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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.
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