Call for Faster Asia Decision-Making

James Riady, CEO of Lippo Group, said Tuesday that in today’s fast-changing world, Asian companies need to make decisions more quickly to gain an edge at home and abroad, Nikkei reported. Speaking at the Nikkei Global Management Forum in Tokyo, the head of the Jakarta-based real estate and retail conglomerate, whose holdings include Indonesia’s largest listed property company, Lippo Karawaci, said Asian businesses are at the leading edge of change, and urged them to maintain that momentum in order to pursue new opportunities in this rapidly urbanizing region. “I encourage many companies to move,” Riady said. “We see now a new generation of leaders coming up. I just hope decision-making will be faster.” He said extreme change is a key part of Asia’s identity. He urged Japan and other Northeast Asian companies to focus more on Southeast Asian countries, citing their young, fast-growing populations. Riady also encouraged businesses in the region to funnel their strengths toward contributing to society.