It’s back to the banking industry today as we speak to a Taiwanese bank set up nearly half a century ago. 

Established back in 1975, our guest for today is Cathay United Bank, a subsidiary of Cathay Financial Holdings. 

Cathay Financial Holdings, for context, is a financial conglomerate with businesses spanning insurance, asset management and brokerage, with its Chairman Tsai Hong-tu having a net worth of US$5.3 billion based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Back to Cathay United Bank, the bank boasts 165 branches throughout Taiwan, placing it as one of the leading players in the island when it comes down to credit cards in force as well as transaction volumes. 

Outside of its home market, Cathay United Bank has a presence in 67 overseas locations across mainland China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. 

But what are we speaking to Cathay United Bank you might ask? Well, the bank is an interesting one to look at because it is now expanding its headcount in Singapore, as their clients double down on their operations and presence in the Southeast Asian region. But what should we know about its expansion plans here?

Meanwhile, Cathay United Bank had in May 2024 saw net income increasing 13 per cent on the year to over US$950 million in 2023. But how is its Singapore business faring thus far? Also – what will the focus areas be for the firm’s operations here in Singapore looking ahead?

On Under the Radar, Money Matter’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Winfield Wong, CEO, Cathay United Bank (Singapore).

It&rsquo;s back to the banking industry today as we speak to a Taiwanese bank set up nearly half a century ago.&nbsp;
Established back in 1975, our guest for today is Cathay United Bank, a subsidiary of Cathay Financial Holdings.&nbsp;
Cathay Financial Holdings, for context, is a financial conglomerate with businesses spanning insurance, asset management and brokerage, with its Chairman Tsai Hong-tu having a net worth of US$5.3 billion based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Back to Cathay United Bank, the bank boasts 165 branches throughout Taiwan, placing it as one of the leading players in the island when it comes down to credit cards in force as well as transaction volumes.&nbsp;
Outside of its home market, Cathay United Bank has a presence in 67 overseas locations across mainland China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.&nbsp;
But what are we speaking to Cathay United Bank you might ask? Well, the bank is an interesting one to look at because it is now expanding its headcount in Singapore, as their clients double down on their operations and presence in the Southeast Asian region. But what should we know about its expansion plans here?
Meanwhile, Cathay United Bank had in May 2024 saw net income increasing 13 per cent on the year to over US$950 million in 2023. But how is its Singapore business faring thus far? Also &ndash; what will the focus areas be for the firm&rsquo;s operations here in Singapore looking ahead?
On Under the Radar, Money Matter&rsquo;s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Winfield Wong, CEO, Cathay United Bank (Singapore).

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

Under The Radar

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong is your 4–8pm drive companion, guiding you through the day’s biggest headlines, trending conversations and the issues shaping Singapore and the world.

From news and current affairs to lifestyle insights and generational perspectives, the show helps you make sense of what’s happening — with clarity, context and a touch of personality.

Whether you’re catching up after a long day or tuning in on the move, Your Way Home keeps you informed, engaged and connected — all the way home.

And she closes the day with a song that says it all.

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong is your 4&ndash;8pm drive companion, guiding you through the day&rsquo;s biggest headlines, trending conversations and the issues shaping Singapore and the world.
From news and current affairs to lifestyle insights and generational perspectives, the show helps you make sense of what&rsquo;s happening &mdash; with clarity, context and a touch of personality.
Whether you&rsquo;re catching up after a long day or tuning in on the move, Your Way Home keeps you informed, engaged and connected &mdash; all the way home.
And she closes the day with a song that says it all.

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.

In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore&rsquo;s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.
In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station.

MONEY FM 89.3

Under the Radar: Why is Taiwan-based Cathay United Bank expanding in Singapore?

Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes.

But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm’s technology. 

Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend.

At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race. 

Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes.
But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm&rsquo;s technology.&nbsp;
Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend.
At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race.&nbsp;

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) On the Go from the Singapore Grand Prix 2026 – How are Lenovo’s technologies turbocharging the Formula 1 races? Executives from Lenovo and F1 explain.

Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments. 

Instead of competing with the world’s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches. 

The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its “hub” port in Singapore and other “spoke” ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East.

But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters. 

That flexibility is proving to be important in today’s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher.

