Posted on

TMC Announces Changes to Executive Structure

Toyota City, Japan, Jan 27, 2023 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced today that it intends to implement changes to its executive structure effective April 1, 2023, and changes to its Board of Directors effective the date of its 119th Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting as described below.1. Changes to executive structure effective April 1, 2023Takeshi Uchiyamada will resign from his post as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Akio Toyoda will be appointed the new chairman and Koji Sato the new president and Chief Executive Officer.2. Changes to the Board of Directors effective the date of the 119th Ordinary General Shareholders' MeetingThe formal appointment of members of the Board of Directors will be formalized after approval at the 119th Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting. The formal assignment of board members with specific titles, and the appointment of board members with the legal status to represent TMC (representative directors), will be made at the board of directors meeting following the 119th Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting. The resignation of board members leaving their current posts will become official on the day of the 119th Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting.Toyota Times https://toyotatimes.jp/en/https://youtu.be/kUaoKgCnFOc Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

MDRT Expands Definition of Success in the Profession with New Awards and Rankings

HONG KONG, Mar 9, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - MDRT, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals, has added to the portfolio of honors available for exceptional members - and their companies. MDRT has redefined and added new categories within its annual Company Rankings to recognize companies including those from Hong Kong that successfully invest in membership growth, retention and longevity. With this new initiative, MDRT recognizes and elevates the exceptional performance of companies and financial services professionals. MDRT involves world's leading life insurance and financial services professionals from all over the world, and Hong Kong is also one of them. The number of MDRT members in Hong Kong jumped from 10,858 in 2020 to 15,719 in 2021 while insurance companies in the Hong Kong market also occupied 11 seats in the "2021 Top 100 Companies" list, two of which were ranked top one and two.Randy Scritchfield, CFP, LUTCF, MDRT President commented "Hong Kong is a market full of potential and with abundant supply of talents. We expect and have confidence that the Hong Kong market will do well in the newly added awards and rise steadily in various rankings, achieving even better results in the coming future."MDRT Expanded Company Rankings Using a more holistic approach to measuring achievement, MDRT will restructure and add new categories to its Company Rankings beginning in 2022. These new categories will recognize companies that achieve excellence in the areas of MDRT membership growth, retention and longevity - areas which demonstrate a commitment to investing in their advisors' personal and professional development. The eight new rankings include:-- Top 25 Companies - Total Membership Growth -- Top 25 Companies - Percentage of Membership Growth-- Top 25 Companies - Total Members who Rejoined-- Top 25 Companies - Percentage of Members who Rejoined-- Top 25 Companies - Total Number of 5-9 Year Members-- Top 25 Companies - Percentage of 5-9 Year Members-- Top 25 Companies - Total Number of Qualifying and Life Members-- Top 25 Companies - Percentage of Qualifying and Life Members"MDRT membership growth, retention and longevity are critical to companies that want to generate success within their ranks and demonstrate a commitment to excellence," said Randy Scritchfield, CFP, LUTCF, MDRT President. "These new categories provide an opportunity to celebrate the financial service professionals who achieve and maintain career long success with their MDRT membership and acknowledge the important role their companies play in supporting that success."The 2022 Company Rankings will be announced in early July.About MDRTMDRT, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals, is a global, independent association of the world's leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companies in 70 markets. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. For more information, please visit https://www.mdrt.org/ and follow them on Twitter @MDRtweet. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Renault, Nissan & Mitsubishi Motors Announce Common Roadmap Alliance 2030: Best of 3 Worlds for a New Future

