Latest news with #KelleeKam
Daily Express
30-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Alliance Bank BizSmart® Challenge Launches 'The Ultimate Elevator Pitch – Malaysia's First Feature-Length SME Business Pitch Film'
Published on: Monday, June 30, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 30, 2025 Text Size: From Left to Right: Kelly Kam (Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad), Natalie Tan (Partner 5X Capital), and Bikesh Lakhmichand (CEO & Founding Partner, 1337 Ventures) KUALA LUMPUR: In a unique and landmark convergence of business, storytelling, and digital streaming, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad today launched The Ultimate Elevator Pitch — Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch film focused on SME entrepreneurship in conjunction with World MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) Day. The movie premiers exclusively on iQIYI, one of Asia's leading OTT platforms. Alliance Bank also announced the return of the BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) — the Bank's annual flagship event under the BizSmart® ecosystem, now in its second year. The documentary-style movie offers unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the Accelerator Edition of the BizSmart® Challenge — Alliance Bank's flagship SME development programme which celebrated 10 years in 2024. Viewers will experience the raw emotions, high-stakes pitches, intense questioning and pivotal breakthroughs that capture the real-life drama of building a business in today's fast-paced, volatile environment. Launched in 2013, the BizSmart® Challenge was created to empower local entrepreneurs with access to funding, mentorship, and market exposure. In 2024, the Challenge introduced the 60-second Elevator Pitch as a new and dynamic addition, reinforcing its reputation as a trailblazing platform within Malaysia's SME ecosystem. Furthermore, strengthening its credentials as the pioneering partner of SMEs, Alliance Bank became the first bank to go beyond offering loans to SMEs and offer venture capital through 1337 Ventures and 5X Capital, as well as cash prizes through Cradle MYStartup and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC). 'For over a decade, we've supported entrepreneurs beyond financial services,' said Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank. 'This movie is Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch film that invites the public to witness the grit, vulnerability, and determination behind Malaysia's SME founders. It's a portrait of resilience and ambition — and a celebration of the changemakers building our future.' The 2024 Alliance BizSmart® Challenge awarded RM550,000 in cash prizes to 13 outstanding winners. Among them, BioLoop, Gula Cakery, and HiiVolt emerged as the top three, standing out for their innovation, business acumen, and growth potential. 'These winners reflect the creativity, perseverance, and ambition that define Malaysia's SME sector,' shared Kellee Kam. 'We've gone beyond just providing bank funds — together with our esteemed partners CGC, Cradle's MYStartup , 1337 Ventures , and 5X Capital, we now offer a range of financial solutions from loans to venture funding. We'll continue to support SMEs with funding, mentoring, and visibility. As The Bank For Life, our mission is to empower entrepreneurs to make a lasting impact across industries and communities. We're proud to remain pioneers in this space — just as we were a decade ago when we launched the BizSmart® Challenge.' The idea for The Ultimate Elevator Pitch was sparked by a single insight: entrepreneurship isn't just strategy — it's deeply emotional. It's best understood through the lived experience of founders. With audiences increasingly drawn to authentic, documentary-style content, the Bank saw an opportunity to bring these stories to life in a way that's both exciting and real, to inspire the next cohort of Malaysian entrepreneurs. Partnering with multi-awarded local agency Ampersand Advisory, the film blends cinematic storytelling with entrepreneurial depth — capturing moments that rarely make the headlines but define the heart of business building. 'We see entrepreneurs as heroes, and that's how we approached this movie. Our client was open-minded and the idea of a movie came in a large part from them. The audience gets a rare front-row seat to some of the struggles and high points that define a founder's journey,' said Sandeep Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO of Ampersand Advisory, who also directed the film. 'You'll see the unguarded moments, the investor debates, and the mentorship that shapes growth. It's raw, relatable, and relevant. These are the stories of Malaysia's future business leaders, told without filter.' Filmed during the intensive BizSmart® Challenge journey, the film offers never-before-seen access to mentorship sessions, last-minute pitch prep, emotional highs and lows — and the real stakes faced by entrepreneurs chasing funding and recognition, while managing personal pressures and daily business challenges. 'This is more than a celebration of success. It's a visual archive and story of what it takes to build a business in today's Malaysia', added Sandeep. 'We're delighted that a local home-grown bank wanted to make a heartwarming film about local entrepreneurs, and picked a local agency like ours to do so. As an entrepreneur I can resonate with the journey of these courageous and diverse founders.' Streaming Where Malaysians Watch: The iQIYI Partnership In keeping with today's digital-first habits, iQIYI and Alliance Bank proudly partnered to host Malaysia's first-ever film centred around a business pitch programme — a bold, original concept that celebrates the ambition, innovation, and resilience of local entrepreneurs. The documentary reinforces both brands' commitment to supporting homegrown talent and inspiring content. Watch it exclusively on iQIYI from 18 July 2025, making it accessible to entrepreneurs, students, and aspiring founders across Malaysia, anytime and anywhere. 'This is the first time a bank-led SME initiative has been transformed into a cinematic experience that balances heart and ambition, It proves entrepreneurship isn't reserved for boardrooms — it highlights the highs, lows and spirit of local founders who are taking bold steps to shape their future to make it more meaningful," said Evangeline Song, Head of Brand Partnerships, APAC & Middle East at iQIYI. 