We interviewed director of The Time-lapse Company, Cameron Davies to find out more about the company’s products, approach, people plus a glimpse of some impressive projects they have worked on. November 2017 A nsider Time and Tide Wait for No Man Also inside... Melbourne’s Prestige Real Estate Specialists RT Edgar Recipe for Success Alpino Gelato Developing Excellence Discreet Partners of Market Leaders Love Design
2 APAC / November 2017 Editor’s Note , Welcome to the November edition of APAC Insider Magazine, bringing you with the latest news and updates from across the Asia Pacific region. Since 2008, The Time-lapse Company have been providing an endto-end solution to tier one construction, resources and government throughout Australia. Recently we sat down with the director of The Time-lapse Company, Cameron Davies to discover more about the company’s products, approach, people plus a glimpse of some impressive projects they have worked on. In this edition, one of the most respected and longest-serving real estate agencies in Melbourne, RT Edgar is renowned for exceptional results, outstanding service, personal integrity and utmost professionalism. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Glen Coutinho provides us with an in-depth overview of the family business, when we looked to gain an insight into its phenomenal success. Elsewhere in this issue, Japan’s largest airline, NA has announced it is continuing its successful marketing campaign, ‘Experience Class™.’ The airline demonstrates an ongoing commitment to reaching audiences with dynamic original content and integrated partnerships to highlight its renowned five-star service. Lastly, award winning boutique full-service creative agency, The Creative Design, is dedicated to great design. Recently, we sat down with Creative Director, Melissa Price who revealed to us more about how the agency produces its stunning work. Here at APAC Insider, we hope that you thoroughly enjoy reading their insightful edition and look forward to hearing from you soon. Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: [email protected] Website: www.apacinsider.com 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.
APAC / November 2017 3 Contents , 4. News 6. Time and Tide Wait for No Man The Time-lapse Company 10. Melbourne’s Prestige Real Estate Specialists RT Edgar* 14. Developing Excellence GemVCare 18. All Safe. All the Time! IPA Australia 22. Discreet Partners of Market Leaders Stones International 26. Love Design The End Creative Agency 28. Recipe for Success ALPINO GELATO *
4 APAC / November 2017 NEWS , ANA, Japan’s largest airline, is proud to announce it is continuing its successful U.S. focused marketing campaign, ‘Experience Class™.’ This year, the campaign will be bigger and bolder with original digital content, as well as exciting new and continued partnerships, including actor Scott Eastwood and global DJ and producer, Steve Aoki. The goal of the campaign is to inspire U.S. travellers to consider Asia as their next travel destination. And, more importantly, to choose ANA – a five-star, ultra-premium airline with unparalleled hospitality and style – as the carrier to take them there. The ANA campaign re-launch comes at a critical time as airlines are becoming less known for passenger hospitality and more known for discomfort. At the same time, travel to Asia is becoming more popular. In fact, U.S. travel to Asia for vacations and holiday has been on the rise1 and Asia is one of the most popular overseas destinations for U.S. travellers, behind Europe and the Caribbean2. Tokyo was also just named one of the 2017 Best Cities in the World3 due to its unique mix of ultramodern vibes, historic shrines, forests and status as one of the world’s best destinations for foodies. ANA sets itself apart during this unique cross-section of travel trends with its unshakeable belief that the journey is as important as the destination, and that no matter who you are or where you sit, everyone on an ANA flight is in Experience Class™. “We are thrilled to continue the momentum as we re-launch our Experience Class campaign for the second year,” said Tadashi Matsushita, Head of PR & Communications for the Americas. “This year we hope to bring to life the authentic culture of Japan and Asia through food, fashion and culture, from the experience onboard our aircrafts to on-the-ground in Asia, because we truly believe the travel experience should be as enjoyable as the exciting destination that awaits.” The Experience Class™ campaign is adding new dynamic elements into the mix this year with: ANA Announces the Continuation of its Groundbreaking ‘Experience Class™’ Campaign Japan’s largest airline demonstrates an ongoing commitment to reaching U.S. audiences with dynamic original content and integrated partnerships – including Scott Eastwood and Steve Aoki – to highlight its renowned five-star service.
