The face of Corporate Malaysia is changing. A new breed of entrepreneurs has emerged; they are young, motivated, tech-savvy, socially attuned and moving seamlessly in a global context.

You can follow them on Twitter, read their blogs and (if they are particularly open) friend them on Facebook. In this way, they stay in touch with more people than their fathers could have ever envisaged and keep their fingers on the pulse of the zeitgeist. They also tend to be quirkier and some of them wear their eccentricities proudly like badges of honour.

The Edge Financial Daily, after careful consideration, has picked a handful of representative “new kids on the block” to feature. Some like Datuk Robin Tan, Datuk Douglas Cheng, and Elizabeth and Gabrielle Tan are the offspring of illustrious fathers and have had their way paved for them, in a manner of speaking. This does not make them any less eager to prove themselves and carve out their own niche, moving out of the patriarchal shadow.  In fact, if anything, as Liz Tan pointed out, they have more to prove.

Then there are the self-made ones with only their talent and hunger and ability to recognise a need and capitalise on it such as Ganesh Kumar Bangah and Edmund Santhara.

And then there are the professional managers who made good such as Azmir Merican, AWC Bhd’s CEO.

They don’t seem to measure themselves by the same criteria their parents did. Daman Group director Datuk Douglas Cheng, for instance, would be the first to tell you that living a balanced life and being happy is a priority. He works hard but plays equally hard as well. Robin Tan and Gabby Tan are keen supporters of the arts scene, hosting cabaret musicals or providing exhibition space for struggling artists. Santhara, who is very open about his humble beginnings, gives motivational talks, and says that if he even manages to inspire one student in 10, he has done his job.

As busy as they are, most of them shot off answers on their BlackBerry or iPhones. Bangah, who was in Manila to sign a deal, tossed off his answers over his iPhone in about 10 minutes in between meetings. Cheng and Santhara were equally communicative over their BlackBerries. In fact, with Santhara, a chess enthusiast, there was brief conversation about Kasparov.

Cheng, who was busy with preparations for his wedding reception in Kuala Lumpur, insisted that his laptop (which had been at home) be brought to the office so he could share the pictures of his reception in Phuket, a slideshow on his computer to the music of Taylor Swift’s Love Story.

Basically, even though they may be said to have grown up in the Age of the Individual, they move seamlessly in society and seem to value community, communication and connection. And they are more socially, culturally and environmentally aware of the impact of their actions.

Welcome to the brave new face of Corporate Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara
Masterskill Education Group Bhd
CEO

Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara’s story is the classic tale of the poor boy who made good. A rubber tapper’s son who had to walk and hitchhike 45km to school everyday only to be caned for being late once he arrived, education has proved to be his way out in more ways than one.

Santhara is largely credited with the turnaround of ailing nursing school Masterskill School of Nursing and Healthcare. He may not quite be a new kid on the block, having joined the company in October 2004 as its director of business development. But it was only in the last four years that Santhara has gained recognition in the corporate world, largely for his successful transformation of Masterskill into a profitable concern. In 2004, the school had only about 250 students and was making some RM2 million a year.

He managed to upgrade it to university  college status and went all out to make study loans accessible to potential students.  His reasoning? A lack of funds should not impede someone who wants to be part of what is an essentially noble profession.

Seven years later, Masterskill has been transformed into Masterskill University College of Health Sciences (MUCH) and is raking in a net profit of close to RM100 million a year.

It has expanded its campus presence from just its flagship in Cheras, Selangor, to four other states — Perak, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah and at the time of listing about a year ago, was seeing enrolments of about 17,000 students a year.

Santhara once said that Masterskill started from an idea.

He saw a need in the market. Malaysia was facing a serious shortfall of nurses and health workers and it was time to do something about it. “We decided not to compete with other players. We trained students with a skill that the market really needed.”

The company was listed in May last year, at RM3.80 per share for institutional investors and RM3.50 per share for the public, raised some RM775 million.

Post-listing, however, its share price took a hit because there were delays in the opening of two of its campuses and there were concerns that the government could be looking to reduce the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN), which funds the bulk of students at the university college.

