Under the Radar: In the business of love – Match Group Asia’s CEO on what success means for the firm and helping people tie the knot in Japan

It is all about the business of love today as we speak to a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections.  Founded 25 years ago, our guest today is Match group, which pioneered the concept of online dating and continues to foster innovation in the dating industry daily.  The firm boasts a portfolio of brands and is more commonly known as the company behind Tinder, Match and Pairs, providing matching services in over 40 languages to users all over the world. Today, Match Group has a footprint in 20 offices worldwide, hiring some 2,000 employees. Here in Asia, it is headquartered in Singapore, with its regional team spread across markets including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Vietnam and Thailand.  The company recently reported its third quarter financial performance, where its operating income stood at US$211 million, down 14 per cent on the year impacted by impairments of tangibles and other charges relating to its exit from Hakuna and other live streaming services. But what were the reasons behind the exit, and how is its Asia business faring on the whole? Speaking of Match Group’s Asia business, the firm is largely zoomed in on the Japanese market through its dating and marriage app called “Pairs”.  With a total of over 20 million registered users, Pairs is said to have facilitated every one in 10 marriages in Japan. But what are the key learnings from Pair’s operations in Japan, and how far can the operating model in Japan be replicated in other Asian markets with lower marriage rates?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.