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The Star
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Captain of industry honoured
FROM the classroom of SK Stowell in Bukit Mertajam to the boardroom of an international investment firm, Datuk Roland Choong Tae Kwon's journey has been one of discipline, ambition and commitment to community service. Born and raised in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, the 52-year-old began his business career 25 years ago when he founded Cavalier Capital Holdings Sdn Bhd (CCH) – an investment and distribution company specialising in semiconductors, electronics, industrial chemicals, industrial gases, refrigerants, advanced polymers, building materials and sustainable solutions. Today, CCH operates across 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region with 20 subsidiaries and a workforce of 150. The company has a presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates. Driven by both organic growth as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions, CCH continues to expand its global footprint while remaining committed to innovation, quality and industry advancement. However, the company's beginnings were far from easy. 'Banks told me they knew me, but my business had no track record,' Choong recalled of his early struggles. Despite financial hurdles, Choong's persistence and focus on nurturing talent have paid off. Under his leadership, CCH now generates an annual turnover of RM400mil. His consultative leadership philosophy emphasises staff welfare, work-life balance and succession planning, fostering a culture of growth and shared success. Choong said: 'Over the next three to five years, our focus will be on advancing the green hydrogen economy by manufacturing hydrogen electrolysers – proudly made in Malaysia, by Malaysians.' The initiative is being developed in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and other key industry stakeholders, marking a bold step into the future of clean energy and sustainable innovation. Raised by educator parents, Choong was instilled with the value of education from an early age. After graduating from Bukit Mertajam High School, he earned a degree in Business Administration with a double major in Marketing and Finance from the National University of Singapore (NUS) before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He later completed a postgraduate certificate at Imperial Business School in London, joining the institution's associate alumni network. He has credited education as the foundation of his success. Through CCH, Choong offers scholarships to employees, their children and members of the wider community, believing that access to education can transform lives. Choong is a seventh-degree black belt taekwondo master, having trained since the age of five under his father's guidance. 'My father was my martial arts master. His teachings shaped who I am today,' said Choong. His dedication to the sport led him to become a national taekwondo champion. Choong serves as president of the North Peninsular Malaysia and Perlis Taekwondo Associations. Choong also contributes to sporting efforts through his involvement with the Penang Sports Council's Impact Committee, supporting fundraising, corporate engagement and post-athletic career development for athletes. In recognition of his contributions to business and society, Choong was conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which carries the title 'Datuk', during the investiture ceremony held in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib at Dewan Sri Pinang last month. Last year, he also achieved major accolades at the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA), where CCH was named Best Employer. Choong, as the company's chief executive officer, was honoured as SOBA's Male Entrepreneur of the Year (Platinum Award) in the above RM25mil category. To aspiring entrepreneurs, Choong offers this advice: 'Master financial literacy. Balance risk-taking with careful planning. Most importantly, protect your business. 'Always keep learning, stay humble, be open to feedback from people at all levels and never be afraid to admit mistakes. That's how you grow and improve.'
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola HBC First Half 2025 Earnings: EPS Beats Expectations
Coca-Cola HBC (LON:CCH) First Half 2025 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: €5.62b (up 8.6% from 1H 2024). Net income: €470.6m (up 23% from 1H 2024). Profit margin: 8.4% (up from 7.4% in 1H 2024). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue. EPS: €1.30 (up from €1.04 in 1H 2024). This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Coca-Cola HBC EPS Beats Expectations Revenue was in line with analyst estimates. Earnings per share (EPS) surpassed analyst estimates by 7.2%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 6.2% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 4.3% growth forecast for the Beverage industry in the United Kingdom. Performance of the British Beverage industry. The company's shares are down 3.7% from a week ago. Risk Analysis Before we wrap up, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Coca-Cola HBC that you should be aware of. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Medscape
02-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Erenumab Not Effective for Chronic Cluster Headache
TOPLINE: Preventive treatment with the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor monoclonal antibody erenumab for 6 weeks was not associated with significant reductions in weekly headache attacks, pain severity, or attack duration in adults with chronic cluster headache (CCH), a new phase 2 placebo-controlled trial showed. METHODOLOGY: The CHERUB01 phase 2 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted at 11 sites in Germany between 2021 and 2023. About 81 adults with CCH (mean age, 49 years; 74% men) who failed to respond to standard prophylactic therapies were randomly assigned to receive either subcutaneous erenumab (280 mg at baseline, followed by 140 mg at week 4) or a matching placebo. The primary endpoint was change in the mean number of weekly CH attacks from baseline to weeks 5 and 6. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of patients achieving a ≥ 50% reduction in attacks and the number of participants with Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scores of 1 or 2 at week 6. Exploratory endpoints included reduction in CH attack duration and change in mean pain severity on the numeric pain rating scale. TAKEAWAY: The primary endpoint was not met. Although there was a greater reduction in the mean number of weekly attacks for the erenumab group compared to the placebo group, the difference was not statistically significant (-7.3 vs -5.9 attacks per week; 95% credible interval, -5.7 to 2.8). There was no significant difference between groups in the proportion of participants achieving a ≥ 50% reduction in weekly attacks, the number of patients with improved PGI-I scores, changes in attack duration, or change in pain severity. Adverse events were more common in the erenumab group compared to the placebo group (66% vs 43%), with most considered to be mild or moderate. IN PRACTICE: 'Erenumab failed to show a benefit over placebo in patients with CCH, indicating that blockade of peripheral CGRP receptors has no beneficial role in the prophylaxis of CCH,' the investigators wrote. 