Santhara rubbished the notion, and was even prepared to buy back shares which he felt were trading ridiculously below their value.

The avid chess enthusiast is taking proactive measures to combat the perceived shortfall from these events. For instance, he is diversifying its curriculum beyond nursing and allied health.

He is also trying to attract more foreign students, particularly from Indonesia, China and the Indian subcontinent. And he is taking his business overseas.

Masterskill is acquiring a stake in PT Sejahteraraya Anugrahjaya Tbk, the owner of Mayapada Hospital.

The two will be joining forces to set up Universitas Masterskill-Mayapada which will offer programmes in nursing and allied health education.

Masterskill has also entered into an agreement with Australia’s Newcastle University, to offer business programmes.

As Santhara remarked: “The power is in execution and speed. The outcome will be decided by the industry and God.” — By Jennifer Jacobs

Datuk Robin Tan
Berjaya Corp Bhd
CEO

From a young age, Datuk Robin Tan was being groomed and trained to take over the Berjaya Group of companies that his father Tan Sri Vincent Tan founded in 1984.

“Being the eldest in the family, a lot of responsibilities and expectations have been placed on me to lead the family and perform well for this company,” said Robin.

When he graduated from the UK in 1995, Robin immediately joined the group as an executive. In 1997, he was made the group’s general manager of corporate affairs.

In 2003, the first big move came. He was appointed CEO of Berjaya Land. Since then, Tan senior has been slowly relinguishing stewardship of the group to his son.

However, it was 15 years later, at the end of 2010 that the changing of the guard, so to speak, took place. Robin became the CEO of Berjaya Corp, the flagship company, effective Jan 1, 2011.

How does it feel to be one of the youngest corporate chieftains in the country, The Edge Financial Daily asked Robin.  His response was: “It is not a question of being one of the youngest, but more of whether I am adequately prepared to assume the position.”

So, is he ready? “My father has been grooming and training me for this responsibility for most of my life. With the aid of the excellent people I have in the company, I hope to do well in this position.”  

Certainly, Robin will have some big shoes to fill, as Tan senior is a tough act to follow. But the younger Tan is quick to point out that he isn’t quite ready to step into his father’s shoes yet.

“Although I have worked in various aspects in this Group and assumed numerous leadership roles, I don’t think I can step into my father’s shoes yet, as he is still leaps and bounds ahead of me in terms of his entrepreneurial experience and corporate leadership.”

For now, the focus is on his responsibility to the staff and stakeholders, and the financial performance of the group. To take the group to a higher level, Robin recognises the need to empower the talent in the Group, which he thinks are aplenty. So we put in measures to do that, he said.  

Does his management style differ from his dad’s? Robin prefers to think they are complementary.

“We have to learn to adapt and change according to market demand, and this is where I come in to complement my father. We will focus more of our efforts on issues of sustainability, corporate responsibility and accountability. — By Anna Taing

Datuk Douglas Cheng
Daman Group
Director

Datuk Douglas Cheng is a “hail-fellow-well-met” sort of guy. At his wedding over the weekend with long-time love Charlene Yeo, he was expecting no fewer than 1,200 guests.

And as his wife-to-be sits in another room trying to figure out the complicated seating arrangements, the 35-year old GPL Group director is cheerfully printing out more cards and adding to their guest list.

“I have friends from all walks of life, from primary school, secondary school, uni, business. I’m a very sociable guy and make friends quite easily. Which is how I can end up with 1,200 people at the wedding,” he pointed out with a disarming smile when The Edge Financial Daily met up for this interview.

In terms of business, Cheng is involved in a little bit of everything. A trained lawyer who did his chambering at Skrine & Co, he is involved in property, restaurants (notably the well-known Dragon-i), futsal halls, Apple computers and accessories, the list goes on.

“The thing with me is I am hungry for business and I try to do everything. Over the years I’ve learned that you can’t. If you’re going to do something you need to make sure you have time to do it. You need to be hands-on because at the end of the day, all businesses are about management,” he said.

Commenting on his generation of businessmen, Cheng said this is a lesson that each has come to in their own time. “We start off trying to do everything and then we learn to focus. I guess you may say it’s about growing up.”

