2026 Break the ceiling touch the sky® Most Inspirational Women in Leadership and 2026 Global Male Champions for Gender Equality to lead as speakers and mentors at the 2026 World Edition

BTC 101 Global Index data shows companies with more gender-balanced Boards and executive leadership teams delivering stronger revenue and profit-growth trends

SINGAPORE, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — House of Rose Professional® (HORP) – The Global Leadership Company™ today announced that several leaders selected for the 2026 Break the ceiling touch the sky® Asia’s Most Inspirational Women in Leadership listing, together with 2026 Global Male Champions for Gender Equality, will lead as speakers and mentors at the 2026 World Edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky®, to be held October 12, 2026 at Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore.

HORP’s Asia’s Most Inspirational Women in Leadership research evaluates 3,500 women leaders across 500 companies in Asia, identifying women whose leadership, business impact and example can inspire other leaders to succeed. There is no nomination or entry fee for consideration or recognition.

Several of the inspirational women selected through the 2026 research will be recognized in person at the Oct. 12 World Edition and will contribute as speakers and mentors alongside some of the region’s leading CEOs, C-suite executives, Board Directors and male allies.

The 43rd international edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky® will bring together approximately 250 senior executives and entrepreneurs from across industries to exchange best practices on leadership, business growth, AI, talent, inclusion and the advancement of women. The summit provides leaders with the opportunity to learn directly from successful CEOs, C-suite executives, Board Directors, male allies and women leaders—and translate the practices of companies making the greatest progress into action within their own organizations. DFI Retail Group and CEOSource® are Platinum sponsors for this edition of the summit.

House of Rose Professional® is inviting women leaders, male allies and organizations committed to gender-balanced, high-performance leadership to join these leaders at the Oct. 12 World Edition in Singapore.

Among the 2026 Inspirational Women and Global Male Champions leading as speakers on Oct. 12 are:

Billie Tan, President, International Sales and Solutions, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, UPS; Bita Seow, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce; Joanne Soo, member of the Singapore all-women team that successfully summited Mount Everest and Managing Director, Ace Adventure Expeditions Pte. Ltd.; Jerrica Chooi, Country Holding Officer, Singapore, ABB; Joy Jinghui Xu, Group Chief People and Culture Officer, DFI Retail Group; Judit Pach, former Ambassador of Hungary to Singapore and Brunei Darussalam and Advisor, MET Group; Ingrid Lorentz Sidiadinoto, Senior Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, UPS; Yanyan Ji, General Manager of Philip Morris Taiwan and Preeti Arora Razdan, CEO, Southeast Asia, Diageo.

Male allies and business leaders participating include Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group; Bijoy Sagar, EVP and Chief Information Technology and Digital Transformation Officer, Bayer; Nikesh (Nik) Mehta, British High Commissioner to Singapore; KV Rao, Chairman and Director, Tata International Singapore Pte. Ltd.; Steven Okun, Founder and CEO, APAC Advisors (Singapore); Alex von Behr, President, VBAssociates, former Global Chief Customer Officer and head of the CEOSmith® Executive coaching vertical at House of Rose Professional,  Unilever Plc.; Vijayanand Sinha, former Regional CEO & SVP – ASEAN, Reckitt; Philip Forrest, former Asia Head, ANZ Bank, and Independent Director, James Cook University, Readymix Holdings International and Grand Banks Yachts Limited; and Brian Peters, former Mr. Universe. 

GENDER-BALANCED LEADERSHIP LINKED TO STRONGER BUSINESS-PERFORMANCE TRENDS

House of Rose Professional® also announced that companies with more gender-balanced Boards and executive leadership teams have consistently delivered stronger revenue and profit-growth trends over the past few years, according to its proprietary Break the ceiling touch the sky® 101 Best Global Companies for Women in Leadership – BTC 101 Global Index research for the period 2020–2026.

The BTC 101 Global Index provides baseline research for House of Rose Professional®’s MISSION 2029 FOR A BETTER WORLD—its global initiative to advance better inclusion, better leadership, better business and a better world.

In 2020, a company at the threshold of the BTC 101 Global Index had 22.2% women at C-suite and Board levels. By 2026, that threshold had increased to 35.71%—an increase of more than 60% in women’s representation at the entry point to the world’s 101 highest-ranked global companies for women in leadership.

House of Rose Professional® has reviewed more than 60,000 C-suite and Board executives across the Fortune Global 500 over the seven-year period from 2020 to 2026.

The 2026 BTC 101 Global Index analysis points to a clear association between gender-balanced leadership and stronger business-performance trends:

• 73% of Index companies reported year-over-year revenue growth, compared with 60% of non-Index companies.
• 52% of Index companies reported year-over-year profit growth, compared with 47% of non-Index companies.
• Among the bottom 100 non-Index companies, only 48% reported year-over-year revenue growth and 44% reported profit growth.

The progress is broad-based. Leaders in the 2026 BTC 101 Global Index span 38 industries, including banking, pharmaceuticals, retail, energy, petroleum refining, telecommunications, insurance, healthcare, motor vehicles, food services, household and personal products, package and freight delivery, and aerospace and defence.

The findings reinforce the growing body of evidence that organizations which draw leadership talent more broadly are also building stronger, more competitive businesses. House of Rose Professional® believes organizations seeking to win in a rapidly changing world should continue investing in gender-balanced, high-performance leadership as an important driver of business success.