APAC / November 2017 5 NEWS , On the 9th November, one of the global leaders in prefilled drug-delivery systems, Vetter announced the official opening of a new branch office in South Korea. The new office in Songdo is located within the biologics cluster which is often referred to as a ‘sweet spot’ by the industry as it houses numerous prominent biopharmaceutical companies and service providers. Strengthening its global footprint in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region has been an ongoing goal for Vetter. The company established its APAC hub in Singapore in 2014, and subsequently formed a Japanese subsidiary by opening an office in Tokyo in 2015. Although the pharmaceutical service provider had already been active in the South Korean market for years, the establishment of its own local branch office underlines the company’s commitment to the Asia Pacific market, particularly South Korea. With the new footprint, Vetter will be better positioned to support its existing South Korean business as well as that of new local and global customers, helping them to meet stringent development, manufacturing and packaging requirements of their injectable drugs. “Today is yet another milestone for our company. This new office will allow us to directly serve both local and global companies with South Korean market interests,” said Vetter Managing Director Peter Soelkner. “We are certain that our market presence and activities in this market will serve as an additional base and contribution for Vetter’s future global organic growth.” Vetter Expands its Footprint in Asia Pacific Region Vetter, one of the global leaders in prefilled drug-delivery systems, announced on the 9thNovember the official opening of a new branch office in South Korea. N New Celebrity Partner: Actor Scott Eastwood will join this year’s campaign to help shed light on ANA’s premium travel experience to Asian destinations. Eastwood is a partner that embodies a passion for travel in both his personal and professional life – and who also recently spent an extensive amount of time in Asia filming for his upcoming movie. Evolved Partnerships: ANA will continue its partnership with Steve Aoki to further introduce U.S. audiences to Japan through the power of music, food and culture. Aoki will once again showcase the airline’s in-flight offerings, as well as his personal perspective on Tokyo through a content series, which will be featured across his social channels and the campaign microsite, starting with his journey from the U.S. on an ANA flight to his top places to visit and foods to eat once he reaches Tokyo. Luxury travel influencer Scott Eddy will also once again team up with ANA and continue his journey through Japan showcasing new cities and experiences throughout his social channels and on the microsite. New Influencer Partners: Also new this year, the Experience Class™ campaign will partner with social media influencers who are wanderlust travellers with a craving for food and culture to travel to Asia and showcase their journey on their social channels and the campaign microsite. New and Exciting Asia-Inspired Content: Refreshed Microsite: The Experience Class™ campaign will live on a newly refreshed microsite – ANAExperienceClass.com – which over the next year will feature dynamic influencer and partnership content from travels across Japan and Asia. Japan Insider Guides and Tips: The microsite will now house editorial articles to offer an insider’s guide to Japan with food, style and culture content that provides a glimpse into Japan’s rich history, and modern culture that have made the country a popular, must-visit destination. This includes tips for eating like a local in Tokyo, and top Instagram worthy places in Tokyo – perfect for travellers’ jet setting to Japan. Original Video Content: Fresh video content will also bring to life the concept of Experience Class™ including the unique cuisine, remarkable entertainment and attention to detail service. A new video featured on the microsite will also be released later this winter. “At ANA, we firmly believe that every passenger should feel like a special guest and be treated with the highest regard, no matter which cabin they sit in. We are committed to delivering a premium travel experience to everyone,” said Matsushita. “Through this campaign, and our partnerships with Scott Eastwood and Steve Aoki, we want to celebrate the fivestar in-flight journey that only ANA can offer.” The Experience Class™ campaign and content will live on a newly refreshed microsite. While the campaign will end March 31, 2018, the materials will remain visible and available for guests and future travellers to reference long afterwards. As Japan’s only five-star airline, ANA has established its reputation for superior air travel experiences through its dedication to exceptional customer service and prioritization of passenger comfort, convenience and safety. ANA has received numerous awards exemplifying this, including being awarded SKYTRAX’s highest 5-Star rating for the fifth consecutive year in 2017 and was once again recognized as the world’s leading airline at the 2017 World Airline Awards hosted by SKYTRAX and named “World’s Best Airport Services” and “Best Airline Staff in Asia.” The airline offers international flights from 11 North American destinations including Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Jose, New York, Vancouver, Mexico City and Honolulu. Due to the growing demand of travel between the U.S. and Japan, as well as Asia, ANA also launched its third daily flight between Los Angeles and Tokyo in fall 2017. Travelers can book their own ANA experience here, or learn more about Experience Class™ as the airline reveals more details on ANAExperienceClass.com.
6 APAC / November 2017 , 1706AP02 Time and Tide Wait for No Man Since 2008, The Time-lapse Company has provided an end-toend solution to tier one construction, resources and government throughout Australia. We interviewed director of The Time-lapse Company, Cameron Davies to find out more about the company’s products, approach, people plus a glimpse of some impressive projects they have worked on. The Time-lapse Company provides time-lapse documentation for clients undertaking major construction projects. The company operates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and all states in Australia. They take care of all the details, allowing you to get on with what you do best. They also provide engaging content to enable communication managers to easily explain progress to their stakeholders and the community. Their service also allows project managers to be able to monitor their sites 24/7 for progress monitoring. Director of The Time-lapse Company, Cameron Davies explains the company’s approach to their services, underlining how they take care of the whole process for their clients. “In terms of the company’s approach, our process and technology deliver value and peace of mind, whilst setting industry benchmarks. We