PARIS & TOKYO, Jan 28, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the members of one of the world's leading automotive alliances, today announced common projects and actions to accelerate and to shape their shared future towards 2030, focusing on the mobility value chain.Highlights:- The 2030 roadmap focuses on pure electric vehicles and connected mobility.- Aims to enhance usage of common platforms to reach 80% in 2026.- Mitsubishi Motors to reinforce presence in Europe with two new models based on Renault best-sellers.- To invest EUR 23B in the next five years to support its offensive strategy in electrification.- With 35 new EV cars in 2030, proposes the largest global EV offer, based on the five common EV platforms.- Nissan unveils an all-new EV based on the CMF-BEV Alliance platform to replace the Micra in Europe; vehicle planned to be manufactured at Renault ElectriCity, the electric industrial center in Northern France.- Reinforces common battery strategy aiming to secure a global 220 GWh production capacity by 2030.- Nissan to lead development of breakthrough all-solid-state battery technology to benefit all members.- Renault to lead development on common centralized electrical and electronic architecture and will launch the first full software defined vehicle by 2025. A year and a half after announcing its new cooperation business model to support member-company competitiveness and profitability, the Alliance is now based on solid foundations, benefits from an efficient operational governance organization and from intensified as well as flexible cooperation. Continuing the Leader-Follower scheme defined in May 2020, select technology is developed by one leading team with the support of the followers, thereby allowing each member of the Alliance to access all the key technologies. The Alliance has defined a common 2030 roadmap on pure-EV and Intelligent & Connected mobility, sharing investments for the benefits of its three-member companies and their customers. "Among the world's automotive leaders, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is a proven, unique model. For 22 years, we have been building on our respective cultures and strengths for our common benefit," said Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance. "Today the Alliance is accelerating to lead the mobility revolution and deliver more value to customers, our people, our shareholders and all our stakeholders. The three member-companies have defined a common roadmap towards 2030, sharing investments in future electrification and connectivity projects. These are massive investments that none of the three companies could make alone. Together, we are making the difference for a new and global sustainable future; the Alliance becoming carbon neutral by 2050." Moving together for the benefit of each - Leader-Follower scheme The Alliance members have developed a "smart differentiation" methodology that defines the desired level of commonality for each vehicle, integrating several parameters of possible pooling, such as platforms, production plants, powertrains or vehicle segment. This is supplemented and enhanced by a stricter approach to design and upper-body differentiation. For example, the common platform for the C and D segment will carry five models from three brands of the Alliance (Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, Renault Austral and an upcoming seven-seater SUV). Strengthening this process, the Alliance members will enhance usage of common platforms in the coming years from 60% today to more than 80% of its combined 90 models in 2026. This will allow each company to deepen their focus on their customers' needs, their best models and core markets, while also extending innovations across the Alliance, at a lower cost. As part of this, Mitsubishi Motors will reinforce its presence in Europe with two new models, among them the New ASX based on Renault best-sellers.Five common EV platforms: the largest global offer of the industry Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have pioneered the EV market, with more than EUR10 B already invested in the field of electrification. In the main markets (Europe, Japan, the US, China) 15 Alliance plants already produce parts, motors, batteries for 10 EV models on the streets, with more than 1 million EV cars sold so far and 30 billion e-kilometers driven. Building on this unique expertise, the Alliance is accelerating with a total EUR 23B more investment in the next five years on electrification, leading to 35 new EV models by 2030. 90% of these models will be based on five common EV platforms, covering most markets, in all major regions:- CMF-AEV, the most affordable platform in the world, is the base for the new Dacia Spring.- KEI-EV (mini vehicle) platform family for ultra-compact EVs.- LCV-EV Family platform family for professional customers, as the base for the Renault Kangoo and Nissan Town Star.- CMF-EV, the global, flexible, EV platform. It will be on the roads in a few weeks as the base for the Nissan Ariya EV crossover and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. The CMF-EV platform, with its technological innovations and the potential offered by its modularity, is a benchmark platform for a new generation of electric vehicles for the Alliance partners. The platform has been created to integrate and optimize all the elements specific to a 100% electric powertrain, hosting a new, high-performance motor and an ultra-thin battery. By 2030, more than 15 models will be based on the CMF-EV platform, with up to 1.5 million cars produced on this platform per year.