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Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) and The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) Host 3rd Edition of Malaysian Banking Conference: Transformative Potential of GenAI in Shaping Future of Malaysian Banking

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Malaysian banking industry is at the forefront of a revolutionary transformation as it embraces the power of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in redefining banking operations, risk management, customer experiences and capacity building. According to Accenture’s Banking in AI 2024 report[1], banks are likely to benefit more from GenAI than any other industry. Effective adoption and scaling of GenAI could lead to a 30% increase in employee productivity and potentially boost revenue by up to 6% in three years. As Malaysian banks embrace GenAI’s advanced capabilities in data analysis, predictive modelling, natural language processing and more, banks can further unlock new avenues for innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction to stay competitive and drive unprecedented innovation across the financial sector.

The third edition of the Malaysian Banking Conference (MBC) themed “Banking in the Era of GenAI — Reshaping Banking, Innovating for the New Economy & Accelerating Sustainability”, organised by AICB and ABM at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 10–11 July 2024, sought to facilitate deeper conversations on the transformative potential of GenAI in shaping the future of banking.

The Conference convened visionaries, founders, thought leaders, industry and technology experts, and AI enthusiasts to explore the key trends, issues and opportunities in reshaping banking operations with GenAI, changing business models and people strategies, the importance of innovation in the new economy, and how fast-changing technologies can facilitate the acceleration of sustainability and transition finance while revolutionising banking practices.

YB Tuan Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia, who delivered the special ministerial address, said, “Digital infrastructure is the backbone of the digital economy. As the AI boom increases global demand for computing power, especially in data-rich sectors like banking and financial services, the need for next-generation data centres grows. Malaysia is well-positioned to meet this need and emerge as ASEAN’s premier data centre hub, with its availability of power, connections to undersea cable networks, and strategic geographical location for investors.”

In his welcome address, AICB Chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said, “As the banking industry moves rapidly into a GenAI-driven future, continued investment in talent development is pivotal to building a highly qualified workforce equipped with future-fit skills to promote a culture of innovation and navigate the challenges and opportunities to remain competitive and stay ahead. Capacity building is critical in this rapidly changing environment, and AICB remains committed to building future-proof skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning and professionalism to ensure the workforce is prepared for the future of banking.”

[1]Accenture. (2024). Banking on AI. https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/industry/banking/document/Accenture-Banking-Top-10-Trends-2024.pdf

ABM Chairman, Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, said, “The dynamic discussions and informative presentations provided delegates with valuable insights on how financial institutions can embrace and scale GenAI responsibly, harnessing the power of GenAI to create value for institutions, enhance customer experience, improve productivity and elevate operational efficiency. GenAI should therefore form part of financial institutions’ core business strategy, and not be treated as a separate technology or digital initiative.”

The distinguished line-up of international and local speakers at the Conference included AI and technology experts, and, banking leaders from established banking and financial institutions, including Accenture Singapore, AEON Bank, AmBank, Asia School of Business, Bank Negara Malaysia, Boston Consulting Group, CIMB, Ecosystm, Equinix, EY, F5, GoGet, Google, Hong Leong Bank, HSBC, Huacomm Malaysia, International Finance Corporation, Kyndryl, LedgerBrains AI Consortium, Maybank, Pantas Software, PwC, RHB Banking Group, SAP, Securities Commission Malaysia, Silverlake Axis, SME Bank, Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia, TalentCorp Malaysia, Twimbit, and Wizpresso, among others. The dynamic discussions and informative presentations provided delegates with valuable insights on harnessing the power of GenAI to drive innovation and enhance customer experience, and how financial institutions can embrace and scale GenAI responsibly, taking it from experimentation towards delivering meaningful digital transformation of banking processes and supporting the acceleration towards a just transition.

On the sidelines of MBC 2024, a masterclass and a media roundtable were held to facilitate deeper conversations on the trends, risks and opportunities in harnessing the power of GenAI in banking and the importance of future-proofing Malaysian banking practitioners in this digital era.

MBC 2024 drew over 600 delegates from local and international financial institutions.