use RAW images, the highest quality file format available. We take care of the whole process, providing true end-to-end project management, including installation, data management, daily quality control, maintenance and post-production. Cameron is then keen to tell us about the people behind the company, including of course himself. “We’ve pulled together some of the most dynamic minds in Australia to deliver our premium service. Our skill diversity, and depth of experience, means that we can offer everything from bespoke hardware to internal data management cleared for defence contracts. In fact, our people are why the Time-lapse Company is the only choice to showcase your project. “Firstly, I would like to mention Sally Browne is the general manager of The Time-lapse Company. Sally’s extensive management experience, corporate wizardry and positive attitude ensures maximum efficiency internally and maximum value for your investment. “Secondly, as the business development manager, it’s Carolyn Gannell you’ll speak to first when you contact us. Once she has discussed your objectives, you can be sure she will design and execute the best solution possible for your project. You will be blown away with her ability to get your project set-up, in short she is phenomenal. “Thirdly, I am the founder and director of The Time-lapse Company; I am internationally recognised as a leader in the field of long-term time-lapse photography. Essentially, I am the business and project manager for the company. My previous career as an awardwinning director of photography, so in light of this I have set the standards for the professionalism and quality that The Time-lapse Company are renowned for.” Cameron’s professional goal is to continue to develop technology and services - that provide their clients with the best possible time-lapse documentation and project monitoring tools - to showcase their major projects. His experience includes major projects for the following companies: Amcor; APA Group; BAE Systems; BHP Billiton; City of Melbourne; December Films; DeiCorp; Department of Transport; Downer Group; Exxon Mobil; Fulton Hogan McCocker JV; Images for Business; John Holland; Metronode; Melbourne Water; Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (formally East Perth Redevelopment Authority); North West Rail Link; Parks Victoria; Petrofac; Phillip Johnson; Places Victoria; Qantas; Queensland Reconstruction Authority; Redbull; Regional Rail Link - Footscray to Deer Park; Regional Rail Link - City to Maribyrnong River; Roadtek; Scion Research; Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation; Structural Systems; Thales; The White Agency; Thiess; Transport
APAC / November 2017 7 Company: The Time-lapse Company Name: Cameron Davies Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.timelapse.com.au Address: Level 2, 520 Bourke St, Melbourne 4000, Australia Telephone: +61 1300 654 255 Time and Tide Wait for No Man g
8 APAC / November 2017 , and Main Roads, Queensland; Tulla Sydney Alliance; Unitised Building; University of Melbourne; University of Technology, Sydney; Veritas Event Management; Vic Urban; Vicroads; Visionstream and Xstrata Coal. Cameron is keen to share with us details about the company’s three main product offerings, the Remote Time-lapse Trailer™, the secure on-line Image Viewer and their Remote Time-lapse Units™. “The Remote Time-lapse Trailer™ is a portable mounting and power solution that can be setup virtually anywhere, eliminating hazards such as working at heights, heavy machinery and reducing environmental impact. It is also easily relocatable so can capture multiple angles of a project. Its main features can be summarised as follows; 9.5 mast (travels at 2.1m); certified to 170 km/h winds; 150W/100Ah solar power; 1.2 tonne base (when water tanks are full); no working at heights; no heavy machinery; no environmental impact and a 2m x 2m site footprint. “Our secure on-line Image Viewer uploads images at lightning speed every 15 minutes and allows you to clearly see what’s happening on-site at any time of day. From anywhere in the world. The main features of this products are as follows: images every 15 minutes uploaded to viewer; responsive design for desktop, tablet or phone; zoom and pan function for detailed image analysis; SSL encryption to keep your images secure; see what is happening on-site at any time of day; save time by not having to undertake site visits; perfect for OHS and dispute resolution and monitor progress from anywhere. “Remote Time-lapse Units™ are our custom hardware that combine high-end Nikon digital SLR based capture technology, with industrial computer and telemetry components, resulting in ultra high resolution images from the most reliable and robust capture system available. It features: 4G, Wi-Fi or cable internet connected; solar or 240V powered; professional DSLR, lenses and filters; remote monitoring (ensuring continuity of capture); capture and upload RAW Image files every 1 minute; full scheduling variability; georedundant upload of RAW or JPEG images and IP68.” The company’s website showcases a spectacular overview of the company’s many construction, road and rail, urban renewal, university and energy projects with accompanying images. Cameron is keen to share a selection of these with us in his own words. “On construction, the first example is the Comdain Infrastructure construction project at Anna Bay, NSW. Since its establishment in 1962, Comdain Infrastructure has evolved into a dynamic organisation with an enviable reputation for being a leading construction and maintenance services business specialising in the gas, irrigation and water sectors. Comdain engaged The Time-lapse Company to capture construction of a new facility in Anna Bay, NSW. “Another construction project was for VicRoads, concerning the Montague Street bridge gantry installation in South Melbourne, VIC. Here, two height warning gantries were installed on either side of the Montague St Bridge in South Melbourne. The gantries will prevent trucks and vans from crashing into the 3m-high overpass, by eliciting an ‘alert’ if the vehicle is too tall to pass underneath. A total of 102 bridge collisions have occurred at the infamous bridge, one of the more dramatic involving a Ballarat tourist bus. The Time-lapse Company worked through the night to shoot and edit footage to be used the next morning in media announcements. “Moving to road and rail, one of our projects was with John Holland KBR JV for level crossing removals and station upgrades at various locations in VIC. John Holland KBR Joint Venture were awarded the contract to remove the first four of many dangerous level crossings in Melbourne. The Time-lapse Company captured these important works, involving station upgrades, along with the removal of level crossings at Gardiner, Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon stations.” The Time-lapse Company are very proud to have been involved in various urban renewal