Latest news with #CEOMasterclass2025
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
CEO Masterclass 2025
Yesterday at 3:13 AM CEO Masterclass 2025: Scale Beyond Limits Greater exposure for Sabahans as entrepreneurs, directors, CEOs, and business owners from Sabah, Malaysia, and Singapore ...
Daily Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
What it takes to survive ‘death valley' - at the recent CEO Masterclass
Published on: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 16, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Moderator Ray Chou (left) with panelists during the talk session. Kota Kinabalu: Three seasoned entrepreneurs endured financial loss, emotional turmoil and massive setbacks – traits they say were what ultimately helped them prevail during the CEO Masterclass 2025, held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on July 9-10. They spoke about what it takes to survive the toughest phase of entrepreneurship, referred to as the notorious 'Death Valley' where most start-ups die out. The session was titled 'Overcoming the Death Valley'. Advertisement For CEO of Amazing Borneo Tours and the force behind Kenji Yeo, the pivotal moment came after the 2015 Mount Kinabalu earthquake which claimed four of his team members. 'It taught me that if money can solve the problem, it's not a hard problem. That wasn't about money. It was about people,' he said. Kenji said the tragedy forced his team to diversify. 'We couldn't depend solely on tourism or Mount Kinabalu climbs anymore. 'So we diversified, we built brands like Borenos Fried Chicken and invested in digital platforms.' he said, functions like the Airport of Sabah tourism describing it as a platform enabling small tourism businesses to connect directly with travellers. 'We've invested millions in it. If we want Sabah to compete with places like Bali or Phuket, we need good infrastructure and collaboration,' he said. Founder of skincare label Nihon Skin and co-founder of wellness brand Ventamin, Geraldyn Low, described the emotional toll of managing a fast-growing company while raising a neurodivergent child. 'I built Nihon Skin to have more time with my son, but ended up chained to the business,' she said. After exiting, she used the experience to structure her new venture for sustainability. 'With Ventamin, we made sure the company can function without us. 'We focused only on what we're good at and outsourced everything else, from HR to fulfilment. 'We automated, we trained the team and now we can take breaks without the business falling apart,' she said. Geraldyn credited her success to a strong marketing foundation. 'People forget that marketing is the only thing that connects your brand to customers. 'We focus not just on conversion but on lead generation and education,' she said, adding that it created a bigger pie instead of fighting over the same slice. Managing Partner of Intelligent Capital Investor, Asgari Stephens, said while most people assume cash is king, burnout is what truly kills start-ups. 'We look for founders who won't give up when things get dark. We even interview ex-bosses, check how they performed under pressure. 'For me, 90pc of the investment decision is the person,' he said, and that scalability remains non-negotiable. 'Nice lifestyle businesses are fine, but if it's not scalable, we don't invest. I've met founders making RM2 million from one restaurant, but you can't scale that model,' Asgari said. Asgari also suggested that Sabah consider a GLC reform similar to Sarawak's, which involved an independent review by the World Bank to evaluate which state-owned enterprises to retain, reshape or close. The panellists also spoke about managing cash flow in the early days. 'There was no Plan B. My Instagram handle is literally 'No Plan B'. If you have Plan B, you won't go all in,' Kenji said. Kenji emphasised that building a core team is crucial and that he personally values women leadership. 'Women are powerful survivors. I've seen men give up. But women stay and fight,' he said. Geraldyn agreed, saying they followed a traditional start-up method where founders deferred salaries to conserve cash. 'You do what it takes. We only paid ourselves when we could afford to,' she said. When asked about delegating decisions, Geraldyn said, 'We built SOPs from day one. When the structure is strong, the team doesn't have to wait for me to decide everything.' The session echoed the broader theme of the conference 'Scaling Beyond Limits' aimed at helping entrepreneurs, government agencies and GLCs across Southeast Asia navigate challenges and build resilient, scalable ventures. * 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
Daily Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
‘Emerging Sabah business leaders need exposure' call
Published on: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 15, 2025 Text Size: From left: Datuk Lee Swi Heng, Datuk James Wong, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and Kenji Yeo together with participants of CEO Masterclass Kota Kinabalu: Sabah entrepreneurs possess equal capabilities as their international counterparts but require greater exposure to unlock their potential. 'Our industry friends from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur scaling 30 outlets per year have unlocked their imagination of what is possible. Advertisement 'We need to bring that confidence to scale up and think big to Sabah,' said Sybil Founding President Datuk James Wong. Local economic growth depends on businesses learning to expand their operations and retain top talent within the State, said James, who is also Sedco General Manager. He was speaking at the recent CEO Masterclass 2025 which attracted 400 industry leaders and professionals to the Sabah International Convention Centre. Jointly organised by the Sabah Young Business and Industry Leaders (Sybil) and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Sabah, the event highlighted the ongoing partnership between the two organisations in fostering leadership development and professional networking opportunities. The first session, 'Overcoming the Business Death Valley,' was moderated by Ray Chou and featured insights from Kenji Yeo of Amazing Borneo Tours, Ventamin co-founder Geraldyn Low and Intelligent Capital Director Asgari Stephens, who shared personal entrepreneurial experiences and challenges. A second panel, 'Scaling Beyond Sabah' was moderated by James and featured three prominent figures from Sabahan public-listed companies. KTI Landmark Berhad's Datuk Dr Gordon Loke, Life Water Berhad's Liaw Hen Kong and Colform Berhad' Kang Ket Hung shared their journeys from operating small-town Sabah businesses to achieving public listings on Bursa Malaysia's ACE Market. The masterclass reinforced Sybil's commitment to creating valuable networking platforms that connect established business leaders with local entrepreneurs, fostering knowledge transfer and business development across Sabah's commercial landscape. * 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