'To date, all double-blind controlled trials in CCH using an mAb affecting the CGRP pathway were negative, leading to the conclusion that future research should revisit the role of CGRP in CCH,' they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Jasper Mecklenburg, MD, Charité – UniversitätsmedizinBerlin, Berlin, Germany. It was published online on June 17 in JAMA Network Open. LIMITATIONS: Data on patients who progressed from episodic headache to CCH were missing. Additionally, the onset timing of current CCH episodes was unclear, with no detailed records of past steroid responses or reasons for prior treatment failures with verapamil or lithium, which relied on patient recall. DISCLOSURES: This trial was funded by a grant from Novartis Pharma GmbH to Charité – UniversitätsmedizininBerlin. Several investigators reported having financial ties with various sources including the funding company. Full details are listed in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Flaring at Martinez refinery prompts community notification
Flaring at the Martinez Refinery Company early Friday morning prompted a company report to health officials and a subsequent community alert. The refinery said it reported a Level 1 Community Awareness Message to Contra Costa Health at 5:47 a.m. because of the flaring. Following the message, CCH issued a notification telling residents, "You may hear, smell, or see signs related to this event; however no action is required." Flaring at a refinery is a controlled burning of excess or waste gases, primarily hydrocarbons, done as a safety measure to prevent pressure buildup and potential explosions. MRC said that flaring events "are an essential part of a refinery's integrated, engineered safety systems, which are designed to safely manage excess gases and pressure through efficient, effective combustion." In February, a fire at the refinery injured six workers and burned for three days, prompting the refinery to shut down all operations. Earlier this month, an independent report on the fire was released, indicating a lack of qualified contract workers, inadequate training and supervision, and California regulatory issues were among factors leading to the fire. In April, the refinery began restarting some of its process units shut down because of the fire and MRC said it hopes to rebuild the damaged unit and reopen it by the fourth quarter of this year. CCH offers more information on flaring and hazardous materials releases at MRC also provides additional information on flaring at
Chicago Tribune
18-06-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Cook County preparing for $211M budget deficit for 2026
Cook County is predicting a $211.4 million budget shortfall for 2026, a relatively modest gap that officials said was more of an estimate than usual thanks to extraordinary uncertainty coming out of Washington. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who has been able to boast budgets free of taxes, fees or layoffs for the last several years, told reporters at a Tuesday briefing that the 2026 projection is the most 'problematic,' and cautioned that 'this is our best guess.' The county is expecting a general fund shortfall of $102.6 million, thanks mostly to higher wages and fringe benefits when its current contracts with union employees expire. Its health fund, meanwhile, is projecting a $108.8 million deficit thanks to a significant drop in patient revenues. Among the biggest long-term potential threats: how Congress ultimately decides the fate of Medicaid, which has helped prop up the finances of Cook County Health; and various federal grants President Donald Trump targeted with an avalanche of executive orders. The budget proposal that passed the U.S. House — but not yet the full Senate — cuts Medicaid by at least $625 billion over the next decade. As it stands, most of the biggest impacts would not hit until the county's 2027 budget, but health leaders say they are planning their response now. New proposed work requirements and more frequent checks to determine whether people qualify for Medicaid would begin at the very end of 2026, and cost an estimated $88 million in patient fees, according to county estimates. The beginning of a provision meant to curtail the Medicaid program helping immigrant seniors would start in October 2027, according to the county. Ending that Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program would mean a $50 million drop in patient fee revenue for the county. The state is already sunsetting its health care program for immigrant adults, which is expected to cost the county $5.5 million in net patient service revenues through the end of this year. Cuts to covered health care typically means the CCH, a safety-net hospital, ends up providing tens of millions of dollars of uncompensated care to people without insurance at its emergency rooms and clinics. CCH plans to enroll patients previously covered by the state's immigrant adult program in its CareLink program, which covers 100% of primary and specialty care, hospital care and imaging costs for the next year, a spokeswoman said. Even without federal concerns, the county is expecting other costs to rise, since several union contracts expire in November, opening up bargaining countywide. During the last round of bargaining, the county granted retroactive 3.5% pay increases dating back to 2021 and a 5% raise in 2025. And a pending lawsuit from road builders over the county's spending of 'lockbox' money on public safety offices could affect the bottom line of the general fund. Last year, the projected shortfall mostly took care of itself by the time fall budget season rolled around. Revenues were higher than expected, closing most of the $218 million projected gap. The county is expecting some cushion. Its main general fund is projected to end this year with a $145 million surplus, thanks to a dip in payroll costs and better-than-expected sales tax revenues thanks to a closed loophole involving online sales. Preckwinkle's finance team policy is not to use that money to plug the next year's gap, but officials said they might use the money to keep paying for programs and positions at risk of being cut if federal grants end. As federal pandemic aid dollars dwindle, Preckwinkle's team has also narrowed its list of programs it might extend after 2026, the county's deadline for spending its total $1 billion allocation. It would cost about $100 million a year to keep 19 programs — ranging from lead pipe removal and brownfield remediation to violence prevention and medical debt relief — going. The county has set aside $166 million in a 'reserve' fund to help pay for those, meaning officials must either cut down on its offerings or find another $255 million to keep them running. Preckwinkle will make her budget proposal on Oct. 9, with a final vote scheduled for Nov. 20.