projects, a couple of which Cameron is eager to share with us. “Working with Places Victoria, we worked on The Nicholson in Coburg, VIC. The Nicholson was opened in November 2011 and is an award-winning and innovative apartment development, providing affordable and sustainable high-density housing in Melbourne’s inner suburbs. To date, The Nicholson is the largest building in Victoria to use modular construction, with apartments built offsite and craned into position. This method reduced construction time by approximately 50%. “Our work with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning concerned a sea wall development in Sorrento, VIC. When dangerous sinkholes started to appear along the Sorrento foreshore footpath, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning commissioned the construction of a new sea wall and reconstruction of the path area. The Time-lapse Company captured these works, in particular, a new seawall design features coloured concrete steps and creates a new meeting point for people to comfortably sit at the water’s edge.” The company have also worked with some higher education institutions in the country, including Monash University and Melbourne University, more of which Cameron is eager for us to learn about. “Our work with Monash University concerned their earth sciences garden, in the Clayton, VIC area. This project was the first of its kind in Australia and certainly the most comprehensive worldwide. The Monash earth sciences garden is inspired by the geology and geomorphology of Victoria, Australia. The Timelapse Company were contracted to capture this impressive centrepiece, featuring rare rocks from around the world, providing an exciting new learning tool for the institution’s geoscience students. “Working with Melbourne University, The Time-lapse Company was contracted to capture the construction of the Melbourne School of Design building. This exciting build was captured from five dynamic angles over a period of two years – documenting the evolution of a buzzing creative hub for tomorrow’s brightest design stars.” Finally, Cameron is eager to impart his thoughts on some of the company’s exciting solar energy projects, as this in-depth interview concludes. “Working with Horizon Power, they completed construction of a state of the art hybrid solar power station in the inland Pilbara town of Marble Bar. The power station combines solar technology with a back-up diesel generation solution. Reliability of power supplies in the town has improved dramatically since installation and the technology provides the highest solar penetration possible, with 65% of the day time load achieved from solar energy. “CAT Projects worked closely with NT Airports, to develop this solar installation project in Darwin, NT from concept through to execution, undertaking all of the front-end engineering and design work. The 4 MW PV solar farm will offset about two-thirds of the airport’s peak load or roughly a quarter of its total annual energy consumption and is expected to provide cost savings of $1.5 million a year based on current peak tariff rates. It is one of the largest photovoltaic systems in Australia, the largest solar project in the top end and one of the largest privatelyfunded projects in Australia.”
APAC / November 2017 9 Time and Tide Wait for No Man g
10 APAC / November 2017 , 1711AP07 Melbourne’s Prestige Real Estate Specialists As one of the most respected and longest-serving real estate agencies inMelbourne, RT Edgar is renowned for exceptional results, outstanding service, personal integrity and utmost professionalism. Glen Coutinho gives an in-depth overview of the company, as we look to gain an insight into its success. For over one hundred years, RT Edgar has grown to become Melbourne’s prestige property experts, proudly representing some of the finest homes in metropolitan and greater Victoria. RT Edgar is a family business, and Glen is in partnership with two of his brother in laws, Paul and Nick Walker, as well as two Chinese partners, Annabelle and Ted Feng. Also, Glen is in partnership with Associate Director, Dale Edgcumbe. Alongside this, the company have partnered with James Hatzolos to launch into Manningham. Lastly, Glen and his partners will be running Hawthorne Kew Balwyn and Carlton Manningham. Their experienced team includes, real estate agents, sales negotiators, auctioneers and property managers, all of whom are committed to delivering the best possible results for our clients. Specifically, RT Edgar Boroondara have two separate departments within the office, sales and property management, which interconnect with one another. The company has a flat management structure, no tall hierarchy with many rungs of the ladder. The whole team ultimately operates on the same level under the directors, and continue to maintain channels of communication and accountability from junior staff, right through to the senior team members. The strong leadership team aligns the company’ values, ensuring RT Edgar’s great success. Additionally, RT Edgar possesses a wide array of personalities, skillsets, ages and backgrounds in the office. It has agents specialising in different areas of real estate and client needs, making it all the easier to pair the right agent with each client. The key to RT Edgar’s success in the prestige property market is the personal relationships they develop with the client, as the team carefully tailor a sales and marketing strategy to showcase the quality characteristics of the client’s property. Whether the client is selling, buying or renting, RT Edgar proudly delivers the prestige service that the client expects, and that the client’s property deserves. Glen outlines the firm’s overall mission and what steps the company has in place which will enable it to reach its targets. “Here at RT Edgar, our overall mission is to provide first class service to our clients throughout the buying and selling process. From the first meeting and every open for inspection, right through to the signing of the contract and beyond, our agents are always available to discuss the progress of your sale. We ensure that all our client’s needs are met and that the process is made as simple and stress free as possible. As we have a wide array of personalities and ages, we ensure that we pair the right agent with each client. For example, an elderly lady who has lived in her home for many decades needs an agent with compassion, empathy and the understanding to help the selling process run smoothly. We tailor the whole selling process specifically to each client, including the agent, marketing, styling and any additional details that we can assist with. When a client lists with us they receive flowers that day and their children receive presents. Throughout the whole campaign we ensure that vendors are kept up to date and are contacted daily. We maintain our strong reputation through the extra efforts we go to in order to provide our clients with the best result possible.”
