of the favorite sports of the Aussies.

Since most of the populations are living within easy access of the coast and the sea, it is not surprising that the beach and

the water is a central part of the Australian lifestyle.

As a steady stream of immigrants arrive, the multiculturalism of Australia is further defined with more than 20 percent of the population being foreign born and another 40 percent are of diverse cultural background.

Most Australians are multilingual, speaking a second or third language after English, the most popular of these being Cantonese, Greek, Italian, and Arabic.

Ultimately, Australia has indeed come a long way from the land it was in the 18th century. Today, it is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world by blending the past with the present and forging an enduring future for the next generations of Aussies.

g

Australia, The Melting Pot of Different Cultures

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 15

,

New Appointment Showcases EverStrengthening IndiaAustralia Bilateral Relationship Eminent international jurist, Hon’ble Michael Kirby AC CMG, former Judge, High Court of Australia, has been appointed Honorary Adjunct Professor of Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Haryana, India.

Hon’ble Kirby joins Hon. Justice Michael D. Wilson and Hon. Justice Sabrina S. McKenna, distinguished Judges of Supreme Court of Hawaii in the United States of America, distinguished Indian judge, Hon’ble Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge, International Court of Justice at The Hague, eminent jurist and parliamentarian, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, distinguished lawyer, Gopal Subramanium, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, who were earlier appointed as Honorary Adjunct Professors at Jindal Global Law School.

During his tenure as a judge, Kirby is credited with frequent citations of Indian judgments. A recent study by Australian and Indian professors noted that his citations of Indian judgments alone constitute 64% of the total citations of Indian judgments by

the Judges of the High Court of Australia - the country’s apex court. Besides his longstanding Indian connection, Kirby was appointed as the presiding arbitrator in the KG Basin dispute in 2014.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and Dean - Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), said, “The founding vision of JGU is promoting global education across different disciplines led by the appointment of faculty members from across the world possessing outstanding academic qualifications and experience. Accordingly, we welcome Hon’ble Michael Kirby AC CMG as ‘Honorary Adjunct Professor’ to our university. His appointment at Jindal Global Law School demonstrates our commitment towards global legal education while recognizing the

16 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

need for offering opportunities to our students in gaining perspectives and experiences transcending geography and jurisdiction.”

Appreciating his professional standing, the citation for Kirby’s appointment at Jindal Global Law School reads: “For his significant contribution to the judiciary, comparative and international law, the India-Australia legal relationship and legal education.”

Professor Shaun Star, Executive Director, CIAS and Assistant Dean - Jindal Global Law School, observed, “There has been no greater advocate of the India-Australia bilateral legal relationship than Justice Michael Kirby. We are delighted to host Justice Kirby once again in India.

His involvement as a member of the advisory board of the Centre for India Australia Studies and more recently as an Honorary Adjunct Professor of Jindal

g

New Appointment Showcases Ever-Strengthening India-Australia Bilateral Relationship

Global Law School underscore his commitment to promoting stronger ties between our two jurisdictions.”

Kirby has served as a Deputy President of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (1975-83); Chairman of the Australian Law Reform Commission (1975-84); Judge of the Federal Court of Australia (1983-4); President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal (1984-96); President of the Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands (1995-96) and Justice of the High Court of Australia (1996-2009).

He has undertaken many international activities for the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the OECD and the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Kirby has also worked in civil society, being elected President of the International Commission of Jurists (1995-98).

Recent international activities included member of the Eminent Persons Group on the Future of the Commonwealth of Nations (2010-11); Commissioner of the UNDP Global Commission on HIV and the Law (2011-12); Chairman of the UN Commission

of Inquiry on DPRK (North Korea) (2013-14); and Member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Access to Essential Healthcare (2015-16).

different facets of India, enabling undergraduate students from leading Australian universities to visit and study in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kirby’s appointment at JGLS comes at a time when more than 40 Australian students are also visiting JGU under the ‘India Immersion Programme’ convened by the Centre for India Australia Studies (CIAS). Funded by the New Colombo Plan of the Australian government, the annual 3-week residential programme aims to introduce Australian students to the many

The CIAS is the first and only Centre focusing on the IndiaAustralia bilateral relationship that is embedded in an Indian Higher Education Institution.

The CIAS engages with stakeholders from Australia and India to promote deeper ties and meaningful collaborations in the India-Australia relationship.

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 17

,

AI Firm Moves into Oceania Region Quantcast continues international growth expanding into new Asia-Pacific markets.

Quantcast, an AI technology company focused on the marketing and publishing industries, today announced that it will expand its advertising solutions into seven markets across Asia, connecting brands with an online audience of up to 300 million consumers.

The company already operates in Australia and New Zealand.