At the same time, the 2026 data delivers an important warning: for the first time in seven years, progress on gender balance at the top of the world’s 500 largest companies has stalled.

Anthony A. Rose, Chairman and CEO, House of Rose Professional®, and best-selling author of “Break the ceiling touch the sky®: success secrets of the world’s most inspirational women”  (the book which inspired the summit) said: 

“The data tells us two things very clearly. First, the world’s largest companies have made significant progress. The threshold for entering our BTC 101 Global Index has risen from 22.2% women at C-suite and Board level in 2020 to 35.71% in 2026. Second, the companies leading this progress are also delivering stronger business-performance trends.

At a time when support for advancing women is facing new headwinds, now is not the time to stop. It is the time to learn from what is working and accelerate for business and organizational impact.

We are delighted to welcome our inspirational women leaders and male allies to the Oct. 12 summit and encourage organizations and leaders committed to business growth and high-performance, gender-balanced leadership to join us.”

Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group, said:

“A majority of our customers are female. We are a leading Asian retailer delivering quality, value and exceptional service through leading brands, a compelling retail experience and a commitment to sustainability. We are focused on helping our customers make the most of every dollar they spend with us. Unleashing a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to this mission. We benefit from sharing our leadership best practices and also learning from the best practices of other great companies participating at Break the ceiling touch the sky®.”

Nishi Vasudeva, former Chairman & Managing Director, HPCL; Independent Director, L&T Finance, Tata Power Renewable Energy and CRISIL; and Senior Advisor, House of Rose Professional®, said:

“The advantages of gender-balanced leadership have been extensively documented, with a clear takeaway: gender-balanced companies deliver better on business, growth and social impact. The world’s largest and most respected companies are becoming increasingly gender-balanced at the top. Break the ceiling touch the sky® provides an important opportunity for successful leaders to share best practices and invest not just in women, but in stronger, more sustainable businesses.”

Rose added. 

“Progress has happened because leaders acted. The next chapter will be determined by whether we continue to invest in talent based on potential, performance and opportunity. October 12 is about bringing together the leaders who believe better leadership builds better businesses—and ultimately a better world.”

JOIN THE 2026 WORLD EDITION – OCTOBER 12, SINGAPORE

The 2026 World Edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky® takes place on October 12, 2026 at Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore.

DFI Retail Group and CEOSource® lead as Platinum Sponsors. The summit is endorsed by leading Industry Partners including Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, AMCHAM, BRITCHAM, EUROCHAM, FRENCHAM, SWISSCHAM, NZ CHAMBER, CANCHAM, CEEC and EU-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL.

House of Rose Professional® encourages the 2026 Inspirational Women, Global Male Champions, their colleagues and organizations, and leaders from across the world to register and participate in the World Edition.

Speakers, agenda and registration:
https://houseofroseprofessional.com/world-edition-2026/

About House of Rose Professional®

House of Rose Professional® – The Global Leadership Company™ builds the world’s best leaders to build the world’s best businesses and a better world through its integrated portfolio across Talent, Training and Transformation.

Its portfolio includes Break the ceiling touch the sky®, its global success and leadership platform for women and all allies; CEOSource®, its premium retained executive search business focused on CEO, Board and C-suite appointments; BeliEVE®, its specialist executive search brand focused on exceptional women leaders; and CEOSmith®, its executive coaching and leadership transformation practice.

House of Rose Professional® has empowered more than 70,000 leaders across over 750 organizations worldwide since 2014, working with leading organizations across the Americas, Asia, the Middle East & Africa, Europe and ANZ.

MEDIA/ BUSINESS CONTACT

Anthony A. Rose
Chairman & CEO
House of Rose Professional®
[email protected]

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SOURCE House of Rose Professional®

-A Chinese Startup Enters the Global RSI Race.

BEIJING, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Apex Intelligence has completed its angel and angel-plus funding rounds, raising nearly US$50 Million in total. The angel round was co-led by IDG Capital, LinkX Capital and XtalPi, with participation from Decent Capital, SEE Fund, Monad Ventures, and Winsoul Capital. The angel-plus round was co-led by Zhongguancun Science City Fund, SCGC, and Shanghai Engine Fund.

Founded in June 2026, Apex Intelligence is building the next generation of self-evolving foundation models. Self-evolution refers to Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI), or models improving themselves. With a focus on scientific research and discovery, the company aims to move AI from an assistive tool to a co-researcher, and from accelerating what is known to discovering what is unknown.

Apex Intelligence will also visit leading North American universities—including Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, and Boston University—from September 17 to September 23 to meet with students, researchers, and academic research groups for talent recruitment and research collaboration.

AI’s Next Frontier Is Research

Centuries of technological progress have unfolded through successive S-curves opened up by scientific breakthroughs. Each S-curve spans three stages: scientific breakthroughs, research discoveries, and engineering implementation. Most AI today remains focused on engineering and execution, while the scarce breakthroughs in science and research still depend heavily on humans.

Apex Intelligence believes the next technological revolution will center on AI becoming a co-researcher and a native research engine—one that goes beyond accelerating familiar work to actively discovering unexplored directions. Research is the core driving force behind RSI.

Building AI Researchers, Not Just AI Assistants

Apex Intelligence believes that advancing AI’s general intelligence in R&D requires model training. Specifically, through mid-training and post-training, the company guides models to generate creative ideas and autonomously carry out the entire cycle of self-improvement: hypothesis, experimentation, validation, and iteration.