APAC / November 2017 11 Company: RT Edgar Contact: Glen Coutinho Email: [email protected] Address: 1153-1157 Burke Road, Kew, Victoria, 3101, Australia Phone: 0061 8888 2000 Website: www.rtedgar.com.au Melbourne’s Prestige Real Estate Specialists g
12 APAC / November 2017 , Working within the Real Estate business, first impressions are vital, especially when approaching new clients. Glen informs us of what steps the company take in order to ensure that clients receive the best possible services and their requirements are met. He talks about how the clients are kept up to date by staff throughout every single step of the process, and how the team prides itself on its excellent attention to detail. “Whenever we meet with clients, we ensure that we provide them with first class service. As soon as we have met them for the first time, they will receive an email and letter thanking them for their time. If we have listed their property they will receive emails, letters and flowers as a thank you gift for entrusting us with the sale of their property. Vendors’ children will receive presents specifically tailored to their interests as well as a hat or scarf for their sporting team. We pride ourselves on being very efficient while having exceptional attention to detail. Photographs, floorplans, copy, aerials and any other services required are booked as soon as the property is listed so that the campaign can begin when the vendor desires. These qualities ensure that our clients are looked after and have all their needs met.” Discussing the challenges that the company has overcome in order to be successful in the Asia-Pacific region, Glen talks about the growth in Chinese buyers which presented an issue for the firm. However, RT Edgar embraced the challenge, something Glen points out. “One of the biggest challenges in the industry, has been the increase in Chinese buyers and sellers. When this occurred, we had minimal Chinese agents working for us, so we were unable to communicate with Chinese clients as effectively as we would have liked. To overcome this, over the last three years, we have increased our staff from 0 to 8 Chinese agents who are assisting us in being successful in the Asia-Pacific region.” Differentiating the company from other real estate agencies, Glen again alludes to the excellent attention to detail that the team pays to each individual process, and the extra lengths the company goes to satisfy clients. Glen also refers to the extra effort he himself puts in and what unique offerings he provides to make his clients happy. Customer service is vital to the success of the company as most of its business comes through word of mouth. “Fundamentally, we differentiate from our competitors with our exceptional attention to detail and the extra lengths we go to in order to satisfy our clients. We focus on making clients for life by developing lasting relationships with each vendor and buyer. We pride ourselves on being able to meet clients’ needs and then exceeding them. This strategy puts us above our competitors because our service is personal, and we genuinely care about our clients and the relationships we build with them.” Looking toward the future, there is a lot of positivity surrounding RT Edgar, and it is well placed as an agency to build on its success and cement itself as one of the leading real estate agency’s in not just Melbourne, but across a wider spectrum. Opening more offices across Melbourne and expanding the database, are both exciting projects in the pipeline for RT Edgar. “Ultimately, we have a lot of plans for the future and are always developing projects to increase business growth and success. We would like to focus on the property management aspect of our business and ultimately increase our rental portfolio. One of our larger goals for the future, is to open 2-3 more offices across Melbourne to expand our data base and create more exposure over different areas. Also, we would like to do a lot more commercial real estate over the next few years. Overall, we would ideally like to further develop the business in as many areas as possible and gain more market share within the industry.”
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14 APAC / November 2017 , 1701AP20 Developing Excellence GemVCare Limited is the first Hong Kong based genetic testing company specialized in diabetes. The company provides testing services and healthmanagement programs for diabetic patients, as well as people who are at risk of diabetes to keep themaway from diabetes and its complications. The company was founded in 2014 by local academics, medical doctors specialized in diabetes and scientists, supported by the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU) through the Hong Kong Government Innovation and Technology Committee and is also a member company of the Incu-Bio Programme of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. Mission and vision: Here at GemVCare Limited, our mission is to use our Gemomic® Technology (which combines biomedical and information technology), to predict and prevent diabetes and offer personalized care to those with or at risk of diabetes. We have developed solutions to help healthy and diabetic patients manage their health properly by first screening their individual risk, then classifying them into different groups for personalized care. At GemVCare, we understand diabetes is a chronic disease that needs long term care and management, therefore personalized care is the key to treatment and prevention by providing the best disease management to people of different risk levels. Apart from medical consultation and constant medication, we believe self-monitoring and education are also important to motivate people to comply to their treatment or care plans. GemVCare partners with a network of health care professionals who use the personal information result to empower the subjects to manage and reduce their health risks through lifestyle changes, early use of drugs and by proactively seeking personalized treatment. Disease background: It is estimated that 10% of the global population are suffering from diabetes, and the population of diabetic patients is predicted to soar from 415 million in 2016 to 592 million in year of 2035. Diabetes and its complications could be devastating and fatal. Every six seconds, a person dies from diabetes. Although life threatening, not many people realise the symptoms and risk of diabetes. There are approximately 50% of people with prediabetes, who do not show clear symptoms. One of the warning signs for prediabetes is having blood glucose concentration above normal, but also below the diabetes threshold. This warning sign is important as there is a high possibility that if these people remain untreated, they will develop diabetes soon. Due to its silent nature, diabetic patients are often diagnosed and treated at a delayed stage, with 30% of affected subjects notice their situation only when serious complications and critical illness such as stroke, heart disease and kidney failure arise. Most of us always have a common misconception about conventional blood test, many diabetic cases were only discovered at late stage where preventions could have done before that. Conventional blood test can only detect abnormal blood glucose level which means, you are already have diabetes and your body organs begin to malfunction when you discover an abnormal blood glucose level. There are ways to prevent diabetes and its complications before everything gets worse. Conventional blood test does not serve this function. Our tests and services: Since conventional blood glucose tests cannot solely prevent you from getting diabetes or complications, GemVCare developed genetic tests that can predict your risk. By knowing your genes, environmental and non-modifiable factors, we are able to calculate your risk of getting diabetes or its complication using a patented algorithm.
