The Front Row Podcast

Professor Jochen Wirtz serves as Vice Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Marketing at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. He holds several prestigious international appointments, including as an international fellow of the Service Research Center at Karlstad University in Sweden, an Academic Scholar at the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures at Cornell University, and a Global Faculty member of the Center for Services Leadership at Arizona State University.In our conversation today, we TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer & Intro00:49 What The Re-Industrialization Hype Misses03:01 Growth Sectors in Services03:21 The Importance Of The Service Economy09:06 How Singapore Emerged As A Services Hub14:50 What Makes An Excellent Service Company20:21 How Singapore Airlines Became Best In The World37:35 The Coming Technological Disruptions In Service Industries38:29 Consolidation Of Services47:28 Artificial Intelligence & Robotics53:00 Economic Implications of AI01:00:40 How does Singapore Stay Ahead 01:06:24 Advice for the Next Generation: Embracing Lifelong LearningThis is the 59th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: keith@frontrow65.coGet access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Gita Wirjawan. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur, investment banker, and philanthropist. He is the Founder and Chairman of Ancora Group, a business group with investments spanning private equity, natural resources, real estate, and sports.Before founding Ancora in 2008, Gita held senior roles in global finance — including Vice President at Citibank Indonesia, Vice President at Goldman Sachs Singapore, and President Director at JP Morgan Indonesia.He is also the host of Endgame with Gita Wirjawan, a podcast by the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, co-produced with Visinema Pictures. Through Endgame, Gita explores ideas and conversations with visionary leaders, uncovering the stories shaping Indonesia’s bright future.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:02 Gita's Entry Into Governance07:16 Revolut Ad08:40 What It Took To 4X Indonesia's FDI18:00 Southeast Asia's Place in Global Consciousness23:45 The Importance of STEM Education for Southeast Asia34:38 The Intellectual Gap Between China And Southeast Asia 36:23 Why China Is More Democratic Than We Think40:13 Is Technology Undermining Democracy?44:00 Shifts in Global World Order49:30 How Polarization Happens in the Digital Age51:30 Southeast Asia's Economic Future56:38 Building ASEAN Consciousness01:01:51 Advice for Future Leaders and Young Southeast AsiansThis is the 58th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: keith@frontrow65.coGet access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Kee Lock. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.This is the 57th episode Of The Front Row PodcastChua Kee Lock is the Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertex Holdings, a Singapore-headquartered global venture capital investment holding company. He also serves as Managing Partner of Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India and as Chairman of the Vertex Growth Fund.Under his leadership, Vertex has grown into a global network of venture capital funds investing in early-stage and growth-stage technology and healthcare companies.As of today - Vertex Holdings has USD 6.8B assets under management and 300+ active portfolio companies. Some of the notable startup successes under their belt include Grab, Patsnap, Nium and Instarem. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro & Trailer01:11 Kee Lock's Exposure to US Tech Ecosystem05:55 Importance of Technical Expertise in VC07:56 Revolut Ad09:22 Revitalizing Vertex Ventures13:34 Why Was Kee Lock Chosen To Run Vertex?14:46 Avoiding the Traps of Silicon Valley17:57 The Importance of Discipline in Venture Capital21:10 The Decentralized Model of Vertex Ventures26:40 Advantage of Decentralization28:42 How It Was Like To Invest In Grab31:15 How To Evaluate Founders35:48 Grading Anthony of Grab39:58 How VCs Value-Add42:47 Future of Startups in SEA46:03 Where Can Singapore Innovate And Lead?49:10 Future of Technology52:33 Disruptive Technologies On The Horizon54:34 How Singapore Can Prepare 55:10 Preparing for a Globalized Future56:12 Advice To A Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: keith@frontrow65.coGet access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Patrick Mcgee. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.(This is also the first sponsorship I have taken since the inception of the podcast. Your support will help me grow the podcast) Patrick McGee is a business journalist who has spent over a decade uncovering the stories behind the technology we use every day. Since 2013, he's written for the Financial Times from Hong Kong, Germany, and California, covering everything from Apple's inner workings to the rise of electric vehicles and the Volkswagen diesel scandal.From 2019 to 2023, Patrick led the FT's coverage of Apple, earning a San Francisco Press Club Award in 2023 for his investigation into the company's HR problems. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, and several other major publications.His first book, Apple in China, draws on more than 200 interviews with former Apple executives and engineers to tell the story of how Apple's decision to build its supply chain in China has increasingly left the company exposed in an age of increased geopolitical tensions between the US and china. Spanning three decades and featuring new details and vivid characters, the book offers a sobering look at Apple's future and the broader state of play in tech and geopolitics. What I like about Apple in China is that it goes beyond the usual executive biographies and fleshes out the increasing convergence between economics, technology and geopolitics. It's both a detailed historical account and an exciting read. TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & Trailer1:42 Why Apple's Manufacturing Legacy Is Misunderstood6:21 A Message From Revolut7:46 How Steve Jobs Lost Manufacturing Control11:35 The Dot-Com Crisis And Its Impact On Apple18:49 America's Post-WWII Economic Transition27:52 Foxconn: The Unsung Partner Behind Apple's Success33:52 Apple Was Ignorant About China38:02 Beijing's Strategy Towards Apple40:48 Apple's Economic Weight In China46:46 Addressing Critiques of Patrick's China Numbers49:42 US-China Interdependence53:37 Why China's Scale Created Unique Challenges57:51 Can Apple Ever Escape China Dependence1:01:40 Advice To A Fresh GraduateThis is the 56th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: keith@frontrow65.coGet access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Kyle Chan.Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.(This is also the first sponsorship I have taken since the inception of the podcast. Your support will help me grow the podcast) Kyle Chan is an American sociologist and postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, as well as an adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation. He is also a 2025 fellow with the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.–China Relations. His research centers on industrial policy, clean technology, and infrastructure in China and India, with work published in journals such as Current Sociology, Asian Survey, and the Chinese Journal of Sociology. Kyle has testified before the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission and contributes to public debates through his widely read newsletter High Capacity and a New York Times op-ed on U.S.–China competition and technology.You can find his newsletter here: https://www.high-capacity.com/about This Is Episode 55 of The Front Row PodcastTimestamps:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:00 The Utility Of Sociology05:34 Revolut Ad07:00 Insights From China's HSR Projects11:17 Understanding The China Shock17:16 Made in China 2025: A Shift in Policy22:24 Divergence From The East Asian Model26:08 Compounding Effects of Overlapping Industries29:25 The Rise of Swiss Army Knife Companies33:02 Why Apple Abandoned EVs37:11 The US Service Economy vs. Manufacturing42:57 Goals for US Industrial Policy43:29 How China Resolves Tech Inequality48:13 US Policy Attempts At Reducing Inequality53:34 Lessons from China's Industrial Policy58:17 Is There An AI Race Between US and China?01:03:58 How China and US Diverge In AI?01:10:16 What Should US-China Relations Be Like?01:17:00 Will America Become Irrelevant?01:24:35 What US' China Strategy Should Be01:26:55 Advice For Fresh Graduates📖 Full episode transcripts: ykeith.com/tag/podcast💬 Join the conversation:Instagram: frontrow.65LinkedIn: Keith YapWebsite: ykeith.comEmail: keith@frontrow65.co🎧 Listen and subscribe for free:Spotify: The Front Row PodcastApple Podcasts: The Front Row Podcast