'We're excited to bring such authentic, homegrown stories to a wider audience through this collaboration.' Celebrating 10 Years of the BizSmart® Challenge 2024 also marked a milestone 10th anniversary for the BizSmart® Challenge, with the introduction of the Accelerator Edition. This 2024 edition attracted a record-breaking 593 submissions — the highest since the programme began in 2013 — reflecting the vibrancy and competitiveness of Malaysia's SME landscape. The finalists went through months of the programme , including a 4-day Accelerator Programme, business coaching, a 5-minute business pitch, 60-second Elevator Pitch, and the final 3-minute pitch to a panel of industry leaders. The programme ensured each entrepreneur received valuable exposure, insights, and support. In a first, every finalist from last year walked away with a prize — reinforcing Alliance Bank's commitment to inclusive growth and support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. A Prelude to the 2025 BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) Taking place on 7 October 2025 at W Kuala Lumpur, this year's BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) conference is themed 'Boundaries Reimagined' and will feature over 35 speakers, including high- growth founders, visionary investors, and BizSmart® alumni who've scaled their businesses across sectors and regions. This year's line-up includes industry leaders such as CEO of Colony Timothy Tiah, Founder of A Cut Above Winnie Loo, HYGR Co-founders Ivor and Meng, Kee Nguyễn Vietnam Coffee Co-founder and director Radius Khor and , past BizSmart® Challenge winners finalists BioLoop CEO Mah Jun Kit, Gula Cakery founder Nor Arieni and HiiVolt Founder Dr. Jay . The agenda will cover real-world topics such as cross-border business expansion, digital disruption, brand- building under pressure, business model evolution, and how SMEs can thrive through change. Participants can also look forward to curated networking, business-matching opportunities, and access to industry-shaping insights. To mark World MSME Day, a special early bird ticket price of RM88 is available until 3 July 2025 — underscoring the Bank's commitment to making high-impact knowledge and access more inclusive for entrepreneurs at every stage. For more information about the Alliance Bank BizSmart® Challenge visit To watch The Ultimate Elevator Pitch movie, visit [insert the link for iQIYI} which goes live on 18 July 2025. Tickets information and other insights to the BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) 2025, visit * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
LBS Bina secures RM88.4m green financing for solar farm project
PETALING JAYA: Property developer LBS Bina Group Bhd's special purpose vehicle, Suria Hijauan Sdn Bhd, has secured a RM88.4 million green financing facility from Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd to fund the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) costs for its maiden 43 MWp solar farm project. The project, which is under the Corporate Green Power Programme, is located in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. The solar farm is expected to deliver stable, recurring revenue, thus enhancing long-term earnings resilience and underscoring LBS's commitment to sustainable growth. The solar farm project is expected to generate approximately 53,000 MWh of clean energy annually, effectively offsetting about 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Solarvest Holdings Bhd, was appointed as the EPCC contractor under a RM104 million contract, leveraging its expertise in delivering large-scale solar projects. LBS group executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Hock San said, 'This green financing marks an important milestone for LBS as we diversify into renewable energy, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability. 'Securing this credit facility from a reputable bank like Alliance Bank highlights the strong potential of our renewable energy venture and our capacity to expand our initiatives within this sector. This support reflects confidence in our strategic direction and financial strength, while also facilitating the successful execution of this project.' He added that this initiative not only resonates with their goal of creating a positive environmental impact, it also strategically complements their core property development business by integrating future product offerings with renewable energy solutions. Alliance Bank Group CEO Kellee Kam said they believe financial institutions have a critical role to play in advancing sustainable development and are honoured to partner with LBS, a company whose values and vision closely align with their own. He added, 'Today's announcement is not just the launch of a project – it marks the beginning of a journey and a cause we are proud to be part of.'
The Star
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
LBS achieves pivotal milestone in green financing
LBS group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Wira Joey Lim Hock Guan (left) and Alliance Bank's group chief executive officer, Kellee Kam (right) at the official document presentation ceremony. LBS Bina Group Bhd has announced that its special purpose vehicle, Suria Hijauan Sdn Bhd has secured a RM88.4mil green financing facility from Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd to fund the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) costs for its maiden 43 MWp solar farm project. The project, which is under the Corporate Green Power Programme (CGPP), is located in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. The solar farm is expected to deliver stable, recurring revenue, thus enhancing long-term earnings resilience, underscoring LBS' commitment to sustainable growth. The solar farm project is expected to generate approximately 53,000 MWh of clean energy annually, effectively offsetting about 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd – a subsidiary of Solarvest Holdings Bhd – was appointed as the EPCC contractor under a RM104.0mil contract, leveraging its expertise in delivering large-scale solar projects. LBS group executive chairman Tan Sri Ir Dr Lim Hock San commented that this green financing marks an important milestone for LBS as they diversify into renewable energy. 'Securing this credit facility from a reputable bank like Alliance Bank highlights the strong potential of our renewable energy venture and our capacity to expand our initiatives within this sector. 'This support reflects confidence in our strategic direction and financial strength, while also facilitating the successful execution of this project. 'This initiative not only resonates with our goal of creating a positive environmental impact, it also strategically complements our core property development business by integrating future product offerings with renewable energy solutions. 'In turn, this contributes to Malaysia's national carbon reduction goals, supporting the country's transition towards a low-carbon economy.' Expressing his optimism about the project, Alliance Bank's group chief executive officer, Kellee Kam said, 'At Alliance Bank, we believe financial institutions have a critical role to play in advancing sustainable development. 'We are honoured to partner with LBS, a company whose values and vision closely align with our own. He added, 'Today's announcement is not just the launch of a project – it marks the beginning of a journey and a cause we are proud to be part of.'