The firm is an AI technology company focused on helping brands grow. Founded in 2006, it has built the world’s largest AI-driven consumer behaviour platform on the open internet based on live insights drawn from more than 100 million online destinations. Marketers, agencies, consultancies and publishers use the Quantcast Intelligence Cloud to discover new customers, drive incremental growth, and deliver business outcomes. Headquartered in San Francisco, Quantcast employs more than 750 employees in 22 offices across 11 countries.

Marketers across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand will now be able to tap into Quantcast’s live data insights drawn from more than 100 million online destinations to drive more effective brand awareness and performance campaigns.

Andrew Double, Quantcast’s Australia and New Zealand

Managing Director, will taking on an expanded role to lead the company’s growth in the AsiaPacific region.

Konrad Feldman, Quantcast’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder commented, “Marketing is at a tipping point with AI set to transform every customer experience, every company and every industry. Marketers in APAC are looking for better ways to engage digital audiences that are both efficient and effective.

We’re excited to help brands and their agency partners leverage the power of Q, our audience behavior platform.”

Andrew Double, managing director for Quantcast ANZ added, “Since we launched in Australia and New Zealand three years ago, we’ve seen increasing demand from brands across Asia to grow by tapping into Quantcast’s unique AI-driven targeting ability. I’m proud of the work the team has done so far with major brands like Westpac and Singapore Airlines, and I’m excited to bring our strong audience understanding to more brands as they seek to engage consumers in the region.”

The expanded team will join Quantcast’s existing engineering center in Singapore and be led

by Sales Director for the Asian markets, Chris Scudder, with further hires in 2018.

18 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

g

AI Firm Moves into Oceania Region

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 19

,

The Humanity Star A newly launched satellite is expected to become the brightest object in the night sky, creating a shared experience for all humanity, after being launched on board Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle last week.

The Humanity Star is intended to serve as a focal point for humanity, as every single person on Earth will have the opportunity to see and experience it. The satellite will appear as a bright, glinting star shooting across the night sky.

Created by Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, the project is about drawing people’s eyes up and encouraging people to look past day-to-day issues and consider a bigger picture.

“No matter where you are in the world, or what is happening in your life, everyone will be able to see the Humanity Star in the night sky. My hope is that all those looking up at it will look past it to the vast expanse of the universe and think a little differently about their lives, actions and what is important for humanity,” he says.

“For us to thrive and survive, we need to make big decisions in the context of humanity as a whole, not in the context of individuals, organisations or even nations. The Humanity Star is a way of looking beyond our immediate situation, whatever that may be, and understanding we are all in this together as one species, collectively responsible for innovating and solving the challenges facing us all. We must come together as a species to

solve the really big issues like climate change and resource shortages.”

The satellite is currently orbiting the Earth after being launched from New Zealand and successfully deploying to orbit on Sunday 21st January 2018, NZDT. It is the first New Zealanddesigned and built satellite to orbit the Earth.

The Humanity Star is a geodesic sphere made from carbon fibre with 65 highly reflective panels.

The sphere spins rapidly, reflecting the sun’s light back to Earth, creating a bright, flashing effect that can be seen in the night sky. Orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes and visible to the naked eye from anywhere on the globe, the Humanity Star is designed to be a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe.

The Humanity Star will orbit the Earth for approximately nine months before its orbit starts to decay and the satellite is pulled back into Earth’s gravity, burning the satellite on re-entry.

The Humanity Star’s location, including when it will be visible from different regions of the planet, can be tracked in realtime at www.TheHumanityStar. com

20 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

g

The Humanity Star

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 21

,

Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ Used on Qantas flight from U.S. to Australia Honeywell provides fuel made from mustard seeds for trans-pacific flight.

Honeywell UOP has announced that Qantas Airlines operated a 13,000km flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia using Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™.

The flight was the first between the U.S. and Australia to use this fuel, which was manufactured from Carinata seeds engineered

by Agrisoma Biosciences.

Fuel for the flight was produced

by AltAir Paramount LLC using Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Jet Fuel™ process technology, which converts non-edible animal fats and oils into renewable fuels.

The Carinata seeds used for the fuel are a non-edible industrial mustard seed. They are pressed and yield half their weight in oils that are then refined into jet fuel.

“Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can replace as much as half of the petroleum jet fuel used in flight, without any changes to the aircraft technology, and still meet ASTM specifications,” said Dave Cepla, senior director of

Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Energy & Chemicals business.

“Depending on the feedstock, this fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 to 85 percent versus petroleum jet fuel.”

Qantas established a partnership with Agrisoma to promote Carinata as a crop for Australian farmers, specifically as a renewable feedstock for making commercial aviation biofuel. The first such commercial seed crop is expected to harvest in 2020.

“Farmers can grow Carinata with the same equipment as wheat and canola, and it can be grown in the off-season to replenish field nutrients,” said Steve Fabijanski President and CEO of Agrisoma. “And while they produce a high oil content, the meal left over from the oil extraction is an excellent highprotein feed for livestock.”

