VF Corporation has successfully diversified its supply chain, so only 7 percent of its total production for the U.S. is made in China, says EMEA head Martino Scabbia Guerrini. In part two, he talks trade war, Brexit, and about VF’s special partnership with European e-commerce company Zalando: “It’s a best practice on how to partner with digital platforms.”WATCH MORE
PizzaExpress CEO: Coming to Switzerland “only a matter of time”
PizzaExpress chairman and CEO Jinlong Wang says it’s “only a matter of time” until he opens a restaurant in Switzerland, but there are no definite plans for now. A speaker at the SMG Forum in Zurich last month, Wang talked to Ana Maria Montero about expansion plans in Europe and shared his takeaways from the Swiss food industry.
Swiss Bankers Association: Bank jobs may be moved out of Switzerland
Without a Swiss-EU framework agreement, Swiss banks may be forced to move jobs out of the country, says Herbert Scheidt, chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association. He cites recent moves by the UK banking industry due to Brexit as precedent for “severe consequences” for Switzerland if a deal isn’t made.
Swiss banking chairman: Libra won’t take off quickly in Switzerland
From spy scandals to the surge of crypto banks, the Swiss Bankers Association has had its hands full in 2019. However, Chairman Herbert Scheidt seems calm and confident. In part one of our Newsmaker interview, Scheidt expresses doubt that Facebook’s Libra will be quickly embraced in Switzerland but adds that the digital currency can make “important inroads” in parts of the world where the infrastructure is not as secure.
Tencent’s Wallerstein: Europe should embrace artificial intelligence
Europe’s industrial sector is missing an important opportunity, says David Wallerstein, Tencent’s chief eXploration officer. He says AI could be used in areas like power generation and energy optimization, among others. “This is totally wide open and a perfect area for Europe to embrace,” Wallerstein says.
Tencent’s chief eXploration officer on “the tyranny of capitalism”
David Wallerstein, Tencent’s chief eXploration officer, wants to apply disruptive technologies to help solve the world’s problems. He says Switzerland should experiment more with next-generation tech, particularly in its industrial sector. At last week’s Digital Festival in Zurich, Wallerstein called for a stronger ecosystem of problem solvers in the tech world and talked about what he calls “the tyranny of capitalism.”
Leclanché CEO wants to “dispel myth” all firm’s investors are Chinese
Some investors in Leclanché are significant wealthy Chinese families, according to its CEO. But Anil Srivastava says it’s a myth that all the financial backers are Chinese. He spoke to us just before the release of the company’s half-year results, about who owns the Swiss energy storage company.
Swiss battery maker urges industry to be honest about CO2 footprint
The battery industry must be honest about the carbon footprint of using components like lithium. That’s the view of Lechanché CEO Anil Srivastava, who spoke to us on board the world’s largest all-electric ferry in Denmark, which is powered by the Swiss firm’s technology.