APAC / November 2017 15 Contact: HK Email: [email protected] Company: GemVCare Unit 628 Centre 2, 11 Science Park West Ave Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, N.T. Developing Excellence g We offer two genetic tests and other biochemical tests related to diabetes. The two genetic tests are DForeseeTM and DProtectTM: 1) DForesee™ is a test that estimates the probability for having type 2 diabetes based on personal, genetic and modifiable risk factors. It includes common variants of genes implicated in development, structure and function of insulin-secreting cells. Carriers of these genetic variants may develop diabetes at an earlier age, while high genetic risk carriers with prediabetic symptoms may need early drug use for control. Family members of those with diabetes are strongly advised to learn about their genetic risk for having diabetes in order to take early preventive actions. 2) DProtect™ is a panel of tests that are able to calculate a five-year probability and predict your future risk of developing cardiovascularrenal complications related to diabetes. It includes common variants of genes which can be activated by high blood glucose, blood pressure and lipids levels to cause cardiovascularrenal disease. Those who have diabetes are advised to learn about their genetic risk for diabetic complications, in order to intensify their control of risk factors including use of organ protective drugs for early prevention. 3) OthersApart from genetic tests related to diabetes, we also provide other diabetic biochemical tests to check for beta cell sufficiency and screen for monogenic diabetes. These tests include C-peptide, AntiGAD, Anti-IA-2 and monogenetic panel for screening of youngonset diabetes (MODY). Procedures: Our tests are simple and safe, with only trace amount of buccal cells or blood, we can analyse your genetic risk of getting diabetes or its complications. No prior fasting or medication intervention is needed. Samples will then be sent to us and analysed in our lab located in the Hong Kong Science Park with world-class equipment which supports our high quality testing service. The Technology: Our Gemomic® Technology (which combines biomedical and information technology) is a patented technology based on decades of university research, and validated by over ten thousand clinical cases in our local population. This can be used to predict and prevent diabetes, and offer personalized care to those with or at risk of diabetes.
16 APAC / November 2017 , Since 1995, we have established multiple prospective cohorts with ongoing evaluation to discover, evaluate and validate biomarkers for predicting diabetes and its complications, including but not limited to heart disease, kidney failure, cancer, stroke and allcause death. These cohorts, databases and biobanks included 20,000 patients enrolled into the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry, 4500 adults and adolescents as control subjects and 1000 first degree relatives of families of young onset diabetes. Also, we are part of the Asian Genetic Epidemiology Network and Global Diabetes Consortium, the latter supported by the United States National Institute of Health, which are our key collaborators for validating our discoveries, along with other universities in China, Europe, Australia, Singapore, Korea, Japan and USA. Using family-based linkage analysis, investigations of candidate genes and genome wide association studies, we have discovered rare and common genetic variants predictive of diabetes and its complications with replication in other cohorts or supported by independent meta-analysis. Validation: Based on the genetic markers discovered in our Chinese cohorts, with validation in other Asian populations or independent analysis, we have developed proprietary risk algorithms combining these genetic markers with highly modifiable risk factors to predict probabilities of diabetes or its complications over time. Given the subtle inter-ethnic differences in genomic architectures as well as distribution, frequency and effect size of these genetic variants within the same loci, these genetic markers and algorithms are highly applicable to Asian populations which account for 60% of the global population with diabetes. Despite the modest effect size of these individual risk factors, whether genetic or nongenetic, their joint effects can be amplified to increase the odds to 3-10 folds in complex diseases due to multiple causes. Based on these premises, we have used similar strategies to develop a large number of risk equations for predicting multiple diabetic complications, with personalized reports and decision support. All of which were proven to change practice and health care behaviours with positive clinical outcomes. Differentiation between GemVCare and others: Unlike other diabetes gene tests offered by other companies, GemVCare tests are specific for Asians as most of the genetic markers used in the test are discovered in our Chinese cohorts and validated in other Asian populations. Rather than just showing your inherited risk of getting diabetes or its complications, environmental factors and your health status such as sex, weight, height, blood glucose level and blood lipid reading, etc are also taken into account in our algorithms. Therefore, the report and suggestions given are very personal. With the big data accumulated over years, our algorithm is able to predict your future risks of getting diabetes or its complications, as well as provide you an updated figure after changing your lifestyle or body health status. Future plans/business model Our business model is mainly a B2B model. At the moment, we work with different channels for services, these channels are mainly clinics and hospitals, where doctors can issue our tests to patients they find are at high risk and would like to go through a screening for better disease management. Other B2B channels include insurance companies, corporates, pharmaceutical companies, etc. These companies concern about the health and potential risk of getting illnesses in their clients and staff, our tests provide good solutions in knowing their future risks and help formulate a personalized health plan for effective health management. Follow-up services by our partnered clinics/ companies will be provided, which developed a beneficial cooperation between companies without direct competition. With more and more research and development done in the university and validation in Asian populations, we foresee our product and services are beneficial to other Asian counties. Currently we are seeking opportunities to expand our services to Asian countries, with the successful business model adopted in Hong Kong. Challenges ahead: An effective disease management is the key to chronic illness, traditional approach to diabetes treatment only involves medication but not specific enough for individual. With genetic tests, medical professions can re-classify clients and patients into different risk groups for personalised care plans. However, not every healthcare professionals are well trained for that and it takes time to introduce such new concepts to both doctors and patients. We believe our research work and clinical validation would be useful for education and give informed decisions. By providing adequate training and promotion through seminars and exhibitions, we hope more doctors and patients would be empowered by our services. The era of advance technology and big data is a double-edged sword: on one hand, we have more information and resources for research and development; while on the other hand, we foresee there will be more and more genetic testing companies emerging in the coming years. However, we do believe with our strong research and development team and continual clinical validation, we would provide the best product and service to our clients.