Over the long term, Apex Intelligence aims to build self-evolving foundation models whose collective research capabilities match, and progressively surpass, those of 100,000 top-tier AI scientists spanning disciplines, forming a scalable network of AI researchers. This is a long-term vision and goal, and the company is working toward it step by step. It represents a fundamental shift in the R&D paradigm, rather than an incremental improvement in efficiency. Potential applications span any field where R&D workflows can be structured and outcomes measured, including chip design and simulation, molecular R&D, and quantitative strategy iteration. These fields share three characteristics: high value, intensive demands on human expertise, and costly trial and error.

Apex Intelligence’s Self-Evolving AI System Approaches Capabilities of Leading Human Researchers

Apex Intelligence’s self-evolving AI system has delivered encouraging results in both AI for AI and AI for Math.

AI for AI

The system has autonomously produced research of a standard suitable for acceptance at leading AI conferences, demonstrating capabilities comparable to those of an AI PhD student. It has also autonomously achieved more accurate decisions before training, better strategies during training, and optimizations to the underlying GPU kernels. Across SimpleTES, NanoChat Autoresearch, GPUMode TriMul, and MLS-Bench, it has set new records or approached the best publicly reported results, outperforming solutions developed by or with contributions from Recursive Superintelligence, Tencent Hunyuan, Stanford, NVIDIA, and other organizations.

AI for Math

The AI system has produced a complete proof of the majorization conjecture, which had remained open for more than three decades, and achieved multiple breakthroughs in optimization theory, geometric topology, and other areas.

Apex Intelligence was founded by Yongchao Chen, an assistant professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Artificial Intelligence. His undergraduate and graduate education spans the University of Science and Technology of China and a joint Harvard–MIT training program. He has conducted research at Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and the MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab. The core team comes from leading universities including Tsinghua, Peking University, Harvard, and MIT.

Looking ahead, Apex Intelligence will continue investing in foundation models and compute, advance the training and iteration of recursively self-improving foundation models, build a high-quality research trajectory data infrastructure, and attract top talent from around the world. Guided by its founding mission to “Unlock Undiscovered Discovery,” the company is working to move AI from reproducing existing knowledge to autonomous scientific discovery.

Founder Quotes

“I have always believed that models taught by humans are ultimately limited by humans themselves. When we align them to human preferences, we lock their intelligence ceiling at our own level. No matter how much compute and data we add, we are only making them better at retaining existing knowledge. The limits of true intelligence can only be defined by the objective world. The first generation of large models replaces white-collar workers; embodied AI replaces blue-collar workers; and ASI will replace humanity’s most accomplished scientists. That moment will come sooner or later. Our job is to bring it closer.”

— Yongchao Chen, Founder of Apex Intelligence

About Apex Intelligence

Founded in June 2026, Apex Intelligence is a Beijing, China-based self-evolving foundation model company focused on next-generation industrial intelligence through recursive self-improvement.

For more information, please visit: https://apexin.ai/

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SOURCE Apex Intelligence

Annual regional training highlights U.S. Soy’s role in high‑performance, sustainable aquafeeds

BALI, Indonesia, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) delivered two aquaculture feed formulation workshops in Bali recently, convening commercial aquafeed formulators and nutritionists from Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. The programs strengthened collaboration across markets and equipped participants with commercially applicable approaches to designing high‑quality, nutritionally targeted aquafeeds that support efficient and sustainable aquaculture production.

Aquaculture is a major growth engine across Asia, accounting for over 90% of global aquaculture output^[1]. Countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia are among the world’s leading aquaculture producers, including Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which continue to expand production to meet rising demand for affordable, high‑quality protein. For the 2025/26 marketing year, total U.S. soybean exports to Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam reached 4.65 million metric tons, while soybean meal exports totaled 1 million metric tons^[2] to date. These figures underscore the region’s growing reliance on high‑quality, consistent ingredients that support efficient feed production and sustainable aquaculture growth.

Held in August, the 4^th Annual Bangladesh Aquaculture Feed Formulation Workshop and the 12^th Southeast Asia Aquaculture Feed Formulation Workshop brought together participants from across the region for technical presentations, hands‑on formulation training and strategic discussions. Through guided exercises and real‑world commercial formulation scenarios, participants strengthened their formulation capability and gained practical experience applying technical concepts to feed design and how these link to improved aquaculture production.

U.S. Soy: A Reliable, Sustainable Ingredient for Modern Aquafeeds

Across both workshops, participants examined ingredient performance, supply reliability, and sustainability considerations — including the value of U.S. Soy’s consistent nutritional quality, verified sustainability profile, and strong technical support. Sessions reinforced how responsibly sourced ingredients contribute to feed efficiency, environmental stewardship, and long‑term industry resilience.

U.S. soybean farmers Brent Gatton of Kentucky and Thomas Frisch of Minnesota shared firsthand insights on sustainable U.S. soybean production and on‑farm practices that support dependable supply — a key foundation for feed manufacturers aiming to deliver consistent, high‑quality formulations.

Aquaculture Feed Formulation Workshops

The Bangladesh and Southeast Asia workshops provided a regional platform for strengthening feed formulation capability and building shared understanding across Asia’s aquaculture sector. Participants from Bangladesh and from Southeast Asia — including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — took part in programs focused on the use of reliable ingredients such as U.S. Soy in modern feed development.