- CMF-BEV, the most competitive compact electric platform in the world, to be launched in 2024. It provides up to 400 km range; its aerodynamics performances are outstanding, helping reduce cost by 33% and power consumption by more than 10% compared to the current Renault ZOE. It will be the base for 250,000 vehicles a year under the Renault, Alpine and Nissan brands.Among the vehicles are the Renault R5 and the new compact EV that will replace the Nissan Micra. Designed by Nissan and engineered by Renault, the new model is planned to be manufactured at Renault ElectriCity: the electric industrial center in Northern France. Common battery strategy, breakthrough battery innovations and a planned 220 GWh production capacity to bring a highly competitive and attractive offer to all customers Competitiveness is key, and that has led member companies to a common Alliance battery strategy, leading, among others, to the selection of a common battery supplier for Renault and Nissan in core markets. The Alliance is working with common partners to achieve real scale and affordability, enabling to reduce battery costs by 50% in 2026 and 65% by 2028.With this approach, by 2030, the Alliance will have a total of 220 GWh battery production capacity for EVs across key production sites in the world. Beyond that, the Alliance shares a common vision for all-solid-state battery technology (ASSB). Based on its deep expertise and unique experience as a pioneer in battery technology, Nissan will lead innovations in this area that will benefit all Alliance members.ASSB will have double the energy density versus current liquid lithium-ion batteries. Charging time will also be greatly reduced to one-third, enabling customers to make longer trips with increased, convenience, confidence and enjoyment. The aim is to mass produce ASSB by mid-2028, and in the future beyond that to realize cost parity with ICE vehicles by bringing costs down further to 65$ per kWh, accelerating the global shift to EVs. The Alliance battery management system is also at state-of-the art. Unlike others in the industry, the Alliance has chosen to control 100% of its hardware and software, benefiting from very valuable predictive data, allowing for monitoring the state of health of the battery and improving technology. The Alliance is working with strategic partners to offer the best proposal to customers for public charging on the road. Mobilize Power Solutions provides to B2B customers a complete end-to-end service including project design, installation, maintenance and management of optimized recharging infrastructure and all related services to meet their business needs. A recent agreement is with Ionity via the Alliance Emobility Service Provider Plug Surfing, which will allow its customers to access at preferential pricing to the Ionity ultra-fast charging network in Europe. With more than 10 years' experience in the EV business, Alliance members have deep knowledge that allows them to be ahead of the competition in optimizing battery reuse, notably with second life battery applications, recycling and achieving efficient and sustainable solutions over the full battery life cycle. 25 Million cars connected to the Alliance Cloud by 2026: The best-in-class digital experience for customers Intelligent and connected mobility are critical areas for increased shared innovation across the Alliance. With 20 years' experience in ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) and autonomous drive, the Alliance keeps improving real-world driving safety, convenience, and enjoyment by delivering innovations in intelligent vehicle and driver assistance technologies, with an example being Nissan's award-winning ProPILOT system. With shared platforms and electronics, by 2026 Alliance members expect to have more than 10 million vehicles on the road across 45 Alliance models equipped with autonomous driving systems. Today, 3 million vehicles are already connected to the Alliance Cloud with permanent data exchanges.By 2026, more than 5 million Alliance cloud systems will be delivered per year, with 25 million total cars on the road. The Alliance will also be the first global, mass-market OEM to introduce the Google ecosystem in its cars. Under Renault's leadership, the Alliance is developing a common centralized electrical and electronic architecture converging electronics hardware and software applications to offer maximum benefits and an optimal level of performance. The Alliance will launch its first full software defined vehicle by 2025. With this vehicle, the Alliance will improve its cars Over The Air performance throughout their life cycle. This means value for customers with the integration of their car into their digital ecosystem to offering a personalized experience, new enhanced services, and reduced maintenance costs. This will also allow Alliance members to boost vehicle resale values. In addition, Software defined vehicles will be able to communicate with connected objects, users, and infrastructure, opening new fields of value for the Alliance companies. Alliance best-in-class digital experience will be the gateway to an unprecedented amount of data, paving the way to the automotive industry's next frontier. with Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors positioned at the forefront of this revolution. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