Daily Express
14-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
CEO Masterclass 2025: Transformation of Mindset and Attitude Essential for Sabahans to scale beyond limits
Published on: Monday, July 14, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 14, 2025 By: Azwin Zawawi Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: The much-anticipated CEO Masterclass 2025 marked its successful return with the participation of nearly 400 industry leaders and professionals at the Sabah International Convention Centre on Thursday. The event, co-organized by the Sabah Young Business and Industry Leaders (SYBIL) and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Sabah, reaffirmed the strength of their collaboration in delivering one of the state's most esteemed platforms for leadership and networking. In his welcoming speech, SYBIL Founding President and Group General Manager of SEDCO, Datuk Ar. James Wong Kein Peng mentioned, 'In Sabah, it is not that we entrepreneurs are any less capable than our international counterparts - but it is due to a lack of exposure. Our industry friends from Singapore and KL scaling 30 outlets per year, have unlocked their imagination of what is possible - and we need to bring that confidence to scale up and think big to Sabah.' The greatest impact to Sabah's economy happens when local businesses learn to unlock their potential, scale up their organizations and manage to attract and retain the best local talent to work in Sabah. James accentuated that SYBIL is dedicated to continue organizing events that bring value to the Sabah Business Community. 'With CEO Masterclass, we are creating a powerful network to enable A-list business players to share their experience and enable direct dialogue and learning with our local entrepreneurs.' Engaging panel discussions were the crowd pleasers of the event. The first session 'Overcoming the Business Death Valley' moderated by Ray Chou brought together three distinguished panellists, Kenji Yeo CEO of Amazing Borneo Tours; Geraldyn Low co-founder of Ventamin and Asgari Stephens Director of Intelligent Capital, to discuss the challenges and lessons learnt from their personal entrepreneurship journeys. Datuk Ar. James moderated an esteemed panel of speakers that took participants on a journey to learning from the titans of Sabahan listed companies from their experience of 'Scaling Beyond Sabah' on how they succeeded in listing their companies on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia. Datuk Dr. Gordon Loke, Group Managing Director of KTI Landmark Berhad; Liaw Hen Kong Managing Director of Life Water Berhad and Kang Ket Hung Managing Director of Colform Berhad shared their inspiring stories on growing their respective businesses from small towns in Sabah to becoming public listed companies and stand proudly amongst global giants. Guest of Honour YB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Masidi Manjun emphasized that true progress begins with a shift in mindset. He urged government-linked companies (GLCs) to adopt a business-driven approach and collaborate with the private sector to leverage their expertise and efficiency. 'The government's role is not to compete with businesses but to facilitate their growth,' he noted, adding that public-private partnerships can lead to greater profitability, job creation, and tax revenue. Masidi encouraged GLCs to offer equity to private players and co-manage ventures to achieve shared success. Highlighting the importance of adaptability and cooperation in today's economy, he praised CEO Masterclass as a vital platform to foster these partnerships, reminding all that when Sabahans unite, challenges can be overcome together. A key highlight of the event was the keynote by Professor Inderjit Singh Dhaliwal, a distinguished business entrepreneur from Singapore, in a session moderated by John Cham, Managing Director of Blue Swan Home Care. In his talk, 'Scaling Beyond Limits,' Professor Inderjit shared hard-earned strategies from building multiple successful companies. He emphasized that 'Sabah businesses must be bold to step out of your comfort zones, embrace a strategic mindset, and leverage your unique identity to drive growth.' Collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital, along with a clear long-term vision. He also urged, 'It is crucial for Sabah to tap into its global diaspora talent and bring them back to contribute, to support and truly unlock the state's full potential.' Datuk Lee Swi Heng, Vice President of MICCI Malaysia and Organizing Committee of CEO Masterclass 2025 wrapped-up the event with a heartfelt thanks to all the respected guests, sponsors and attendees. 'We sincerely hope that the CEO Masterclass 2025 has not only offered valuable perspectives but has also ignited within each of you the courage to dream bigger, act bolder, and confidently tackle the exciting challenges of scaling your businesses' he said in his closing speech. * 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
Daily Express
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Sabah CEOs share survival lessons at 2025 masterclass
Published on: Thursday, July 10, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 10, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Moderator Ray Chou (left) with the panellists during the talk session. KOTA KINABALU: Entrepreneurs shared insights on navigating the "Death Valley" of business at the CEO Masterclass 2025 held at SICC. Amazing Borneo Tours CEO Kenji Yeo recalled the 2015 Mount Kinabalu quake as a turning point that drove him to diversify and build emphasising people over profit. Nihon Skin founder Geraldyn Low said burnout from her first business taught her to prioritise sustainability, automation, and team-building in her new venture, Ventamin. Investor Asgari Stephens of Intelligent Capital noted that resilience matters more than funding, with most investment decisions driven by the founder's grit and market potential. Panellists agreed that collaboration and shared platforms like are key to scaling, likening its role to Singapore's Changi Airport. Themed 'Scaling Beyond Limits,' the event gathered regional entrepreneurs, GLCs and policymakers to discuss sustainable growth strategies. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