Across both workshops, participants examined how key ingredients contribute to feed performance, how production processes influence feed quality, and how evolving industry needs shape formulation choices. Sessions also introduced emerging digital tools that support more consistent, efficient feed development. These discussions helped participants strengthen how they evaluate options, balance cost and performance, and adopt approaches that support both day‑to‑day production and long‑term industry growth.

Carlos Salinas, USSEC East Asia’s Executive Director, emphasized the importance of strengthening formulation capability across the region. “Twelve years of the Southeast Asia workshop, and now a fourth year in Bangladesh, show how far formulation capability in this region has come. What made Bali different was having formulators from eight markets, global nutritionists and U.S. soybean farmers working through real commercial formulation problems together. That is where U.S. Soy earns its place in a feed: not as a commodity, but as a consistent, verified ingredient that formulators can build a performance-focused diet around.”

Global Expertise, Regional Impact

This year’s workshops also drew on global expertise, featuring leading aquaculture nutritionists and technical specialists who contributed broader perspectives on formulation trends, ingredient innovation, and evolving feed technologies. Among them was Dr. Brett Glencross, Technical Director at IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation, who shared insights on ingredient performance and the role of responsibly sourced raw materials in modern aquafeed development.

This year’s workshops featured around 25 technical presentations, including contributions from many commercial companies that shared insights on aquaculture formulation and practical approaches used across the aquafeed industry. The breadth of perspectives helped participants understand how different organizations navigate evolving formulation needs and industry conditions, strengthening the overall technical depth of the program.

Speaking on the region’s shift toward more advanced feed development, Lukas Manomaitis, USSEC East Asia’s Aquaculture Lead, emphasized the importance of practical, commercially grounded formulation skills. “Across South and Southeast Asia, formulators are moving toward more advanced, performance‑focused feed development. Our goal is to help them formulate high‑quality, targeted feeds using responsible, reliable ingredients. The strong engagement we saw in Bali reflects the region’s commitment to adopting more sustainable, efficient approaches to aquaculture.”

Advancing Collaboration Across Asia

The workshops underscore USSEC’s commitment to supporting aquaculture growth across Asia through shared expertise and strong partnerships across the aquaculture value chain. As the sector continues to evolve globally, ongoing technical collaboration and formulation training remain essential to building more resilient aquaculture systems.

About USSEC

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) focuses on attaining market access, differentiating, and elevating preference for the use of U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in more than 90 countries. USSEC members represent the soy supply chain including U.S. Soy farmers, processors, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses, and agricultural organizations. USSEC is funded by the Soy Checkoff, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) matching funds, and industry. Visit www.ussec.org for the latest information about USSEC and U.S. Soy internationally.  

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SOURCE U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)

• 78% organizations prioritize restoring systems over maintaining business operations
• Only 22% have tested how critical operations would continue during recovery
• Just 3% say current plans are equipped for frontier AI threats

SINGAPORE, Sept. 17, 2026  /PRNewswire/ — Cohesity, the leader in AI and data security, today released its fifth annual Cohesity Global Cyber Resilience Report, finding that 78% of organizations focus cyber recovery efforts on restoring systems rather than maintaining business operations. Restoring systems alone, however, does not guarantee a business can resume normal operations. Recovery depends on more, including whether restored environments can be verified as clean and safe, applications and dependencies are functioning properly, and employees have reliable access to systems and data.  

The independent study, conducted by Vanson Bourne, surveyed 3,200 IT and security decision-makers across 12 countries. The research examined where recovery plans fall short during actual attacks, how organizations define business continuity during recovery, and how well current plans account for AI systems and emerging frontier AI threats. The findings were announced at Cohesity Catalyst 2026.

“The research makes clear that many organizations still view recovery as a technology exercise when it is fundamentally a business imperative,” said Vasu Murthy, chief product officer, Cohesity. “True resilience is measured by an organization’s ability to continue operating, meet customer commitments, and recover quickly during a cyber crisis. AI makes the challenge more urgent by increasing the speed of attacks while adding new systems, data, and workflows. That same speed and scale is why AI also has to be part of the answer — strengthening how organizations detect, recover, and restore trust at machine speed.”

Restoring systems does not mean the business has recovered

The research found that organizations may struggle to resume normal operations even after systems are restored. Among those that experienced a material cyberattack in the past 12 months, 60% encountered moderate or significant delays because they lacked confidence that restored data and systems were clean and safe to use. Sixty percent also reported identity or access issues after systems were restored.

The scope of affected systems expanded beyond the initial assessment for 70% of those organizations. At the same time, an average of 61% identified moderate or significant gaps in how their plans accounted for cloud infrastructure, SaaS applications, identity services, security tooling, third-party integrations, and AI systems. For recovery teams, changes in scope or incomplete dependency information can affect what is restored, in what order, and what must be revisited as the response progresses.

These recovery complications are significant because most plans depend on conditions that may not hold during an actual attack. Across the full sample of surveyed organizations, 93% said their cyber response and recovery plans rely on all five assumptions examined in the research: containment, dependency visibility, recovery sequencing, decision-making clarity, and trusted restoration.

The business side of recovery is rarely formalized and tested

A Minimum Viable Company (MVC) helps organizations narrow the scope of recovery to minimize business disruption by defining what must be restored first. While 37% of research participants have formally documented an MVC, only 22% have both documented and tested it. Among that group, 64% said their MVC directly determined what was prioritized and restored first during a material cyberattack. The findings suggest that defining and testing an MVC can influence recovery priorities, but only if organizations operationalize it during an attack.