GOGE, LGBTQ Awareness Project, Is Set to Introduce New Updates

Montreal, Canada, January 17, 2022- (SEAPRWire) – GOGE, a community-based, peer-to-peer version of life on the blockchain, has announced the introduction of a ton of new updates. Scheduled to release 3 of 5 secret projects before the end of the month, GOGE aims at revolutionizing the real and digital worlds in every way possible. Designed to unite humans by fighting hate and worldwide inequality, dispelling restrictions, promoting freedom, and spreading love, GOGE is the first gay Doge family member. Tagged the first currency for all humans regardless of background, GOGE is seeking to offer a plethora of rewards to community members. Holders of the $GOGE token, the project’s native token, will be rewarded with $CAKE automatically. Fostering an international, safe, profitable, and valuable virtual community, GOGE is building an ecosystem where holders of both $GOGE and $CAKE tokens can use them in the real and digital world. A Diverse and Inclusive Project Home to diverse and inclusive community members with a primary goal of offering help to those in need, GOGE is led by a team comprising proud members of the LGBTQ community. While some of the founding team are not, they all, regardless of background, are firm supporters of global equality—the bedrock on which this Binance Smart Chain [BSC] based project is built. Raising awareness of the plight of LGBTQ community members living in countries where their freedom is threatened both by the government and the people, GOGE, through this platform, is prioritizing the safety, comfort, and well-being of these people by offering them a haven. Emulating the ways of crypto pioneers before them, the GOGE founding team has integrated anonymity as part of its long-term plans to keep everyone safe at the same time increasing the project’s longevity. With a clear roadmap, with some of which has been accomplished, GOGE, as the first gay member of the Doge family, seeks to not only offer support to members of the LGBTQ community globally through regular charities and campaigns but also offer holders of its native currency an impressive passive income source. With an NFT minting website and collection set to be released soon, GOGE is cementing its stance as an all-inclusive platform for all things cryptocurrency. About GOGE Otherwise referred to as DogeGaySon, GOGE is a community-based, peer-to-peer, experimental project that aims at revolutionizing both the virtual and real worlds. Blazing off in an untrodden path, GOGE’s primary mission is to unite the world through the fight against global inequality, hate, restrictions, and prejudice against people. GOGE aims at offering valuable support and help to LGBTQ community members in countries where their fundamental human rights are trampled upon. Incorporating the unique feature of past crypto projects, the GOGE team has integrated anonymity as part of its plan to preserve the increase the lifespan of the project. Social Contact  Twitter: https://twitter.com/DogeGaySon  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dogegayson  Telegram: https://t.me/DogeGaySon  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogegayson/  Discord: https://discord.com/invite/K4vKhx5uqg  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8cqeE-T7tjP2JIozKxo2g  Media Contact  Company Name: GOGE Company Contact Person: Development Team Company Website: https://goge.co/  Company Email: goge@goge.co SOURCE: GOGE The article is provided by a third-party content provider. SEAPRWIRE makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Any questions, please contact cs@SEAPRWIRE.com Sectors: Top Story, Daily News SEAPRWIRE (www.seaprwire.com) offers newswire service in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines & Hong Kong )

Read More
Posted on

Ogier, Ingrassia and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Crowned 2021 Champions