To foster a highly adaptable workforce that excels and remains relevant in a constantly evolving landscape, AICB is also leading the development of the Future Skills Framework (FSF) for the Malaysian financial sector with the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) and The Malaysian Insurance Institute (MII), which will be launched on 22 July 2024. The FSF, an industry-led framework, is an integral component of Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026. Premised on the imperative to propel skills mastery and constant learning across the financial sector talent ecosystem, the FSF signifies a concerted initiative to foster a more future-ready workforce, raise the bar on professional excellence and advance the growth of the financial industry in Malaysia.

Find out more about the upcoming events organised by AICB at www.aicb.org.my/events/upcoming

About the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers

The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) is the sole professional body for Malaysia’s banking industry governed by a council of representatives from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM), and the Malaysian Investment Banking Association (MIBA). With over 35,000 members, AICB aims to strengthen the banking workforce with the highest standards of professional conduct, knowledge, and competence through our banking qualifications.

AICB is the only institute in Southeast Asia that is authorised by the Chartered Banker Institute, UK, to award the Chartered Banker status. The Institute continues to support the growth of its members through innovative learning and by advocating professionalism, advancing thought leadership, and facilitating networking opportunities.

For more information on AICB, please visit www.aicb.org.my

About The Association of Banks in Malaysia

The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) has 25 members comprising the commercial banks that currently operate in Malaysia. The main objective of ABM is to promote the establishment of a sound banking system in Malaysia in cooperation and consultation with the regulators. Guided by ABM’s mission statement, “Forging public understanding for a responsible and responsive banking industry”, ABM takes on the role of an important intermediary between banking customers and its member banks. ABM aims to facilitate and create a conducive yet competitive banking environment while promoting orderliness and ethical banking practices.

For more information, visit www.abm.org.my.

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SOURCE The Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB)

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Caladium Systems Launches Happiffie, India’s First AI-powered Celebration Platform

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CHENNAI, India, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caladium Systems today announced the launch of Happiffie, India’s first AI-powered Celebration Growth Platform, introducing a smarter way for customers to discover, compare, book, and manage celebrations while helping businesses connect with high-intent customers through intelligent technology.

Designed for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, social celebrations, parties, festivals, and more, Happiffie brings together over 400 celebration occasions and 1,000+ celebration experiences on a single AI-powered platform.

India’s celebrations industry continues to rely heavily on referrals, manual coordination, inconsistent pricing, and fragmented vendor discovery. Happiffie addresses these challenges by combining AI-powered recommendations, transparent price discovery, secure bookings, payments, and event management into one seamless platform.

A key innovation is Happiffie’s Reverse Auction, where customers simply submit their celebration requirements and verified vendors compete by offering customised proposals. Instead of spending hours searching and negotiating, customers can compare multiple qualified offers and choose the vendor that best matches their preferences and budget.

“Customers can now book the experience of their choice with the vendor of their choice, in the budget of their choice. At the same time, vendors receive qualified business opportunities matched to their category, location and capabilities, creating value for both sides of the marketplace,” said Pradhyumna T Venkat, Founder & CEO, Happiffie.

“Every major industry eventually reaches a point where technology fundamentally changes how it operates. Travel did. Hospitality did. Mobility did. We believe celebrations are next,” added Pradhyumna.

The platform is powered by Experience Intelligence™, a proprietary framework that combines over 15 years of celebration industry expertise with Artificial Intelligence to deliver smarter recommendations based on customer intent, preferences, and celebration needs.

Whether planning a wedding, birthday, corporate event, baby shower, anniversary, or festival celebration, customers can manage the entire journey—from vendor discovery and quotations to payments and execution—through a single platform.

Alongside its launch, Happiffie has opened registrations for vendor partners across Chennai and Tamil Nadu, with a phased expansion planned across India. The platform aims to build one of the country’s largest AI-powered celebration ecosystems, helping businesses generate qualified leads and grow more efficiently.

“Our vision is not simply to build another marketplace but to create the technology infrastructure that powers celebrations. Reverse Auction is the first step towards building a smarter, more transparent, and AI-driven celebration economy that benefits both customers and businesses alike,” added Pradhyumna.