AltAir, which converted the Carinata oil into jet fuel, operates the world’s first commercial-

22 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

scale renewable jet fuel plant at the AltAir Paramount refinery in Paramount, Calif. The plant produces 35 million gallons per year of renewable fuels, including Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, using Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process, which produces fuels that are chemically identical to petroleum-based fuels.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop. com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

g

Honeywell Green Jet Fuelâ„¢ Used on Qantas flight from U.S. to Australia

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 23

,

Indian Firm Ola Looks to Take on Uber in Australia Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing companies, announces its plans to enter Australia. As part of its international expansion, Ola has begun on-boarding private hire vehicles (PHVs) and driverpartners in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.

Australia’s ridesharing ecosystem is set for a refreshing change after Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing platforms, has today announced its plans to enter Australia, providing both driver-partners and passengers a better way to move.

Founded in 2011, Ola enables smart transportation options to over 125 million users in India, through its network of over 1 million driver-partners that it hosts across 110+ cities. On an aggregate basis, Ola serves as many as a billion rides annually, through its platform. Created

by Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, Ola is one of the world’s largest ride-sharing companies.

Ola integrates city transportation for customers and driver-partners onto a mobile technology platform ensuring convenient, transparent, and quick service fulfillment. Ola is focused on leveraging the best of technology and building innovative solutions ground-up, that are relevant at global scale.

Notably, in 2016, Ola Play the world’s first connected car platform for ride-sharing was launched, transforming commuting experiences and setting the tone for global innovation in this space.

Beyond offering a highly personal experience for users during their rides, Ola Play also allows its partners like Microsoft, Apple Music, Sony Liv amongst others, to build a high quality interactive and productive experience for its users. Using the Ola mobile

app, users across 110+ cities can connect with over 1,000,000 driver-partners across cabs, auto-rickshaws, and taxis. Driven by a hyperlocal approach, Ola is committed to its mission of building mobility for a billion people.

Ola’s rapid growth and expansion have been made possible by taking a driver-partner focused approach to ride-sharing – investing in its partners to arm them with the necessary tools, skills, and incentives to offer bestin-class transport experiences.

Ola is also recognized for its collaboration with governments and communities to solve local transport issues in innovative and meaningful ways.

Ola will build on these values as it launches in Australia in early 2018. Starting today Ola is inviting private hire vehicle owners in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth to learn more about driving and registering with Ola by visiting drive.olacabs.com.

“We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem which embraces new technology and innovation,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Ola. He further added, “With a strong focus on driver-partners and the community at large, we aim to create a high-quality and affordable travel experience for citizens and look forward to contributing to a healthy mobility ecosystem in Australia.”

24 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

g

Indian Firm Ola Looks to Take on Uber in Australia

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 25

,

The World’s First Bitcoin Savings Platform Launches in New Zealand New platform launched in New Zealand set to shakeup the cryptocurrency market.

Bitcoin is revolutionizing how money is spent, accepted and stored.

It is an ever-growing community based on the potential uses, which has begun to open many doors anywhere investing is concerned. Being more commonly accepted as a form of payment, it was only a matter of time before companies started to accept it as the newest investment material.

Change is never easy, however, so the concerns of stability in converting standard currencies and even how to get started in bitcoin investing are popular topics. Cryptosaver is hailed as a smooth path to bitcoin saving and buying. Their motto is “Set it, forget it, and watch it grow.”

Debuting in 2017 in New Zealand, Cryptosaver was founded by Denym Bird and Jack Daffron. It strives to be the top investment and savings platform for cryptocurrency around the world. Boasting of a total market capitalization of over two hundred billion, Bitcoin is the most widely used digital currency. Beginning with how to buy bitcoin in New Zealand, Cryptosaver walks the user through the process of converting the New Zealanddollar into this digital investment, allowing users to safely monitor their investment, and increase

their contribution on a weekly or monthly basis. Users have full control over the amount they want to spend, choosing from a minimum of twenty dollars each up, up to a maximum of two hundred every week. A nifty investment dashboard provides real-time monitoring of gains and losses as well. Just like a traditional bank statement, every transaction is recorded, no matter its size. Also, updates are provided at each stage of the buying process via SMS text and email.

Cryptosaver walks even the newest investors through converting their initial currency, setting up a bitcoin wallet via Blockchain.info/wallet, and purchasing bitcoin. Buying bitcoin in New Zealand, or anywhere, really, can be a messy and complicated process. Simplify it with Cryptosaver. To keep things even simpler, only a three percent fee is charged for each purchase amount. This relatively low cost is provided by their dedication to keeping fees to a minimum, but it is as inevitable as network fees are unavoidable because of the nature of bitcoin.Cryptosaver’s low fees of only 3% of the entire purchase price, means that users can buy small amounts of Bitcoin with the large transaction costs associated with them.