AI is becoming operational before it becomes recoverable

Recovery priorities must also account for the technologies the business increasingly depends on. The research found that although AI is widely used, it is not yet comprehensively addressed in most recovery plans. AI systems, applications, workflows, or machine learning models are now used by 99% of organizations, yet only 39% say their cyber response and recovery plans comprehensively account for attacks targeting them.

Organizations also reported readiness gaps when responding to AI-related incidents, with 56% saying they are not well prepared to detect, contain, and recover from unintended or incorrect actions taken by AI agents, copilots, or AI workflows. Similarly, confidence in verifying the integrity of AI models and related data following a cyberattack was low, with 58% reporting they were not very confident.

Frontier AI raises the stakes for recovery planning

Organizations expect frontier AI to place further pressure on existing recovery approaches. Eighty-three percent said their plans would require moderate or significant changes to address attacks involving capabilities such as vulnerability discovery, exploit development, and multi-step intrusions. Only 3% of respondents said their current recovery plans are equipped for those conditions.

Download the full Cohesity Global Cyber Resilience Report for deeper insights into cyber response and recovery, operational resilience, and AI readiness.

Methodology: Cohesity commissioned Vanson Bourne to survey 3,200 IT and security decision-makers at organizations with 1,000 or more employees across Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States in July 2026. For the purposes of this research, a material cyberattack was defined as having a measurable financial, reputation, operational and/or customer churn impact on their organization.

About Cohesity

Cohesity protects, secures, and provides insights into the world’s data. As the leader in AI and data security, Cohesity helps organizations strengthen resilience, accelerate recovery, and reduce IT costs. With Zero Trust security and advanced AI/ML, Cohesity Data Cloud is trusted by customers in more than 140 countries, including two-thirds of the Global 500. Cohesity is also backed by industry leaders such as NVIDIA, Amazon, Google, IBM, Cisco, and HPE.  

Cohesity is certified as a Great Place to Work in multiple countries. Follow Cohesity on LinkedIn and visit www.cohesity.com to learn more.   

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SOURCE Cohesity

New Reeracoen Group x Rakuten Insight survey finds Vietnam leading six ASEAN markets in hiring expansion and consumer optimism, while AI and automation emerge as the top career-change motivator

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vietnam has emerged as ASEAN’s strongest growth story, according to new findings from The Great Restructuring: ASEAN Consumer & Business Pulse Survey 2026, published by Reeracoen Group, a leading Asia-based recruitment and HR solutions group, in partnership with Rakuten Insight.

Among the six ASEAN markets surveyed, Vietnam recorded the highest consumer optimism at 48%, the highest proportion of businesses reporting improving revenue at 46% and the highest hiring-expansion rate at 16%. At the same time, AI and automation have become a notable workforce signal, ranking as the leading career-change motivator among Vietnamese respondents considering a move.

Growth and hiring momentum

The report’s business data reinforces the positive outlook. 59% of business leaders are confident about the business outlook, while only 4% see limited opportunities. A further 27% of businesses are increasing investment, the second-highest proportion in ASEAN, behind Thailand.

Further strengthening resilience, 43% of Vietnamese businesses cite supply chain diversification as a response to uncertainty—the highest proportion among the six markets surveyed.

Masato Sekine, Country Manager, Reeracoen Vietnam, said:

“Vietnam’s strong business confidence and hiring momentum present significant opportunities, but companies that invest early in attracting and developing skilled talent will be best placed for long-term growth.”

Technology-driven career decisions

Technology is also becoming a factor in how Vietnamese consumers think about their careers. Among the 20% considering a career change, 39% cite AI and automation as their primary motivator, marginally ahead of income growth and work-life balance at 37% each—the only market where AI and automation rank first among career-change motivations.

Optimism Remains Strong

Economic concerns remain present, but Vietnamese consumers are comparatively more positive about what lies ahead. While 73% report economic worry, this is the lowest rate among the six markets surveyed. Vietnam also records the region’s lowest consumer pessimism at 13%, alongside its highest optimism at 48%.

Vietnamese consumers are also taking a measured approach to their finances. Saving is the top financial response at 65%—the highest in ASEAN—followed by seeking additional income at 55%. While 83% say they are spending more cautiously, half describe that change as moderate, compared with 33% who are being much more cautious.

Peh Cher Fern, Sales Director, Southeast Asia, Rakuten Insight, said:

“Vietnam stands out in the survey for the positive signals seen across both consumers and businesses. Consumer optimism is the highest among the six markets surveyed, while businesses report strong revenue improvement and hiring expansion. At the same time, AI is emerging as an important factor in career decisions, highlighting how economic confidence and workforce change are developing together.”

For the full six-market findings, including country-by-country profiles and a Leadership Playbook of eight strategic priorities for regional expansion, download The Great Restructuring: ASEAN Consumer & Business Pulse Survey 2026.

Download the report at: https://www.reeracoen.com.vn/en/events/the-great-restructuring-asean-consumer-business-pulse-survey-2026-client?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=CTA&utm_id=asean-study-2026

About Reeracoen Group

Reeracoen is a leading Asia-based recruitment and HR solutions group, connecting talent with forward-thinking organisations across the region. With 9 offices across 6 major Asian markets, Reeracoen combines deep local market expertise with cross-border recruitment capabilities to support sustainable business growth.

Beyond recruitment, Reeracoen provides market intelligence, workforce insights, salary research, and employer advisory services, helping organisations make informed talent and business decisions in an evolving regional economy.