Built on the experience of planning and executing over 5,000 weddings and celebrations, Happiffie combines deep industry expertise with AI to simplify celebration planning and transform how India celebrates.

For more information, visit www.happiffie.com. Vendor registrations are now open at www.happiffie.com/vendor-registration.

About Happiffie

Happiffie is India’s first AI-powered Celebration Platform, connecting customers, venues, event professionals, and celebration businesses through one intelligent ecosystem. Built on over 15 years of industry expertise, the platform combines Artificial Intelligence with Experience Intelligence™ to deliver smarter celebration planning across more than 1,000 celebration experiences spanning weddings, corporate events, birthdays, social celebrations, parties, and festivals.

Contact

Pradhyumna T Venkat
Founder & CEO
pradhyumna@happiffie.com
+91-7299002990

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3007635/Happiffie_Logo.jpg

 

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Beko Publishes 2025 Integrated Report, Charting Years of Progress Toward Net Zero

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As Beko releases its 2025 Integrated Report, the company’s third consecutive inclusion on TIME’s global sustainability ranking — retaining the #1 position in its industry — underscores the progress documented within it.

ISTANBUL, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Beko published its 2025 Integrated Report, offering a comprehensive account of the company’s financial, environmental and social performance over the past year. In parallel, Beko has been named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies for the third year running, retaining the #1 position in its industry. The recognition, awarded in partnership with Statista, independently corroborates years of deliberate, measurable progress.

The report documents concrete results across Beko’s global manufacturing footprint. In 2025:

Energy efficiency projects across production sites saved 69,562 GJ of energy, avoiding 5,297 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.Waste recycling across all manufacturing facilities reached 98.6%, against a target of 99%.Renewable energy installed capacity reached 96 MWp, up from 90.2 MWp the prior year. Beko also reached 63.5% green electricity on the path to 100% across all manufacturing by 2030.Water efficiency and rainwater harvesting projects across locations delivered total water savings of 219,114 m3.

Behind these figures is a broader manufacturing transformation. Three of Beko’s manufacturing facilities have been recognised within the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network, with the Ulmi plant earning the additional, and rarer, designation of Sustainability Lighthouse. The principles behind Ulmi’s approach are being extended across Beko’s broader manufacturing ecosystem, as the company scales low-impact production. Beko currently operates 13 smart factories globally — equipped with artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics capabilities — with a target of 17 by the end of 2026.

On the circular economy side, Beko’s refurbishment centres across multiple locations reintroduced more than 148,000 appliances into the market in 2025 alone. The company recycled 1.98 million WEEE units through its own recycling facilities since 2014, and used 31,665 tonnes of recycled plastics in its products in 2025.

Across its product portfolio, 72.6% of Beko’s turnover in 2025 came from low-carbon products — a figure that reflects both the scale of the company’s energy-efficient product range and growing consumer demand for appliances that address environmental concerns.

“Being recognised by TIME three years in a row matters because it reflects that sustainability is a foundational part of Beko’s business,” said Can Dinçer, CEO of Beko. “Our factories undergo a twin transformation where we encounter both decarbonization and digitalization. That progress is deliberate and measurable, and our Integrated Report sets out exactly how. As the world prepares for COP31, the most credible thing a company can do is demonstrate its work rather than declare it. That is what we are doing.”

TIME’s annual list evaluates more than 5,000 companies worldwide across environmental and social performance, transparency and ESG reporting. Beko’s continued inclusion under increasingly rigorous standards points to a business model where sustainability is structurally embedded across operations, supply chains and product portfolios.

In addition to its Integrated Report, the Company has also published its second TSRS-compliant sustainability report, prepared in accordance with the Türkiye Sustainability Reporting Standards (TSRS), Türkiye’s adoption of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). The report is publicly available and provides detailed disclosures on the company’s climate-related risks, opportunities, governance, strategy and performance.

