What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have recently been involved in? 

Recently, we have been involved in several significant cases and transactions that demonstrate our strategic investments, divestments, and internal improvements. One of the key transactions was leading a $28m investment for a 10% stake in Botrista, in the US, which positions us as a leading investor in innovative beverage technology. Additionally, we made a further investment commitment in the Titan Fund, which owns prominent brands such as Tim Ho Wan, enhancing our portfolio in the food and beverage sector. We also committed to investing in Titan Fund II, with a fund size of SGD100M, reflecting our confidence in the fund’s potential for substantial returns. 

In terms of divestments, we successfully executed the divestment of Pho 24 operations in Vietnam and the Philippines, optimising our portfolio and focusing on core assets. Our expansion efforts included facilitating the entry of Common Man Coffee Roasters into the Philippine market, with plans to introduce Tiong Bahru Bakery soon, broadening our market presence. 

On the internal front, we rolled out upgraded compliance processes for North America, enhancing regulatory adherence and operational efficiency. We also acquired a controlling interest in Jollibee’s Hong Kong operations, which strengthens our market position. Our various business development activities and high-impact internal initiatives, such as the digitisation of certain business processes and the development and deployment of new internal policies, have significantly improved our operational capabilities. Lastly, we launched a global whistleblower platform, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and ethical conduct. 

How do you motivate and manage your legal team well? 

Having a diverse team spanning different countries, what binds and keeps us motivated is not only our individual commitment to professional excellence and learning, but also a shared commitment to each other’s success and encouragement of diversity of thought. Individually, everyone is given both formal and informal opportunities to develop their legal practice. 

As a team, we enable each other’s success by nurturing a safe space where opinions are heard and weighed based on merit. By giving each one an opportunity to co-create an environment where we thrive both professionally and personally, we elevate our own legal practice. This is how we help realise the company’s vision, while staying true to our personal vision of what our own success looks like.  

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed? 

AI is a game-changer that frees up time and resources, enabling professionals to focus on strategic, high-impact work where specific know-how and unique perspective, earned through years of experience, can most move the needle.  Its capabilities will keep on improving at an accelerated pace, impacting multiple areas of business and, correspondingly, multiple areas of law, thus requiring the regulatory environment to keep pace. We are intentional about keeping updated on available and emerging technology, reviewing relevant regulations across our various legal offices, and collaborating with our technology team on policies for appropriate use.