Be passionate, love what you do
I would also like to see the bank continue to contribute to the longterm growth of the banking industry and support the domestic and regional economies, further entrenching its status as one of the premier banks in Malaysia and the region.
Best piece of advice you ever received in your career? Someone once told me that “we have to accept that there are things which we cannot change, to have the courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference”. I have found this to be a solace and a booster builder whenever I come across roadblocks in my life requiring me to muster the courage and passion to stay the course. When we have something good going for us, we must savour and appreciate every moment of it.
Most-admired business leader? Why? While I have admiration for many successful self-made entepreneurs, Li Ka Shing is one who comes foremost to mind – a leader who came from humble beginnings to become a successful entrepreneur today. Often referred to as “Superman” in Hong Kong because of his business prowess, Li has impacted many industries; from electricity to telecommunications, real estate to retail and shipping to the internet. His story is an inspiring journey, which I have an affinity with, as he is also a Teochew and remains true to his internal moral compass.
How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry? Staying up to date in an industry that is constantly shifting is not easy, but being aware of changes as they are happening has always kept me ahead of the curve. Keeping a close ear to the ground has enabled me to stay on the ball with industry challenges, opportunities and trends.
If you could have an hour with any thought leader in the world, who would it be and why? Jack Ma – one of the world’s greatest living examples of entrepreneurship today. He is one who dares to dream and dream big – truly a leader who has inspired people with his innovative ideas; turning ideas into reality, and knowing and showing how to replicate his success. His use of the internet and Alibaba’s influence to facilitate more globalised trade across borders beyond China and helping SMEs across the world is indeed something well worth knowing more about.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced? And what did you learn from it? I have come across my fair share of challenges. I have learnt that one should never be afraid of challenges and that we should ensure that one rises after each fall. We should never see failure as failure but as a learning experience and an opportunity to practise our techniques and perfect our performance.
Setbacks and stressors are the bridges to be crossed to reach our goals, not barricades to keep us from them.
What are the most outlandish business proposals you have ever heard of?
In the era of start-ups, Facebook, Uber and Alipay are some examples of business ideas that many people once thought were too outlandish to become successes. But look at these companies now. They have taken the market by storm. Nothing is ever as predictable as we think – and nobody knows this better than the daring entrepreneurs whose outlandish business ideas proved that whatever your fears, there really can be a market for anything.
What man-made innovation confounds you? Why? As the famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke used to say: “A sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Social media is such a powerful innovation that we have probably only begun to see the effects it will have on the world. It transcends enterprises, industries, and political borders. It has the power to change the world. At the same time, there exists some fear that our ability to communicate, work, play and do business via the internet breaks down our ties to local communities and causes us to become socially isolated. Like any invention, the good or ill it accomplishes will come from how we choose to use it.
Malaysia’s greatest brand? AirAsia, for having attained a world-class and globally recognised innovative brand. Their tenacity in breaking the norms of air travel has brought affordability to millions of travellers and high growth levels to countless tourism destinations in a remarkably short time.
A must read for every business owner/manager is….? The Millionaire Next Door by Tom Stanley and William Danko, which explores how people become wealthy. What they propound certainly resonates with me. It is seldom luck, inheritance, advanced degrees or even intelligence that enables people to amass a fortune. Most parents are not able to provide sufficient economic outpatient care yet many are able to become wealthy. Wealth building takes discipline, sacrifice and hard work. It requires making the necessary trade-offs of time, energy and consumption habits.
Wealth accumulators could therefore be anyone – even the person next door as long as he is a compulsive saver and investor and follows a lifestyle conducive to accumulating money.
How do you expect policies on climate change to impact business in the future? Climate change is a business issue. Global and local changes in temperature, the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and the availability of water will increasingly have a direct bearing on business risk profiles and, in some cases, strategic positioning. Recent experience with extreme weather highlights our global economic exposure to these changes.
Bursa Malaysia’s requirement for listed companies to report on environment-related risks and opportunities as part of their sustainability disclosure has significantly increased awareness of this subject matter.
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to? Firstly, I am blessed that whatever challenges life has tested me with as I travelled along my corporate journey. I have managed to surmount them, to a large extent, due to the support of my cherished corporate family. They too have been zealous in their commitment towards achieving my vision.
Secondly, I love what I do. In order to be truly successful at something, you must obsess over it and let it consume you. Public Bank is my one passion in life. No matter how successful the bank might become, I am always constantly pushing to achieve even bigger, better and greater things for it.
Thirdly, the path to great things is always tough. There is no secret recipe to my success except for the universal attributes of hard work, resilience, being open to change and perseverance during times of adversity.