Vishal Harnal is cool despite a funding winter

Vishal Harna of 500 Global cuts a confident and articulate presence on his interview with CNBC, which is why we are nominating him for the Media Savvy Awards 2023.

Watch and read below for our assessment.

We launched the Media Savvy Awards in 2018 to recognise local business leaders for their communications skills, and to showcase authentic and credible home-grown communicators.

Past winners of the awards have included CEO of AirAsia Tony Fernandes, CEO of Ninja Van Lai Chang-Wen, Group CEO of NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Limited Seah Kian Peng, and founder of Awfully Chocolate Lyn Lee.

Supported by the Asia Pacific Association of Communications Directors (APACD) and the Public Relations And Communications Association APAC (PRCA APAC) - we highlight shining examples for other local business leaders to follow, and to build a culture of excellence in communication, to maximise the potential of Asian companies in the Asian Century.

Nominations close early October 2023 at https://www.mediasavvyawards.com/

Reframing The Question

Replying to questions by Squawk Box’s Martin Soong and Sri Jegarajah, Harnal chooses not to follow the interviewers’ framing of the current climate as a “funding winter”, He reframes it as a problem “depending on which market you are investing in”.

Harnal, global managing partner at venture capitalist 500 Global, says the opportunities and the playbook for the current bear market are different from one during good times. But for venture capitalists who are experienced in investing in the different types of market, their capital allocations are not actually shrinking.

Main Message

Harnal also makes sure to put across his main message - that venture capitalists such as himself pay less attention to daily news cycles, and take a longer-term view of their investments. He brings up the example of a tech behemoth like Amazon which took a long time - seven years - to become profitable.

Good Appearance

It does not hurt to look groomed and well-dressed. And Harnal had this in spades for the interview.

If you know Vishal Harna, share this article and congratulate him on being nominated for the Media Savvy Awards 2023.

Better yet, if you know any business leader who has performed impressively in a recent media interview, you can nominate them at: https://www.mediasavvyawards.com/