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Alliance Bank to maintain strong loan momentum in FY2026
KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd aims to maintain strong loan momentum in FY2026 amid Malaysia's stable lending conditions. Group CEO Kellee Kam said the bank is guiding for loan growth of between 8% and 10% for FY2026, doubling the industry's expected growth of around 5%. 'We've been growing between 12% and 14% over the last two years, at double the industry rate. Despite the fluid situation with US tariffs and other global uncertainties, we believe Malaysia remains accommodative for growth,' he told reporters after the bank's EGM on Friday. To fund the growth, Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd is raising RM606.5 million through a renounceable rights issue. The bank will issue 182.13 million new ordinary shares on a 2-for-17 basis at RM3.33 per share, representing a 20.1% discount to the theoretical ex-rights price (TERP) of RM4.1672. Kam said the capital injection is meant to fuel the bank's ongoing growth under its Accelerate 2027 plan. 'So again, if you look at our first quarter GDP numbers, it was at 4.4% after a very strong last year. Last year was about 5.6%. 'So we believe that the banking sector will continue to be accommodative for growth, sufficient liquidity and sufficient fiscal and monetary levers,' he said. He said the bank wants to position itself with enough capital to continue that growth. 'We want to not slow down because we believe that there's an opportunity for Alliance Bank to continue that pace of growth.' Kam said the bank expects growth to remain broad-based across business segments, as seen in FY2025 when total loan growth of 12% was well distributed. 'Consumer, which grew about close to 13%, ....about 12.6%. Our SME grew at about 10.5%. Commercial grew about 15%, and corporate grew about close to 9%. So it was fairly well distributed within the segments.' Kam said Accelerate 2027 was about broadening its engines of growth, which is how it has been able to grow much faster than it traditionally did. 'If you look at the compounded annual loan growth pre-Covid – specifically the three years before the pandemic – we used to grow about 3.3% compounded annually. Now, our three-year compounded growth is closer to 10.5%–10.6%, which is nearly three times what it used to be.' The rights issue is expected to lift the bank's core equity Tier-1 (CET1) ratio from 12.2% to 13.3%, and total capital ratio to nearly 18%, in line with larger peers. The rights issue is partially underwritten by RHB Investment Bank, which will underwrite 129.2 million shares – about 71% of the total. Rights trading runs from June 17 to 24, with the subscription deadline on July 2. The new shares will be listed on July 15. Alliance Bank FY2025 revenue up 12.3% y-o-y to RM2.3 billion and net profit rising 8.7% to a record RM750.7 million. Net interest income climbed 13.2% to RM1.95 billion, while net interest margin held steady at 2.45%. Non-interest income rose 7.7% to RM323.4 million. Total gross loans expanded by 12% to RM62.4 billion – more than double the industry's 5.2% growth.
Malaysian Reserve
27-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Alliance Bank posts 11% rise in 4Q profit, declares 9.9 sen dividend to cap record FY25
ALLIANCE Bank Malaysia Bhd posted an 11% rise in net profit to RM197.49 million for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2025 (4Q25), from RM177.74 million a year earlier, supported by stronger net interest income and lower provisions. Quarterly revenue increased to RM563.24 million from RM516.17 million, despite a slight drop in fee-based income. For the full financial year (FY25), net profit climbed to RM765.52 million from RM690.48 million, with revenue growing to RM2.27 billion from RM2.02 billion. Net interest income improved by RM226.4 million or 13.2% year-on-year, mainly driven by a 12% increase in loans, advances, and financing to RM62.4 billion. The bank's net interest margin stood at 2.45%, slightly lower than 2.48% in FY24. Operating expenses rose 11.8% to RM1.09 billion, with a cost-to-income ratio of 48.0%. The bank declared a second interim dividend of 9.9 sen per share, bringing the total FY25 dividend to 19.4 sen, representing a 40% payout ratio or RM300.3 million. Group CEO Kellee Kam credited the performance to the successful execution of the Acceler8 strategic plan, citing it as a reflection of the bank's long-term growth trajectory. Alliance Bank also advanced its sustainability agenda, securing RM14.4 billion in sustainable banking business towards its RM15 billion target by FY2027. Looking ahead, the bank remains cautious amid global uncertainties, including US-China trade tensions, but plans to continue upgrading its offerings, expanding lending prudently, and strengthening its risk management framework in FY26. — TMR