Reeracoen’s commitment to service excellence has been recognised through multiple industry awards, including Best Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency (2025, 2026), Client Service Excellence Award (2026), Best International Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency (2024), and Best Executive Recruitment Agency (2024).

For more information, visit https://www.reeracoen.com.vn.

About Rakuten Insight, Inc.

Rakuten Insight, Inc. is a wholly owned online market research subsidiary of Rakuten Group, Inc., a global leader in internet services headquartered in Tokyo.

Established in 1997 as AIP Corporation and integrated into the Rakuten Group in 2014, Rakuten Insight operates a research panel focused on 12 major Asian markets and the United States, with a panel network spanning 60 countries and regions.

With offices in 11 countries and regions, the company provides market research for more than 500 leading companies worldwide. Rakuten Insight Singapore serves as a regional hub providing multi-lingual and multi-functional operational support for clients across Southeast Asia.

For more information, visit https://insight.rakuten.com.

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SOURCE Reeracoen Vietnam

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Devexperts, the global software developer for the capital markets, has announced that it is now delivering access to US equity markets for brokers in South Korea, via a single, turnkey solution complete with a front-end trading platform, integrated market data feeds, and full execution services.

The solution is powered by Devexperts’ flagship, off-the-shelf trading platform, DXtrade. It features an end-to-end US equities trading software stack, including US market data feeds from Devexperts’ own market data provider, dxFeed, as well as integrated execution services.

The complete turnkey framework promises a faster time to market, with the ability to embed directly and seamlessly with brokers’ existing ecosystems. As a comprehensive technology suite, it also means brokers can rely on one point of contact for the technology’s complete delivery and maintenance.

The solution provides brokers in South Korea with the opportunity to swiftly position themselves to meet the demands of the country’s growing US equities retail trader and investor base. Indeed, estimates suggest retail investors in South Korea are already investing several billions of dollars in US stocks each month.

Jon Light, Senior Director of Product Management at Devexperts, says: “The retail investor community in South Korea is taking a very clear interest in the US market. As such, we are pleased to offer brokers in South Korea a complete US equities turnkey solution – including trading platform, market data delivery, and execution services – that enables them to quickly and efficiently deliver the access to US stocks their clients are looking for. Our end-to-end off-the-shelf US equities solution is the only one of its kind and we are excited to be bringing its benefits to the South Korean capital markets.”

DXtrade is a white-label trading platform solution that allows for full broker branding and customization. It additionally includes industry-standard APIs for seamless integrations with third parties.

The platform is available for web and mobile, as well as via a white-label mobile app for iOS and Android.

dxFeed is a leading global market data, financial services, and AI- and IaaS-driven solutions provider for the global capital markets, brokerages, prop traders, exchanges, professional traders, and academic institutions worldwide.

About Devexperts 

Devexperts is a software development company that has been serving the needs of capital markets since 2002. To find out more, please visit: https://devexperts.com/.

[email protected]

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SOURCE Devexperts

SYDNEY, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TMGM is strengthening its support for para sport in Vanuatu through a three-year partnership with the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee (VPC), supporting initiatives that expand participation and create development pathways for people with disabilities.

The partnership was recently marked at the Vanuatu National Games para-sport awards ceremony on 9 September, where Prime Minister Jotham Napat joined the sporting community in recognising the achievements of participating athletes. The occasion also provided an opportunity for TMGM to reaffirm its commitment to VPC while joining the presentation of awards to athletes.

Running from 2026 to 2028, the partnership provides annual support for VPC’s programmed initiatives, with a focus on sustained development beyond individual competitions. The collaboration comes as Vanuatu continues to build its presence in international para sport, including its recent representation in Para Powerlifting at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Across Vanuatu’s geographically dispersed communities, VPC has worked to expand access through initiatives including its Hub & Spoke programme. Recognised by the International Paralympic Committee, the model develops local coaching capacity and connects athletes across four provinces with training, classification and competition opportunities.

“Our partnership with VPC reflects our belief that meaningful progress is built over time. International competition is an important milestone, but developing para sport requires sustained access to coaching, participation and opportunities to progress. We are proud to support VPC as it continues building these pathways,” said TMGM.

The partnership reflects TMGM’s broader commitment to supporting locally relevant initiatives across Asia-Pacific.

About TMGM

Founded in 2013 in Sydney, Australia, TMGM Group is the Official Regional Partner of Chelsea Football Club. As a broker providing global financial product trading, TMGM is regulated by ASIC (Australia), VFSC (Vanuatu), FSC Mauritius, and FSA (Seychelles).

Disclaimer: Investing in leveraged products carries high risks and is not suitable for all investors. You have no interest in the underlying asset. Read the Client Agreement and other disclosure documents set forth on our website. The above information is provided by TMGM Group (Trademax Australia Limited, ABN 76 162 331 311, AFSL 436416, Trademax Global Markets (SE) Limited, FSA licence number SD224, Trademax Global Limited, VFSC 40356 & Trademax Global Markets (International) Pty Ltd, Company No. 195323, Mauritius Investment Dealer Licence No. GB22201012). 

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SOURCE TMGM

• Integrates four modules (AIoT devices, monitoring, AI risk management, and insurance) into a single platform spanning every stage from shipment to arrival
• One-stop process: instant alerts when anomalies occur, automatic compliance reports generated in 3 minutes, and insurance payouts

TOKYO and SINGAPORE and LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Willog (Co-CEOs Sung-hoon Bae and Ji-hyun Yoon), an AIoT-based supply chain intelligence solutions company, announced the official launch of its integrated supply chain solution, “Willog Vision,” on September 17.

