The year 2020 will be remembered for the turbulence caused when a pandemic swept through the world, fundamentally changing people’s way of life, presenting unprecedented challenges to governments worldwide, and forcing businesses to reflect and adapt in order to survive. With this in mind, the Asia Business Council and the Tanoto Center for Asian Family …

The Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2020 was conducted in August and September this year and yielded a response rate of 83 percent. Asia Business Council members are Chairmen and CEOs mainly in Asia but also in Europe, the United States, and Australia who lead companies with a combined valuation of nearly $3 trillion and …

Ayala Corp is one of the oldest conglomerates in the Philippines with a history of supporting the wider community in difficult times. The company realized many years ago that it could be more effective during crisis situations by engaging a network of companies to coordinate relief efforts. In 2009, it helped establish the Philippine Disaster …

Vietnamese entertainment giant DatVietVAC Group Holdings is an example of how a company can leverage media and content as a force for good during the pandemic. It played no small part in helping the Vietnamese government promote the official BlueZone app, which helped contain the virus. By mobilizing its network of celebrities, DatVietVAC encouraged the …

Hong Kong-based textile company Esquel Group reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability by developing a reusable mask even as it was hit hard by the unfolding pandemic and escalating U.S.-China tensions. While initially made for donations, especially in the communities where it had operations, the product soon became a business as well, demonstrating that social responsibility …

One of the main reasons Taiwan had so few COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic was the development of a mobile phone-based information tracking system called the Intelligent Electronic Fences System (IEFS). Taiwan Mobile, the telecoms arm of the Fubon Group, played a key role in this endeavor, as it joined hands with …

Leveraging its resources and expertise, Lenovo, a leading technology company with operational headquarters in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina, and financial headquarters in Hong Kong, developed educational solutions that could “go beyond the device” during the pandemic.  While its commercial solutions ranged from hybrid classrooms to cybersecurity and virtual reality, Lenovo’s philanthropic efforts included hardware …

For Lotte Group, the fifth largest conglomerate in South Korea, the response to the crisis was not just about braving the storms of the pandemic but also about accelerating pre-COVID-19 developments. Lotte saw its e-commerce app, Lotte On, as the key to its business transformation. Building on the idea of “open innovation,” or the practice …

Among its many initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Temasek’s investments in medical initiatives best demonstrate its agility, resourcefulness, and innovation. Widely seen as one of the most sophisticated government-owned investors in the world, the Singapore-based company has been applauded for tapping its diverse networks and expertise to find solutions for global shortages of …

For Myanmar-based conglomerate Yoma Group, the COVID-19 pandemic was a defining moment in its service to the country. Although its acquisition of mobile financial services operator Wave Money was planned before the pandemic, it was the trying times of 2020 that truly underscored the importance of mobile money in promoting financial inclusion in Myanmar. The …