BUSINESS BRIEFS

Dachser appoints Jesper Larsen to lead in South -East Asia

Mr. Jesper Larsen has assumed the role of Managing Director, Air and Sea Logistics South-East Asia, effective 1 April 2022. Based in Bangkok, he is responsible for 220 employees in eight locations across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Born in Denmark, Mr. Larsen has been in the logistics sector for more than 20 years. During that time he has worked in Denmark, Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines and Hong Kong for renowned logistics companies. He joined Dachser in 2018 as Managing Director of Dachser Hong Kong. After successfully managing the Hong Kong organization for more than three years with strong results, he is now responsible for the South-East Asia cluster.

Prior to Mr. Larsen’s appointment, the role had been vacant and was being remotely steered by Dachser Asia-Pacific regional management. With strengthened leadership in South-East Asia now in place, the company aims to cultivate closer relationships with customers who will benefit from faster decision-making. Furthermore, the international freight forwarder will increase product offerings tailored to local market needs.

“South-East Asia is an important area with large contributions to the global supply chain. We want to play a bigger role in this part of the world in order to continue supporting our customers’ needs. With our industry-specific solutions, we are confident we can add value to their supply chains”, said Mr. Larsen.

“On top of that, we have a superior road network in Europe along with well-established air and sea gateways. Therefore, we look forward to offering our customers a seamless connection for air and sea logistics to our Dachser European logistics road network”.

Kempinski celebrates 125 years

Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok hosted a feast of sight, sound and taste to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Kempinski Hotels on 5 April 2022.

Filling up the spectacular hotel lobby, recently recognised as the Best International Hotel Lobby Interior by International Property Awards, were distinguished personalities, celebrities and the media. The guests were invited out to the portico where a huge stage had been set up in the gardens, to enjoy the sumptuous culinary specialties and free-flowing drinks.

A digital mapping presentation on the story of Kempinski Hotels, from its humble beginnings as a family-run business in 1897 to an international collection of 80 luxury hotels and residences in 34 countries with another 26 under development, was projected onto the 15-metre-high, half-dome portico ceiling. Guests were then treated to non-stop music highlighted by Toby & Joy, a talented jazz duo who have performed around the world and now entertain nightly from Wednesday to Saturday at the hotel's trendy Firefly Bar. Rounding off the evening was DJ Karn who spun the discs until late.

As Europe's oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski Hotels has a reputation for excellence. From historic palaces to contemporary design hotels, each one showcases the best in services and facilities fine-tuned from classic European traditions combined with modern demands. Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is the second Kempinski in Thailand and is located within the lush Sindhorn Village development in the heart of the city, next to Lumphini Park, the biggest park in the city. It has 274 rooms, with sizes starting from 66 m 2 , the largest when compared to similar hotels in Bangkok. Among its range of facilities and amenities is the newly opened Sindhorn Wellness by Resense, a 4,000 m 2 spa and wellness centre that offers a green retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Allianz Ayudhya Capital PCL (AYUD) to acquire Aetna Thailand

Allianz Ayudhya Capital PCL (AYUD) has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Aetna Thailand shares, a prominent player in the Thai health insurance market. The acquisition reaffirms the company’s commitment to further investment and expansion of its health insurance business to benefit customers in Thailand.

The proposed acquisition will allow AYUD to expand its client base and distribution channels as well as increase its market share in health insurance, thereby providing a wider range of insurance solutions for customers in Thailand. The transaction will not have any immediate impact on cover, products, processes or support services, and will not affect existing contracts of Aetna Thailand.

Allianz Ayudhya General Insurance Pcl (AAGI), a subsidiary of AYUD, and Aetna Thailand will initially continue to operate as usual, looking after partners and customers, while working on the longer-term operational set-up with a focus on a smooth transition for business partners and customers. Subject to the receipt of required shareholders’ approval and the fulfilment or waiver of the other conditions precedent, the transaction is expected to be completed within the next three months.

Mr. Thomas Charles Wilson, CEO of Allianz Ayudhya Group and Allianz Ayudhya Assurance PLC, said “this acquisition demonstrates Allianz Ayudhya Group’s strong financial position, allowing us to significantly expand our presence in the Thai health insurance market. In addition, it brings increasing scale and diversification benefits to our insurance operations. We are very pleased with this acquisition and remain committed to providing the best insurance solutions to serve our customers in Thailand.”

Mr. Damian Delaney, Managing Director and CEO, Aetna International Thailand, added that “this is positive news for our respective companies, our customers and staff in Thailand. By joining the Allianz Ayudhya Group, our partners and members will benefit from our shared expertise in a customer-first approach to health insurance and health services. We can look forward to joining forces to further advance our combined mission of helping the residents of Thailand on their paths to better health.”

Baker McKenzie Thailand and TGO collaborate in promoting implementation of climate action in Thailand

With the aim to collaborate in building an enabling legal environment to promote implementation of climate action in Thailand, Baker McKenzie Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) on 11 April 2022. In this collaboration, Baker McKenzie will support TGO in the development of a legal framework and mechanisms, particularly in carbon trading, to facilitate the implementation of TGO's mission in assisting organizations in the move towards carbon neutrality and achieving net zero emissions in line with the targets laid out by the Thai government.

“We are proud to be collaborating with TGO in this important mission. As an organization, we have ourselves taken steps to continually improve our environmental performance, and sustainability is at the core of our strategy. We firmly believe that organizations which desire to remain competitive will need to take action on sustainability. The changing environment in which businesses operate today demands attention to environmental, social and governance sustainability. Companies are looking towards long-term value rather than short-term profits.”