About Beko

Beko is an international home appliance company with a strong global presence, operating through subsidiaries in more than 55 countries with a workforce of around 45,000 employees and production facilities spanning multiple regions—including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Beko has 22 brands owned or used with a limited license (Arçelik, Beko, Whirlpool*, Grundig, Hotpoint, Arctic, Ariston*, Leisure, Indesit, Blomberg, Defy, Dawlance, Hitachi*, Voltas Beko, Singer*, ElektraBregenz, Flavel, Bauknecht, Privileg, Altus, Ignis, Polar). Beko is the largest white goods company in Europe with its market share (based on volumes) and reached a consolidated turnover of 10.7 billion Euros in 2025. Beko’s 28 R&D and Design Centers & Offices across the globe are home to over 2,000 R&D employees and hold more than 4,500 international registered patent applications to date. The company has achieved the highest score in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) in the DHP Household Durables industry for the seventh consecutive year (based on the results dated 16 October 2025).** The company has been recognized as the 89th most sustainable company on TIME Magazine and Statista’s 2026 list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies and has been the sector leader for three consecutive years. Beko’s vision is ‘Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide.’ 

www.bekocorporate.com

*Licensee limited to certain jurisdictions.
**The data presented belongs to Arçelik A.Ş., a parent company of Beko.

 

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SOURCE Beko

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JustMarkets Releases Market Analysis on How Foreign Exchange Markets React to CPI Surprises

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JustMarkets today released a new market analysis examining how foreign exchange markets react to Consumer Price Index (CPI) surprises and outlining key considerations for traders preparing for inflation data releases. The analysis explains why the gap between actual CPI data and market expectations, rather than the headline inflation figure itself, is often the primary driver of currency market movements.

What people often miss on CPI day is that the number itself isn’t what moves the market. The common reaction is to check whether the headline number is high or low, but it’s all priced in advance. According to JustMarkets, the real driver of EUR/USD is the gap between the actual number and what the market was positioned for.

Even an unchanged reading can cause dollar weakness if traders expect higher inflation, while weaker numbers that beat consensus expectations may drive dollar strength. Citing Federal Reserve research, the price driver is a surprise component rather than the headline.

Why the Expectation Gap Is More Important Than the Level

Forex is driven by expectations for interest rate decisions, with inflation impacting central bank policy. Key factors influencing this reaction include:

Main factors:

Monthly CPI and core CPICore services inflationRevisions to the previous period dataCentral banks policy pricing

Year-over-year data is less important in terms of price impact than monthly and core data.

How to Calculate Surprise

Start with the simplest metric: Surprise = Actual CPI − Consensus CPI. 

Consensus comes from the economic calendar’s forecast and reflects the market positioning. And then you need to check the market reaction through rates. The sequence typically runs: CPI surprise → change in front-end yields → USD movement → the sentiment adjustment.

Traders frequently employ this methodology in combination with the JustMarkets Economic Calendar to track high-impact releases in real time.

What the Intraday Move Actually Looks Like

CPI reactions usually happen in three stages. The first one is a headline shock with the potential algorithm’s reaction within a few seconds. Then comes the interpretation stage, with a time frame of 15-60 minutes and analysis of core numbers and yield confirmation. And then either continuation or reversal happens.

Approaches to Trading CPI Day

There are two common approaches to CPI.

The momentum approach requires the consistency of headlines and core surprises with yields’ confirmation. Most traders wait until the first minute’s candle is closed to avoid false signals.The fade approach requires dislocations like the absence of yield confirmation to FX movement or dislocations between headlines and core numbers. In this case, traders wait 10−20 minutes for exhaustion of the initial move and reversal setup search.

Risk management is crucial. Most traders limit their position size to 0.25%-0.50% of their equity because of widening spreads and slippage. Sometimes the decision to trade off is more optimal during extreme volatility than forced entry.

One Way to Prepare for the Next CPI Day Release

A simple way to get ready is to monitor EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY pairs and an economic calendar with events’ importance. The workflow is simple: Economic calendar → release → Trading platform.

The final step brings traders to the execution platform. Many turn to JustMarkets, which offers CFDs on these currency pairs, with execution stability and fast market access that make it well suited for high-volatility macro events.

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. Trading financial instruments involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Ensure you understand the risks involved and trade responsibly.

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SOURCE Just Global Markets Ltd

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