In a riveting conversation, Kishore Mahbubani, a former diplomat and founding dean at the Lee Kuan Yew School, shares powerful insights on contemporary geopolitics. He reflects on his early experiences in war-torn Cambodia and how they ignited his commitment to peace. Discussing Trump's tariffs, he analyzes their geopolitical repercussions and the allure of protectionism. Kishore emphasizes Asia's rising influence and cautions young Singaporeans about the importance of remaining vigilant and grounded in their success. A thought-provoking dialogue on the changing tides of global politics!

Marc Levinson, an acclaimed economist and historian known for his insightful writing on globalization, dives into the evolution of global trade. He discusses the transformative impact of containerization on commerce, spotlighting Malcolm McLean's innovations. The conversation highlights the transition from physical goods to the exchange of ideas in globalization and addresses the socio-economic effects of automation on workers. Levinson also explores how America can navigate its industrial future while adapting to technological changes in the job market.

Join Tansen Sen, a historian specializing in India-China relations, as he dives into the complexities of these two ancient civilizations. He discusses how Buddhism was integrated into Chinese culture and the historical significance of Nalanda University as a learning hub. Tansen explores the enduring impacts of colonialism on their relationship, emphasizing the importance of cultural exchanges for fostering cooperation. Delving into the past, he also highlights the interconnectedness of India and China and the challenges they face as major global powers today.

Cheong Yip Seng is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Straits Times, Singapore’s flagship English daily, where he led the newsroom for over two decades. Joining the paper as a young journalist, he rose through the ranks to shape its editorial direction during some of Singapore’s most pivotal years. Under his leadership, The Straits Times navigated the complexities of reporting in a young nation, balancing journalistic integrity with national sensitivities.He later chronicled his experiences in his memoir OB Markers: My Straits Times Story, offering a rare insider’s perspective on Singapore’s media–government relationship. Beyond his work in Singapore, he has also been closely involved with media developments across Asia, including advisory roles on the transformation of the South China Morning Post.He recently published his follow-up book, Ink and Influence- arguing that Singapore media can take a more international and geopolitical outlook. 📄 Full Transcript :⁠https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/⁠📲 Let’s Connect:Instagram: ⁠@frontrow.65⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Keith Yap⁠Website: ⁠www.ykeith.com⁠Email: ⁠keith@frontrow65.co⁠🎧 Subscribe for Free:Spotify: ⁠Front Row⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠Front Row⁠

Stephen Witt is a Los Angeles–based investigative journalist and author whose work appears regularly in The New Yorker.His latest book, The Thinking Machine (April 2025), chronicles the extraordinary rise of Nvidia and its CEO Jensen Huang—from immigrant dishwasher to leader of the world’s most valuable company. Stanford’s former computer science chair Bill Dally remarked: “Without Jensen we’d be ten years behind.”Witt’s previous book, How Music Got Free, explored the digital revolution that transformed the music industry and was later adapted into a TV documentary.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer 01:00 How Stephen Got To Jensen Huang06:35 Reading In An Age of Social Media08:15 How NVIDIA Became So Valuable12:25 Jensen Huang's Early Career and Its Impact13:48 Jensen Huang's Early Career17:15 The Secret of NVIDIA's Success18:06 Jensen Huang's Unique Management Style20:41 How LSI Made Him21:51 Why NVIDIA Didn't Make Financial Sense24:52 How NVIDIA Made The AI Transition30:58 How Jensen Leads34:35 How Jensen Evolved Into A Business Leader37:38 How Jensen Knew To Double Down on AI43:53 NVIDIA's Competitive Edge47:36 Current AI Bottleneck48:23 AMD vs NVIDIA50:52 NVIDIA in China52:25 Intel's Downfall56:05 Should We Be Worried About AI60:43 Advice for the Next GenerationFull transcripts: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Connect:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website – www.ykeith.comEmail – keith@frontrow65.coSubscribe:Spotify – https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400