APAC / November 2017 17 Developing Excellence g
18 APAC / November 2017 , 1710AP01 All Safe. All the Time! IPA has operated since 1984, and its objective thenwas to provide customised recruitment services. Paul Barbaro tells us more about the company and whether its vision is being achieved. Built with a vision to provide customised recruitment services, today, the company services clients from Government organisations, multi-nationals, along with a broad spread of small to medium businesses across broad sectors from construction, banking, FMCG, mining, hospitality and professional services sector. Paul describes where the firm’s offices are located and what the benefits are of being based in the locations are. “Here at IPA, our office locations are designed to be close to our major customers with the view of developing intimate business relationships. IPA specialises in a variety of areas; notably Temporary Labour Hire in both Blue and White Collar, Permanent Recruitment, Senior Appointments. Additionally, IPA also works in Diversity Recruitment and Government Recruitment.” Within the recruitment industry, there are many companies vying to be the best and attract the best business, therefore, it is important that IPA stands out and is seen as the best possible option for clients looking for work, or companies looking to hire. Paul remarks on the non-profit side of the organisation, and how the firm are genuinely able to offer an assortment of different services, thanks to its partners. “Crucially, are owned by a not for profit organisation, and our profits are directed back to communities, therefore we are profit for purpose. This is unique, as most of our competitors have either shareholders or directors who retain profits rather than re-investing in the communities in which they operate. Through our parent company we therefore partner with organisations who provide services to minority groups, disadvantaged women, local sporting groups and a myriad of other organisations to assist in developing communities which are collaborative with service providers, inclusive of all different people, and ultimately working together to improve economies, employment outcomes, and to improve the livelihood of people. “In addition, our sister brands provide a suite of related services including disability recruitment, employment training, unemployment recruitment services, aged care and retirement living, so we are genuinely a one stop shop in terms of the services we can provide the broader community.” Significantly, IPA treats each new client individually, approaching new projects from a unique point of view. The company pays great attention to detail, as Paul alludes to, ensuring the best possible outcome for clients. The environment must be safe for the client or the firm will walk away from the deal, something Paul is keen to point out. “Regarding our clients, our commitment to safety is at the heart of our business model – All Safe, All the Time. Therefore, we conduct thorough site inspections prior to putting anyone into a role to ensure they are in a safe working environment. We have walked away from financially lucrative deals on the basis they did not represent an adequately safe environment for our candidates. We never compromise on this aspect of our service. Additionally, we work in collaboration with our clients to ensure we deliver tailored recruitment expertise to suit the specific business needs of each and every company we engage with.” Recently, technology has become a big factor influence in the recruitment sector, and Paul suggests that there is also a shortage of talent around. IPA is always looking to invest in technology, but its personal appeal is what is vital to the success of the firm. “Technology is the biggest influence impacting the recruitment industry along with competition and a shortage of talent. The reality however, is that recruitment in its traditional format, has weathered many disrupters throughout time, and continues to thrive. IPA has embraced many technology platforms, and will continue to invest in innovative measures to enhance our ability to engage with customers using technology platforms, but our ability to engage with people will always be at the heart of who we are, and why we will be different.” Recruitment is an ever changing industry, with changes in rewards and initiatives happening all the time. Paul tells us what developments he foresees within the sector, notably firms with upcoming specialist sectors, and how he predicts IPA will adapt around these. Plus, he notes already how the company has introduced some initiatives which are proving successful. “Basically, the industry has always been and will continue to be highly competitive. There are many more specialty boutique recruiters popping up all over Australia, that provide that high level of expertise in their chosen sector. To ensure we continue to stay between the squeeze from the small providers and the multi nationals, we too will introduce sector specialisation in areas such as Health, Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing and Senior Appointments. Our mandate moving forward to be industry experts, with a boutique feel and with a national reach. The refreshed culture and new initiatives implemented will help us to attract top talent. “However, the initiatives we have introduced, have provided great outcomes over the past 18 months, we have grown our temporary revenue by 12%, our permanent income by 28%, have increased our office footprint, and decreased turnover to 5%. It is a work in progress though, and we have a long way to go.” To gain and uphold the high quality reputation it currently possesses, Paul and IPA itself have had to overcome many challenges in order to be successful, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region. Paul is complimentary of the firm’s solid network, enabling it to continue to operate where other firms have withdrawn, and he says the biggest challenge has been economically, but the company embraced this and overcame this issue. “Maintaining our solid network, including branches in regional parts of Australia where many competitors have stopped operating from has helped us grow financially and also created another point of difference. Our