Maybe because of the eclectic nature of his interests, Cheng has become known as “the dealmaker”. Except that he doesn’t think he is one, or at least, not a good one. “I’m not a dealmaker; people like to call me that, but if I am, I’m obviously a very bad one,” he said with a rueful laugh.

He is referring obliquely to the attempted acquisition of Tanjong plc’s gaming arm, Pan Malaysian Pools, which fell through. Cheng, however, declined to discuss it further.

Cheng is the son of Datuk David Cheng, a self-made man who rose from humble beginnings. “My mom and dad were both flight attendants who used to buy clothes in Hong Kong and sell them in the various boutiques they owned through the country. My brother and I used to go and help out and we would hang out in the shopping centres and look at which shops were crowded and which items were selling. That is how we identified opportunities from a very young age.”

When asked if he is very much his father’s son, Cheng replied: “I’m a combination of both. Everyone asks about my Dad, but my mother is a crucial influence as well. She quit working to become a full-time housewife to take care of my brother and me. She was the strict one who disciplined us while my father was busy with the business.”

Maybe that is why, despite his obvious passion for business, he has a more balanced approach to life. “I think it is important to work hard and play hard.
Enjoy life to the fullest. I know people who work very hard and make a lot of money but then don’t take the time out to enjoy it.

“I’m not saying that my way is the right way to live. I’m just saying that this is what I do, and it makes me happy,” he concluded. — By Jennifer Jacobs

Azmir Merican
AWC Bhd
Group chief executive/managing director

At 39, Azmir Merican is the youngest member of the board of AWC Bhd, an engineering services group listed on Bursa Malaysia.

But on the job, age is the last thing he thinks about.

“I’ve seen and worked with a number of talented individuals who have achieved significant success despite being relatively younger than their peers so I don’t  see age as  a factor as long as you have the right skills and exposure,” he said.

But Azmir agrees that any new and young corporate leader would often be judged by others.

“It’s only natural for people to judge you and you will need to prove yourself, gain trust and confidence, which are all crucial for any leader of any age.
However, once you do, that is no longer a concern. On the flip side, you can inspire confidence within the organisation and this is very useful in getting things done,” he explained.

Azmir joined AWC as its group chief executive and managing director in 2007. Prior to that, he has always had a career in financial services and banking, starting with the Maybank Group’s venture capital and private equity arm.

He then moved to PricewaterhouseCoopers specialising in corporate finance advisory. Azmir then joined the private equity division of CIMB Investment Bank, which was responsible for the group’s entry into the private equity industry.

The experience in finance obviously came in useful at AWC, an investment holding company involved in various businesses across industries.

“As the CEO, understanding each subsidiary, its business model and issues is crucial. You also have to know your numbers well. Competency is always key,” he said.

Looking back on his career, Azmir said it has been an exciting journey — tough and eventful at times — but overall a good learning experience. He also credits the people he has and continues to work with.  

“I think throughout the years I have been fortunate not only to work for excellent organisations but also with very good people. These factors do make a difference. Besides the exposure and challenge working for these organisations and managers, there was also room for growth,” he said.  

Azmir views passion and the desire to succeed as evergreen values leaders should have to keep their businesses or organisations at the top of the game.
Innovation is also key given today’s business climate.

“Since taking over the helm three years ago, innovation has been a key driver of AWC’s successful turnaround. At the same time we need to keep our people customer-focused and action oriented,” he explained, adding that he would like to create a non-hierarchical organisation where views and opinions are freely expressed within a culture of learning.   

“To make this work, integrity, accountability and teamwork are the other key values we must strive for and guard within the organisation,” he noted.  

Operating in six countries, Azmir identified competition and managing in a constantly changing and volatile global landscape as one of the main challenges he faces in leading AWC. Other challenges include finding and retaining talent and clearly communicating the group’s goals to its staff. — By Jenny Ng

Ganesh Kumar Bangah
MOL Global Bhd
Founder and group CEO

Ganesh Kumar Bangah was only 15 when he started a business to provide IT training, software, web development as well as PC sales and service.  He was the only one among his peers who understood this stuff and he couldn’t help but notice that everyone wanted a piece of him.