TOKYO, Nov 22, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has acheived a magnificent championship treble* at the iconic Monza circuit, clinching the manufacturers' title with a one-two finish at the final round as Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed their eighth drivers' and co-drivers' crowns in style with victory.Ogier and Ingrassia went up against their team-mates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin in the final-round showdown at Monza and the two crews engaged in an epic battle for victory throughout the weekend, swapping the lead between them six times. They came into the final day of three tricky stages around Monza separated by just half a second - and then set identical times on the morning's opening test. A stall for Evans in the penultimate stage ultimately decided the rally victory in the favour of Ogier, who knew a podium finish would be enough to secure the title.The win was the fifth of the season for Ogier and Ingrassia after victories in Monte Carlo, Croatia, Sardinia and Kenya. It was their 54th WRC win together in what was the final event of their full-time careers: Ogier will contest a part-time schedule with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in 2022 while Ingrassia steps out of the co-driver's seat after a highly-successful career.Evans and Martin secured the fifth Toyota one-two of the season, and finish runner-up in the championship for the second year in a row after victories in Portugal and Finland.Alongside their team-mates, Kalle Rovanpera and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen were key to the manufacturers' championship success after claiming their first career victories in Estonia and Greece this year. At the final round they were exemplary team players, focusing on a clean finish in ninth overall to ensure the manufacturers' title was secured.This is the fifth time Toyota has won the manufacturers' championship - putting it joint third on the all-time list of titles - and the second since it returned to the sport in 2017 with the Yaris WRC. This was the 26th and final victory achieved by the car in the final event of the World Rally Car era before hybrid-powered Rally1 cars are introduced in 2022.TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Takamoto Katsuta finished seventh overall with co-driver Aaron Johnston, overcoming contact in the penultimate test to set the second-fastest time in the rally-ending Power Stage after a superb job by the team's mechanics to repair his car in just a 15-minute service.Quotes:Akio Toyoda (Team Founder)"Throughout the season, there was always at least one of our crews on the podium - including Takamoto. Thanks to them, I was able to watch all the events being thrilled expecting that somebody from our team would win. Then in this final event, Seb and Julien, who were targeting their eighth title, and Elfyn and Scott, who still had a chance to win their first, had the ultimate battle until the very end. As a big rally fan, I felt so excited watching them. "Our Yaris WRCs are running in such an exciting situation at the highest level of competition..." It was like a dream for us at Toyota. I would like to thank both crews from the heart for making us feel like that.Seb and Julien, congratulations! I truly respect you for driving to the maximum until the end. To be eight-time champions is a great record, and we are all proud that two out of those eight were with Toyota. Thank you so much. To secure the manufacturers' title and have Seb and Elfyn freely fight at the same time: all team members tackled this final event together to achieve both. Kalle's driving throughout the event showed it well. Kalle, Jonne, thank you very much for what you have done for the team.It's thanks to Jari-Matti that the team was able to smile. Jari-Matti, who was also a driver, is a leader who always puts drivers first. I think all the drivers were able to finish the season with smiles because all the judgements were made from a driver's point of view. He hates to lose. He does as much as I do, or maybe more than I do. I believe his judgements based on this "hate-to-lose" mindset made the team strong.There was one more way in which Jari-Matti surprised me. That was his thorough communication with the team members. Through a video taken by the team, I saw him giving morning greetings one-by-one at the early morning service park. All 200 members across Finland, Estonia, Germany and Japan were closely united because we had him. I really appreciate him for realising the 'driver-driven team' and 'family-like yet professional team' which we had been aiming for.This team kept making the Yaris WRC stronger since 2017. What I asked for at the first rally in 2017 was to make the Yaris WRC the strongest at the end of the season. The Yaris WRC has run 59 events in these five years, and we learned a lot from the events we won and we lost. The team did make the last Yaris WRC the strongest ever. I'm really happy for that.Our car will be totally new under new regulations next year and the development is reaching its climax. The team is extremely busy and I'm grateful to everybody and their families who support them. We will prepare an ever-stronger Yaris and make our fans even more excited from next season onward. I hope the fans will look forward to our new car and new challenges and I appreciate your continuous support for TGR WRT."Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)"We have been working so hard to claim the manufacturers' championship and the drivers' and co-drivers' championships all at the same time. I am so grateful for the team: We have such a fantastic team with great people and the best drivers in the championship. I'm really proud of all the team members and the crews. What Seb and Julien have achieved in their careers is incredible. Elfyn and Scott did fantastically well to make it an exciting battle, and a huge thank you to Kalle and Jonne for the role they played as well. In 2018 I won the manufacturers' title as a driver, and to do it again now as a team principal is a unique moment. This is also a brilliant way to finish this era with these cars, and to have won nine rallies this year is amazing."Sebastien Ogier (Driver car 1)"It's so hard to describe these kind of emotions. Somehow you feel empty because it's been such an exhausting season like always, where you need to put so much into it to win the championship. But we do it for moments like this. A big thanks to all the team members: Without them we are nothing and today we are all world champions, so let's celebrate this. It's pretty remarkable what Toyota has achieved, and the team deserves it because they've put a lot of effort into it. The emotion is even stronger knowing it's the end of my journey with Julien. We could never have dreamed of a better way for it to end it. We knew we still had a lot to do this weekend and that it was not over yet. We didn't have to beat Elfyn, but we couldn't afford to relax and then drop positions, and to win in the end is just perfect."Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)"Of course it's mixed feelings for us today. Naturally you always want more. We knew the drivers' title would be difficult but we wanted to try and win the rally. In the end we didn't quite get it but congratulations to Seb and Julien on another fantastic title and also on a fantastic career together. I want to thank everybody in the team, they've been working so hard, giving us fantastic equipment but also a fantastic atmosphere to work in. It's also a very fond farewell to the Toyota Yaris WRC, it's been a joy to drive."Kalle Rovanpera (Driver car 69)"It feels really good to help the team secure the manufacturers' championship. It was a really nice season for us, and getting the teams' title also feels really good for us because we were able to bring good points in many rallies. It's a big thing for the team and it feels really nice to be a part of it. It was not so easy to do the job we did this weekend, but it was important that we did it and this feeling makes it worth it. The team has been working really hard, so big congratulations and thank you to them. It's been a great year with an amazing car and I think we really showed how strong our team is."For the latest results please visit www.wrc.com.* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Woman who used family member’s TraceTogether token while in self-isolation arrested