APAC / November 2017 19 Company: IPA Australia Contact: Paul Barbaro Email: [email protected] Address: Level 4, 271 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000 Australia Telephone: 0061 39252 2222 Web Address: www.ipa.com.au All Safe. All the Time! g
20 APAC / November 2017 , commitment to local business, and regional Australia has not waived, despite challenging economic times within some of these regions, and clients have appreciated this and we have won many new clients as a result. “Excitingly, we will shortly announce a strategic partnership with an Executive Recruitment Company in China, which will add further leverage for our candidates who wish to work across both regions, and this is another example of us developing initiatives to service clients and candidates across the region where we previously had missed many opportunities.” Interestingly, Paul tells us how the internal culture within the firm has changed since he joined, describing it as largely disengaged when he joined, but how it now has become one of the key factors of the company’s success. “When I joined two years ago, I would describe the culture as largely disengaged. There was high turnover, low productivity levels, a feeling of being in limbo as staff became aware that the organisation was to be sold, which resulted in a wave of uncertainty surrounding many functions of the business. Also, we have undertaken a major business overhaul as there was no chance of succeeding commercially with the previous culture, and all the operational problems that existed as a result. “Essentially, I subscribe to Simon Sinek’s theory of leadership, and adopt many of his teachings, largely because I personally believe in them, but also because I have seen them work in previous organisations. I started with “why” and asked this question of my leadership team. I started with why they remained with the company, why they wanted to stay, why they did things the way they did, and why they and their staff behaved in the manner in which they did. The results were to say the least, frightening, but we worked on a collective vision, changed our values, introduced reward and recognition programs, started celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and to be honest, laughing when things went wrong. “Even though we are still evolving as a company, I am proud to say the culture is now quite amazing. We have a 5% staff turnover (compared to 45% industry standard) have won numerous large accounts, opened new offices across Australia, and are about to announce many other exciting initiatives which have only been made possible on the basis of a solid culture. Staff describe the culture as: inclusive, respectful, engaging and forgiving. I found the last most intriguing, and when asked to validate what they meant by this, staff have said they are not scared to make mistakes, or to own their decisions because they know the business will forgive errors, and therefore there is more confidence within the organisation. Staff have grown as individuals as a result. “Our culture is also evolving, and my personal goal as COO of this organisation is to create the most dynamic culture within a recruitment business. We will achieve this by empowering and supporting people, embracing diversity, celebrating success, training and upskilling, providing flexibility in work, having flexible remuneration models, investing in regional parts of Australia to support communities, and doing our best to create a work community that people are proud to tell their friends and family about.” Looking ahead, Paul details IPA’s overall mission, explaining what steps he wants to implement in order to help the firm reach its targets. Highlighting his experience in the industry, Paul has seen a variety of aspects which contribute to a successful recruitment company, including putting both employees and clients first. He also lists some of the values which are embedded into the company culture, creating the successful firm. “When I joined this organisation, I wanted to give it a heart. It sounds cliché, but after 26 years in this industry, I have concluded people attach themselves emotionally to a company, and I therefore wanted to win the hearts of our staff, clients and candidates with a meaningful mission and a set of values that reflected who we wanted to become. I didn’t want normal commercial metrics to drive the mission of this business – I knew that would happen if we got the behaviour right and created a mission that people attached themselves. “Fundamentally, our mission statement became: ‘Everything we do, we do to enhance the lives of people, be it our candidates, our clients, or each other.’ We achieve this via a set of values which were developed by our staff, and for our staff, and have been adopted by everyone in the company. These include; loving your work, being the difference, taking the lead, and owning the product and service. “Lastly, we support local charities within the communities in which we operate, and in turn we also have a strong diversity recruitment platform which has been adopted for many of our major clients. Our goal is to add value to our clients and candidates via services which are tailored to individual needs, and not just bottom line results.” Signing off, Paul predicts what the future holds for IPA, and he is confident that the company can become the leader in the industry. Focusing on positive and meaningful outcomes for the client will lead to the ultimate success for IPA Australia. “Looking to the future, IPA Australia will be the best recruitment company as measured by clients and candidates by 2020. By best, we mean as measured by qualitative measures, not size or profit. We have little interest in promoting our size, or our profits as a measure of success, we want the stories of our clients and candidates to inspire others, and to promote action in people’s professional lives. Whilst we are of course profit driven and our management team do manage their own P&L’s we would like to think that above all providing the very best service to our clients and focusing on positive and meaningful outcomes to our candidates is the pillar of what we do and why we do it. Get that right and the profit will take care of itself.”
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