When he began making waves in the media in his early 20s, however, he was no longer such a phenomenon. It was the brief era of the dotcom boom in Malaysia and other young CEOs had started to give interviews about how their company, or their technology, would effectively change the way business was done in Malaysia.

The difference? While Bangah secured concrete backing and was able to thrive and adapt himself to the changing market, most of the others have proved to be mere flash in the pan.

The 31-year-old CEO, on the other hand, heads a company that owns Friendster and is doing deals with Facebook. He co-founded MOL AccessPortal in 2000 and became the youngest CEO of a listed company when MOL went public in 2003.

It was subsequently privatised in 2008. The following year, backed by Tan Sri Vincent Tan, he led MOL Global’s acquisition of Friendster, the pioneer social networking site.  

Despite its first-mover advantage, Friendster had been unable to compete against the Johnny-come-latelys such as Myspace or Facebook, and all but disappeared from the scene. Not quite, however.

At the time of acquisition, it still had some 115 million members, not to mention a host of patents related to social networking.  And this is what MOL was interested in.

“We acquired it because of its three core assets, namely brand, community and patents. We saw that combining Friendster’s community of over 115 million registered members with MOL’s monetisation and content where 6% of our registered users spend an average of RM150 per month would make a compelling business proposition,” Bangah said.

But there was also the cache of owning the world’s first social networking site. Everyone had heard of Friendster. And now, everyone was hearing about the company which had acquired it.  “MOL’s acquisition of Friendster put us on the global map.  It gave us the credibility to close deals with global players like Facebook.”

MOL moved Friendster’s operations from the US to Asia to relaunch it as a social gaming destination, which it plans to do by the end of the month.

In the meantime, in a move described by one online tech magazine Tech Crunch, as “red paper clipping”, MOL managed to extract some cash out of its patents.
Enough cash, in fact, to more than cover the original cost of its acquisition and some 3.5 million shares in Facebook.

Bangah said starting out young gave him a lot of lead time to achieve what he dreamt about. “When you’re young, it’s tough to convince the stakeholders to trust you but I managed to do it eventually. And then I proved myself. I think I survived in this sector because I was willing to persevere and because I truly believed in what I was doing.” —
By Jennifer Jacobs

Elizabeth Tan and Gabrielle Tan
The Gardens, Mid Valley City
(head of leasing) (head of marketing)

Daughters of IGB head honcho Robert Tan, Gabrielle and Elizabeth, affectionately known as Gabby and Liz, are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the retail industry.

The two, who have been entrusted with running his most prestigious shopping centre, The Gardens Mall, are supposed to be as different as chalk and cheese.
The bohemian Gabby is head of marketing while the more conservative Liz, is head of leasing.

The sisters have a lot to prove to dad, who himself only took over the reins from his father, Tan Kim Yeow, brother of  Tan Sri Tan Chin Nam and co-founder of the Tan & Tan Group in 1995. So Liz and Gabby are, in effect, members of the third generation of the illustrious Tan family. And they have a lot to live up to.

Liz had once said that the most difficult part about being the boss’s daughters, was having to prove not only to colleagues, but to the entire industry, that they are capable of the responsibility.  

The sisters declined to be interviewed for this feature.

In an interview with a local daily recently, Liz said: “The biggest issue I had to overcome is trying to get people to take me seriously. It’s not so much stepping out of our dad’s shadow as it is about making him proud of us. But I’d like to think that both Gabby and I have done a good job so far. We’ve also been blessed with a wonderful team at The Gardens Mall.”

Gabby has said in previous news reports that as a daughter of the boss, she felt even more pressure to perform to earn the respect of her colleagues. “That is why it’s great to have Liz working by my side as she knows exactly what I go through. We provide each with support, whether moral or physical.”

But they arrived here by different routes. Gabby, who worked beside her father for a short time, decided to return to school to study fashion. She tried her hand as a fashion designer before taking on The Gardens in November 2007, “… to be closer to family and carve another road for myself”, she told the local daily. Liz, on the other hand, joined The Gardens immediately upon graduation in 2004 and remained there, working her way up. —
By Jennifer Jacobs

This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, June 13, 2011.