The Limits of Fragmented Logistics Solutions

In logistics today, data can only be checked after retrieving a USB from a data logger, and audit reports take 30 minutes each to write by hand. Willog addresses this fragmentation at the root with “Willog Vision,” which unifies recording, monitoring, evidence, and insurance on a single set of data.

One Solution, Every Stage

Willog Vision’s slogan is “Evidence in Every Move.” A single company directly develops and operates the AIoT device (Willog Safe), monitoring software (Control Tower), AI intelligence (Intelligence), and logistics insurance (Insurance), connecting all four stages seamlessly on one set of data.

• Willog Safe (Record): Attaches to cargo and warehouses, recording temperature, shock, and location in real time at 1-minute intervals, with no need to retrieve a USB logger
• Control Tower (Response): Instantly alerts the responsible party when an anomaly occurs and automatically logs the response history, with warehouse, sea, and vehicle status on one screen
• Intelligence (Prove): Predicts and diagnoses risk with a built-in AI Assistant, automatically generating GDP, GMP, KGSP, and HACCP compliance reports within 3 minutes, with tamper verification
• Insurance (Compensation): Data-based custom plans with automated claims covering disposal and re-shipment costs, and accelerated insurance payouts

Tailored for Every Industry

Willog Vision applies tailored scenarios across international transport, warehouses, vehicle logistics, and the bio sector, from customs-hold temperature checks to distinguishing false alarms from real risk.

Willog Vision will be rolled out in phases to existing customers, and new customers can apply for a PoC through Willog’s official website.

Sung-hoon Bae, Co-CEO of Willog, said, “Willog Vision connects recording, response, prove, and compensation, freeing logistics managers to focus on strategic decision-making instead of incident handling.”

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SOURCE Willog

• Cementing the event’s place at the centre of global energy growth and dealmaking, Gastech 2026 has seen memoranda of understanding, supply agreements and investment commitments with a combined estimated value of $40 billion USD announced or advanced in Bangkok – dmg events
• Major agreements spanning LNG supply, power generation, upstream development, petrochemicals and shipping show how decisions made at Gastech 2026 are translating directly into new supply, infrastructure and industrial capacity.
• The Strategic Conference continued to advance the discussions on policy, capital and infrastructure that are required to sustain this momentum and deliver secure, affordable and reliable energy at the scale global growth demands.

BANGKOK, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Billions of dollars in energy agreements are moving from discussion to delivery at Gastech 2026. By the end of day three, memoranda of understanding, supply agreements and investment commitments with a combined estimated value of $40 billion USD were announced or advanced in Bangkok, cementing Gastech’s essential role as the global meeting place where the energy industry does business.

The agreements announced and progressed during Gastech 2026 demonstrate the event’s unique ability to turn strategic dialogue into commercial action. Producers, buyers, governments, investors, technology leaders and infrastructure providers are using the event to secure long-term supply, expand power-generation capacity, unlock new resources, strengthen shipping capability and build the infrastructure projects required to meet rising global demand.

These agreements are not simply commercial milestones. Together, they will influence how energy moves across markets, where new capacity is built and how quickly economies can respond to rising electricity consumption, industrial growth and the expansion of AI. Key deals announced or advanced during the first three days include:

• China Gas Holdings and Venture Global LNG announced a landmark 20-year sales and purchase agreement for 0.5 million tonnes per annum of US LNG from 2030, strengthening supply security for one of the world’s largest energy markets.
• GE Vernova and B.Grimm Power signed agreements for natural gas-turbine supply and long-term services, supporting new and existing power-generation capacity in Malaysia & Thailand.
• PETRONAS, PTTEP JDA and the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority formalised a 35-year production-sharing contract and natural gas sales agreement in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area, delivering new natural gas supply to both countries.
• Eni and the Government of Senegal signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the oil potential of five offshore blocks, with the aim of expanding the country’s production of secure and affordable energy.
• Sarawak finalised discussions with Indorama Ventures and Japanese partners on an estimated US$1 billion downstream natural gas and petrochemicals investment in Bintulu, which will strengthen local industrial capacity and create new value from regional resources.
• Samsung Heavy Industries secured a US$1.2 billion order for LNG carriers and crude oil tankers, adding to the fleet capacity required to keep global energy trade moving.
• YPF CEO Horacio Marín announced the company’s plan to sign two or three LNG sales agreements for its proposed Argentina LNG export project.

Alongside this industry-defining commercial activity, Gastech’s Strategic Conference continued to drive high-level conversations on the future of energy security, reliability and affordability. Across the programme, energy ministers, CEOs, policymakers, investors and technology leaders examined the policy, infrastructure and delivery strategies that will allow energy systems to grow with the speed and resilience required to support the world’s expanding population and economies.

The ministerial session titled ‘Africa Takes Power: Control, Sovereignty and Growth’ explored how African nations can convert energy potential into industrial growth, greater energy access and long-term economic value. Speakers considered the partnerships and investment models needed to ensure that resource development strengthens national resilience while opening new supply opportunities for international markets. Hon. Yeukai Simbanegavi, Deputy Minister for Energy & Power Development, Zimbabwe, stated:

“Over the years, we have been relying on imports from other nations, but recently we have discovered oil in the northern part of Zimbabwe. We are working with investors, but we still need more people to come and work with us. We need to upgrade our national grid so that investors can have the correct infrastructure in place to be able to market their investments.”