SINGAPORE - A woman who was supposed to self-isolate while waiting for her polymerase chain reaction test result allegedly used a TraceTogether token belonging to a family member of hers to enter various premises. The 34-year-old, who was directed to self-isolate and wait for her test result after she had come into contact with a Covid-19 patient, has been arrested for suspected involvement in cheating by personation, the police said in a statement on Thursday (Nov 11). The police said it received a report on Sept 3 alleging the woman had used her family member's TraceTogether token on three separate occasions to enter different premises on April 30 and May 2. She will be charged in court on Friday (Nov 12) with cheating by personation. The offence carries a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. The police reminded the public to be socially responsible and to take Covid-19 safe management measures seriously.

Read More
Posted on

PR charged with making false declaration so he could serve SHN at home

SINGAPORE - A Singapore permanent resident who arrived at Changi Airport on July 14 allegedly lied on his declaration form for opt-out travellers so that he could serve his stay-home notice (SHN) at home. Taiwanese Lu Yi Yin, 48, is said to have declared that he would be occupying his home alone or with household members with the same travel history and serving their SHN during the same period. He was then told to serve his SHN from July 14 to 28. Enforcement officers conducted a check at his home the following day and found two other household members there who did not share his travel history. Lu, who appeared in a district court on Friday (Oct 15), was charged with an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act. Court documents did not disclose from where he had flown as well as details about his home address and household members. Since Aug 11 last year, all travellers serving their SHN outside of dedicated facilities are required to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout their SHN period. Among the criteria, the traveller has to occupy his or her place of residence alone, or only with household members who share the same travel history and are serving SHN of the same duration. In a statement, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said: "With this enhanced surveillance regime, the Government is able to adopt a more risk-based approach to allow travellers from selected countries or regions who by default have to serve SHN at dedicated facilities." Lu's bail was set at $5,000 and his case has been adjourned to Jan 7 next year. For committing the offence under the Act, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $20,000. More on this topic   Related Story Man sentenced to 3 weeks' jail for lying on travel declaration; he wanted to serve SHN at his residence   Related Story South Korean man fined $7k for making false SHN declaration on arrival at Changi Airport

