In conversation with Shyam Devani

Jonathan Akwue is President & Global Media Lead at Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s largest advertising and marketing service groups. He has over 25 years experience in the industry and is currently responsible for leading Media operations in over 75 markets for one of the group’s largest clients, Samsung.In this episode we look at the shifting business landscape between West and East. Topics of discussion include: Consumers in South East Asia, the importance of social media and digital technology including the rise of super-apps like WeChat, the enormous breadth of TikTok, the challenges faced by Instagram & Facebook, the journey towards the meta-verse, and the huge influence of brands.

Dr. James Dorsey is a two time Pulitzer Prize nominee veteran journalist and an academic in the field of international affairs. He has experience working for some of the world's largest newspaper publications and his speciality is developments in the Islamic World.In this episode we talk about dynamics between the United States & Saudi Arabia, Commodities, Turkey, Europe, Russian Sanctions and the emerging Central Asian trade routes to India - the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

Jim Rogers is one of the best known market investors and financial commentators with experience that spans 6 decades. After a successful career on Wall Street, which included co-founding the Quantum Fund in 1973, Jim took early ‘retirement’ but kept busy managing his own portfolio and servings as a professor of finance at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He has also been the author of many books including Hot Commodities and A Bull in China and is a sought after and well respected contributor on various media outlets. In this episode we talk about bonds, inflation, markets bubbles, commodities, the US Dollar, China, Asia, and India.

Kishore Mahbubani is a well known former diplomat and academic. He was Singapore's permanent representative to the UN and held the position of President of the United Nations Security Council. Kishore has written many fascinating books and is one of the most prolific strategic thinkers of our time. His fact based approach and historical perspectives may at times be at odds with Western media reporting and he thus positively provokes one to try harder in understanding the wider world. This episode covers discussions on the decline of the West, the rise of China and the importance of East Asia and India, which are just some of the topics covered in his latest book titled 'Has China Won?' - a must read for anyone interested in international affairs.

PN Balji has over 4 decades of experience in Singaporean journalism. He shares his thoughts on subjects including Singapore’s identity, capitalism in Singapore, whether the film ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ provides an appropriate portrayal of the city state, the emerging divides in society, and Singapore’s labour force. He also highlights the importance of Singapore’s Foreign Policy, the need for US presence and the relationship with China. Opinions are offered on the nation’s strategic location, uniqueness and dynamism and hints are given towards the importance of saving.PN Balji is also the author of ‘Reluctant Editor’ – The Singapore Media as seen through the eyes of a veteran newspaper journalist.

Ipshita Chaturvedi's vast experience in the field of environmental law allows her to offer a broad perspective in the world of conservation. What to make of the new US President? Is renewable energy the be-all and end-all? Which sectors and countries are progressing? Do we need to think deeper about how much we are consuming? All this and more in this exciting conversation about sustainability and climate change.

The fourth episode of 'In Conversation with Shyam Devani' welcomes Patrick Dewilde, non-executive director for Citigroup Europe Plc, co-founder of Nomad Investment Strategies Limited, and former Head of Markets and Securities Services for Asia Pacific ex-Japan with Citigroup. His experience has taken him around the world since the 1980's performing in the heart of global financial markets. Patrick shares his thoughts on how to navigate through a seemingly desperate situation in global finance. He balances out the roles of FX, monetary, fiscal, and regulatory policies, shares his thoughts on Gold and notes the importance of recent developments in Europe. He also provides guidance for money managers, traders, and market participants regarding a Covid vaccine, whenever that day comes.

The third episode welcomes Sunil Kalra who offers almost 25 years of experience in trading financial markets, primarily in interest rates and foreign exchange. Our conversation covers topics that are important in the long term, such as evolving central bank policies and government fiscal deficits, and also the short term including prospects for the USD, North Asian out-performance, and concerns about tourism.

The second edition of ‘In Conversation with Shyam Devani‘ welcomes Mukesh Rajani, a former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London with 35 years experience across a range of sectors. After becoming one of PwC’s youngest partners, Mukesh went on to being actively involved in business between the UK and India and established and led PwC’s India Business Group. He is also actively involved with the UK India Business Council where he was a board member for seven years.Our conversation covers issues including corporate business models post Covid-19, changes in global supply chains, Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, the UK’s relationship with India at a time of Brexit, and how technology has proven to be critical if not vital for businesses in the modern world.SKA

Vibhaker Baxi's extensive market experience began in the 1970's. He started trading at Citibank and went on to manage Bank Treasury Operations for major institutions in Hong Kong and London, where perhaps the most adventurous part of his experience was Britain leaving the ERM in 1992. Vib talks us through how we arrived at today's extraordinary position in monetary policy, his thoughts on the current market situation including equities, what has surprised him most about Covid-19, and his concerning outlook for the UK.