BOH boss enters Asia’s Power Businesswomen 2020 list
SINGAPORE: Caroline Russell, the third-generation head of BOH Plantations Sdn Bhd — Malaysia’s largest tea producer by output — has made it into Forbes’ 2020 Asia’s Power Businesswomen list.
The list highlights 25 outstanding female leaders in the AsiaPacific region.
The family-owned business has four plantations spread over 1,200ha and produces about 4.5 million kilogrammes of tea annually, or about 70 per cent of Malaysia’s tea output.
Russell, who took over as chief executive officer in 2003, has expanded BOH’s range of teas and international sales over the years.
She became executive chairman after her father retired last year.
Her grandfather had founded BOH in 1929.
“As the world battles with uncertainties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that Forbes Asia highlights these businesswomen who are rising to the occasion and excelling during these challenging times,” said Rana Wehbe Watson, editor of the 2020 Asia’s Power Businesswomen list, in a statement yesterday.
She said this year’s list recognised 25 women at the helm of companies and institutions across a wide range of industries, such as biotech, education, logistics and law.
“Their track record of success and resilient leadership set inspiring examples for others to follow,” she said.
Another name in the list is HCL Technologies’ Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the first woman to chair a listed tech firm in India and one of a handful of female chairpersons in the male-dominated global tech industry.
The youngest person to make this year’s list is 29-yearold Lucy Yueting Liu of Hong Kong’s Airwallex, an alum of the 2017 “Forbes 30 Under 30” Asia list.
Three other businesswomen from India also made the list, namely Ameera Shah of Metropolis Healthcare, Divya Gokulnath of Byju and Vinati Saraf Mutreja of Vinati Organics.
Thailand has three in the list as well, namely Preeyanart Soontornwata of B. Grimm Power, Nualphan Lamsam of Muang Thai Insurance and Jareeporn Jarukornsakul of WHA Group.
The full list can be found at www.forbes.com/asia-powerbusinesswomen and i n the September issue of Forbes Asia, which also featured Nadar Malhotra on the cover.