The need for unprecedented infrastructure investment across the value chain was emphasised by government leaders and energy executives throughout the event’s Strategic Conference. During the session ‘Building Energy Security: The Global Race to Deliver Natural Gas Infrastructure’, which examined the pipelines, processing facilities, LNG terminals and power infrastructure required to turn natural gas into reliable energy for homes, cities and growing economies, Paul Marsden, President, Bechtel Energy, said:

“I think predictability is becoming more important in the development of large capital infrastructure. We need to know where the molecule is going to be produced and when, so we can place bets on that. People who are cooking food and heating their homes rely on fuel arriving at a predictable time and being affordable.”

The call for greater capital mobilisation and infrastructure development was echoed during the session ‘Advancing Sustainable Maritime Infrastructure and Fleet Capacity’, as James Sagar, CEO, Hanwha Shipping, explained how the maritime sector can expand the ships, ports and logistics systems needed to support reliable international energy trade, while improving the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of critical natural gas supply chains. He stated:

“Shipping is a long-term investment. It should be grounded in discipline. How do you maintain the value of an asset over 20 or 30 years? You have to finance it and work with both the supply side and the demand side. When it comes to regulation, we need to ensure that the right technology is in place throughout the life of that ship. It all starts with partnerships and collaboration.”

Maintaining the central role of natural gas in an evolving energy mix will depend on how effectively the industry reduces emissions across its value chain. The session ‘Capturing the Lost Opportunity: Driving Global Alignment on Methane Abatement Across Natural Gas Supply Chains’ considered how stronger measurement, shared standards and technology deployment can reduce methane emissions and enhance the long-term competitiveness of natural gas. Adeleye Falade, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria LNG, stated:

“I think the first place to start is to redefine what methane is: every tonne of methane is a lost opportunity, not just from a volume point of view, but also from the value point of view. Once you get to the point of being able to measure it, the business case becomes very clear.”

With one day remaining, Gastech 2026 continues to demonstrate how commercial partnerships and strategic collaboration must advance together to deliver on the world’s fast-growing and increasingly complex energy needs. The agreements concluded in Bangkok will set the stage for how the industry responds to the opportunities and challenges presented by an evolving global economy, ensuring that both emerging and established markets have the secure, reliable and affordable energy they need to keep growing with confidence.  

About Gastech

Gastech is the world’s largest exhibition and conference for natural gas, LNG, low-carbon solutions, hydrogen, shipping, AI for energy and electrification. Gastech 2026 is expected to welcome more than 50,000 attendees from over 150 countries, 800+ exhibiting companies and 800+ speakers.

For further information and registration, visit the official Gastech website. https://www.gastechevent.com 

For media accreditation, visit the Gastech media centre. Register here 

About dmg events

Since 1989, dmg events has created connections that enable growth by bringing together global industries, governments and innovators to drive collaboration, unlock commercial opportunity and advance meaningful progress across the world’s most important markets. Through high-impact events and strategic partnerships, dmg events supports businesses and communities to navigate change, accelerate innovation and build sustainable success.

Operating from 13 offices worldwide, dmg events delivers more than 30 energy and policy events annually. Across four continents, its leading events, including ADIPEC and Gastech, bring together policymakers, industry leaders, investors and innovators to engage on the priorities shaping the future of energy systems and global markets.

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SOURCE dmg events

• Over 250,000-square-meter facility in Hung Yen supports manufacturing and engineering capabilities for high-speed data center customers
• Second site investment in Vietnam extends operations, adding more than 10,000 new jobs in high-tech manufacturing
• Spacious, modern amenities and energy-efficient building design promotes employee well-being and operational efficiency

HUNG YEN, Vietnam, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, announced today an opening ceremony marking the completion of the initial building phase of its expanded manufacturing plant in Hung Yen, Vietnam. Located in Thang Long Industrial Park II, the new 250,000-square-meter facility offers high-tech manufacturing, engineering and quality assurance capabilities to support high-speed data center customers. As Molex’s second site in Vietnam, the Hung Yen plant currently employs nearly 5,000 people and is expected to grow to 8,000 employees by the end of 2026.

“For nearly 20 years, Vietnam has been an outstanding location for our operations and investment, enabling Molex to better serve our global customers,” said Joe Nelligan, CEO, Molex. “We value the exceptional pool of local talent and look forward to scaling our workforce for long-term growth.”

The expanded Hung Yen site joins Molex’s 28,000-square-meter Hanoi plant, which has been in operation since 2007 and employs 1,000 people. Both sites integrate engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and support functions while fostering local career and skills development in modern, employee-focused workplaces. Designed to optimize operational efficiency and reinforce Molex’s commitment to environmental stewardship, both facilities feature advanced energy-saving systems, including on-site solar power, professional power management (PMS) systems, LED lighting, electronic controls and inverter-based air conditioning, all intelligently controlled through the building management system (BMS).

About Molex
Molex is a global electronics leader committed to making the world a better, more-connected place. With a presence in more than 40 countries, Molex enables transformative technology innovation in the consumer device, aerospace and defense, data center, cloud, telecommunications, transportation, industrial automation and healthcare industries. Through trusted customer and industry relationships, unrivaled engineering expertise, and product quality and reliability, Molex realizes the infinite potential of Creating Connections for Life. For more information, visit www.molex.com.

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SOURCE Molex Incorporated