26 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

g

The World’s First Bitcoin Savings Platform Launches in New Zealand

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 27

,

Magnolia Finance Fuelling Growth for Small Businesses in Australia Magnolia Finance is part of the Magnolia Capital Group, the company is helping small business grow by offering easy finance at attractive interest rates.

Many small businesses starts with great ideas and a lot of enthusiasm but fail to survive beyond 1-2 years in business because of the hardships faced in raising capital for their business.

Many a times it is seen that start ups will raise funds from personal savings & resources like loans from friends and family members. That sort of money will not last forever and very soon additional funds are needed to sustain the business let alone grow the business.

Magnolia Finance is one of the leading non-banking organizations in Australia that is helping small business achieve growth potential by offering business loans at just .5% PA. Magnolia Finance is not your average loans and finance company, Magnolia Finance has access to over 100 bank, non-bank and private investors that can assist with your financing needs. Even if you’ve struggled to secure funding from the big institutions in the past, Magnolia Finance believes we have the solutions to keep you moving forward.

Australia’s economy grew 0.6 per cent last quarter and 2.8 per cent over the past year, an improved result but lower than expectations.

“Increased activity in both private

business investment and public infrastructure underpinned broad growth across the industries,” ABS chief economist Bruce Hockman noted. “So there are signs that business investment is coming back, and the capex data released last week suggests that this will continue.”

Source – ABC News.

For the business activity environment to grow further in Australia funding of small businesses is a must and that can only happen when there is easier access to low interest short term loans. Magnolia Finance is one of the leading business lenders in Australia.

Applying for a business loan has never been easier, all you need to do is visit www.magnoliafinance.com. au and fill in the contact form and a business finance expert will get in touch and help you with the loan application process and further assist you with the loan approval.

Magnolia Finance has special low interest short term loans for Australian businesses. Whether it is a short term mortgage or getting a small business loan, clients can trust Magnolia Finance to offer the best in industry financial services.

Overall, the firm’s offers a lifeline for small businesses in the country, and will allow further expansion which will in turn fuel the region’s economy.

28 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

g

Magnolia Finance Fuelling Growth for Small Businesses in Australia

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 29

,

Manulife Enters Australian Real Estate Market The firm has acquired 800 Collins Street in Melbourne to move into the real estate market in the region.

Manulife Real Estate has announced that it has acquired 800 Collins Street, a 14-storey, 317,335 square foot, Class A office tower located in Melbourne, Australia. 800 Collins Street was built in 2010 and is fully leased. This transaction is the first Australian commercial real estate acquisition in Manulife’s global real estate portfolio.

Located in the Docklands Central Business District (CBD), an extension of the Melbourne CBD, 800 Collins Street offers direct access to public transportation and close proximity to convenient eateries and retail amenities.

The investment in Australia is part of Manulife Real Estate’s panAsian core real estate investment strategy created to support Manulife’s rapid growth in Asia.

“Australia’s economy is enjoying its 26th year of consecutive annual economic growth and Melbourne is one of its top two cities in economic size and depth and breadth of the commercial

real estate market,” said Kevin Adolphe, President and CEO of Manulife Real Estate. “This acquisition enables us to gain key exposure in the City as we diversify our real estate portfolio and represents a significant milestone as we execute our global real estate strategy.”

“Collins Street is the most prestigious commercial address in Melbourne,” said Kenny Lam, Managing Director, Head of Asia Real Estate Investments, Manulife Real Estate. “The desirability of Collins Street as a commercial hub is highlighted by the quality and diversity of tenants and the movement of organizations into the area.”

Manulife’s global real estate investment portfolio includes more than 62 million square feet of office, industrial and select retail and residential properties across Asia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Overall, Manulife Real Estate is the global real estate arm of Manulife, operating as John

30 OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018

Hancock Real Estate in the U.S. and Manulife Real Estate in all other parts of the world. Manulife Real Estate has fully integrated in-house capabilities and 80 years of experience as an active investor, owner, developer and asset manager of commercial real estate. Diversified by both geography and asset type, the portfolio consists primarily of prime office and industrial properties, as well as select retail and multi-family residential properties, in key metropolitan centers throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

In addition to equity real estate, Manulife Real Estate manages the space requirements and own use facilities for Manulife and John Hancock operations around the world. Manulife Real Estate also extends its real estate asset management expertise to institutional investors. As at September 30, 2017, the Manulife Real Estate portfolio totalled more than 62 million square feet with AUM market value of C$21.3 billion (US$17.1.6 billion).

g

Manulife Enters Australian Real Estate Market

OCEANIA NEWS / Q1 2018 31

OCEANIA news Subscribe to Oceania News

Subscribe here www.oceania-news.com/subscribe