Read More
Posted on

The MDRT Academy continues to grow with new members from Sun Life Asia

HONG KONG, Jun 8, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The MDRT Academy ( https://mdrtacademy.org/ ) - a new association helping financial professionals accelerate their careers - recently welcomed more than 670 advisors from Sun Life Asia to its membership ranks. The addition of 184 Sun Life advisors from Hong Kong and the rest of Asia including the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia will make Sun Life the MDRT Academy's largest membership company to date. The Academy will supplement Sun Life's Brighter Gen and Brighter Pro training and development program, and together support Sun Life's ambition to be a market leader in quality financial advice."Sun Life's goal is to have the most respected advisors in the industry, known for the quality of their advice and their professionalism," said Leo Grepin, Sun Life Asia President. "The MDRT Academy is a valuable addition to our Brighter Academy advisor development programs, which build the skills and capabilities to guide advisors along their career journey from rookie, to MDRT, and then leading agency manager. With access to the best training and experience, Sun Life advisors can achieve their career ambitions and deliver the best experience to our clients," Grepin said.Hong Kong is a key insurance hub in Asia and total gross premiums reached HK$608.4 billion in 2020, according to data released by the Insurance Authority of Hong Kong. The MDRT Academy was launched in 2017 to help financial services professionals in key markets including Hong Kong reach greater production levels and join MDRT. The MDRT Academy was designed to be a fully digital experience, allowing members to access the tools, resources and community anytime and anywhere through an intuitive website and mobile app. "We're excited to work with Sun Life, and there is no doubt that the MDRT Academy will help their advisors increase their production, improve their client service skills and learn best practices from experienced MDRT members," said MDRT President Ian Green, Dip PFS. "The tools for building a successful career in financial services are literally at their fingertips."The MDRT Academy features an assessment that helps members better understand and identify their strengths and growth areas - and personalizes content to a member's needs and areas of interest. It also offers goal setting and performance-tracking tools, monthly webcasts featuring MDRT members, Performance Guides, as well as hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes. MDRT Academy members also have the opportunity to attend MDRT's Annual Meeting. About Sun Life Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of US$1,304 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. About MDRTMDRT, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals, is a global, independent association of the world's leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companies in 70 nations and territories. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. For more information on the MDRT Academy, please visit mdrtacademy.org. For more information on MDRT, please visit mdrt.org. Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Golf: Pine Valley ends 108 years as a male-only golf club, says report

NEW YORK (AFP) - Pine Valley Golf Club, a men-only private enclave since its founding in 1913, has voted to allow women memberships and unrestricted play, Golf Digest reported on Saturday (May 1). The club, located in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia, has a layout that Golf Digest has ranked as the top course in the United States, and among the world's best, for several years. Pine Valley president Jim Davis wrote in a Friday e-mail to members obtained by the magazine about the unanimous move by the club's trustees and members to bring in female members and allow them to play at any time. Previously, women were only allowed on the course as guests and on Sunday afternoons. "This evening at our annual meeting of the members we made a historic change to Pine Valley's bylaws," Davis wrote. "The future of golf must move towards inclusion, and I am pleased to report that the trustees and members of the Pine Valley Golf Club have voted unanimously and with enthusiasm to remove all gender-specific language from our bylaws. "The club's policies will now allow all guests to enjoy our club without restrictions and we will begin immediately identifying women candidates for membership with the expectation of having our first women members in the club by the end of this year." Davis said all prospective members must "be socially compatible, share a deep passion for the game of golf and be able to play the golf course with the skill level our founder George Crump intended." Pine Valley follows several notable men-only private clubs in changing rules to allow women. Augusta National, home course for the Masters, welcomed its first women members in 2012. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland allowed women members in 2014 and Muirfield began accepting women members in 2017. The magazine said that of 3,670 private US golf clubs, fewer than a dozen remain male-only enclaves.

Read More