For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026.

The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea. 

So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy?

On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping.

Incorporated in 1993 and subsequently listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, Samudera Shipping Line is a shipping company primarily engaged in transporting containerised and non-containerised cargo through its Container Shipping, Bulk and Tanker, as well as Agency and Logistics Business Segments.&nbsp;
Instead of competing with the world&rsquo;s largest shipping companies by size, Samudera Shipping builds its strategy around finding niches.&nbsp;
The maritime logistics player focuses on offering feeder services between its &ldquo;hub&rdquo; port in Singapore and other &ldquo;spoke&rdquo; ports in Asia, with its vessels plying trade routes between ports in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and the Middle East.
But beyond building its own niche, Samudera Shipping also values flexibility for its vessels, with the company owning only about one-third of its fleet. The rest are split between short-term and long-term charters.&nbsp;
That flexibility is proving to be important in today&rsquo;s ever uncertain world, with the Middle East conflict disrupting major shipping routes and pushing freight and insurance costs higher.
For one thing, the firm moved all of its vessels out of the Gulf region when the war in the Middle East broke out in February 2026.
The firm is also big on diversification, having recently expanded its footprint to Europe and South America. It had also in May 2026 launched a new weekly container service that directly connects Japan and South Korea.&nbsp;
So, how effective has it been for Samudera Shipping to build its niche in providing feeder services? How far can Samudera Shipping continue to expand globally without sacrificing the flexibility that has defined its strategy?
On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Bani Mulia, Executive Director and Group CEO, Samudera Shipping.

Under the Radar: How does Samudera Shipping expand while retaining flexibility and its niche in serving intra-Asia feeder routes? Its CEO explains.

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase “flamed-grilled” burgers, or even to “have it your way”? 

For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether. 

The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons. 

Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world’s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs.

It is more notably one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. 

Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years. 

In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International’s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade. 

The firm also launched the Popeye’s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years. 

But perhaps what’s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025. 

Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain’s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035. 

So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now? 

On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC.

What comes to mind when you think of the phrase &ldquo;flamed-grilled&rdquo; burgers, or even to &ldquo;have it your way&rdquo;?&nbsp;
For over seven decades, Burger King built its identity around its freshly flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper. But behind that familiar bite, is a giant food empire altogether.&nbsp;
The brand is part of Restaurant Brands International, a company formed in 2014 following the merger of Burger King and coffee chain Tim Hortons.&nbsp;
Today, the Toronto headquartered company owns four of the world&rsquo;s most prominent fast food chains, namely Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs.
It is more notably one of the world&rsquo;s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly US$49 billion in annual system-wide sales generated across over 33,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories.&nbsp;
Restaurant Brands International is a company to look at not just because of the sheer scale of its operations, but also because of its recent efforts to rejuvenate APAC business in the past three years.&nbsp;
In late October 2022, Restaurant Brands International&rsquo;s subsidiary PLK Apac appointed Fei Siong Group to run the Popeyes fried chicken chain in Singapore after working with Malaysian restaurant operator Revenue Valley for over a decade.&nbsp;
The firm also launched the Popeye&rsquo;s brand in Indonesia and South Korea that same year, and announced a nationwide expansion in China the following year. Then came the year 2023, where its coffee brand Tim Hortons entered the Singapore market, and made a plan to open over 150 outlets in South Korea in five years.&nbsp;
But perhaps what&rsquo;s even more exciting was a move by Restaurant Brands International to buy Burger King China back from Turkish restaurant franchise operator TFI and global private equity firm Cartesian in 2025.&nbsp;
Later that year, the company announced a joint venture with Chinese alternative asset manager CPE to reimagine the next phase of growth for Burger King, with the aim to expand the burger chain&rsquo;s footprint from roughly 1,250 outlets to over 4,000 by 2035.&nbsp;
So why is the firm aggressively expanding in Asia right now?&nbsp;
On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daphne Kuah, Chief Commercial Officer, Restaurant Brands International APAC.

Under the Radar: (SPECIALS) Why is Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons’ parent Restaurant Brands International expanding aggressively in APAC right now?

Under the Radar: Why is Taiwan-based Cathay United Bank expanding in Singapore?

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