Chairman, Regent Hotels & Resorts

Industry Hospitality
Location Taiwan

"People are the key to success, especially in the tourism and hospitality industries, so cultivating talent is a continuous goal for us. Recruiting, training and instilling our brand values in our talent is very important and is something we strive to do everyday. In this industry, we service people and cultures from around the world. We are essentially a platform for exchange between the local and the international. Our opportunity is to act proactively as a cultural ambassador—bringing the best of the world to Taiwan and presenting the best of Taiwan to the world."

Founder & Managing Director, CatchOn

Industry Public relations
Location Hong Kong

"The future belongs to those who know how to synthesize disparate disciplines within and outside the communication spectrum to create new outcomes and possibilities. It calls for adaptive and empathetic leadership. Your values as a leader are equally important as your experience."

CEO, Primeworks Studio

Industry Content creation
Location Malaysia

"I think a good leader is someone who has a vision and inspires other to follow him or her. It takes courage to rally your team, point to a destination and say, 'We have to go there.' Even if your team isn’t sure at first, they will follow your leadership if you show gumption, conviction and confidence. After all, if you look like you know where you are going, people will follow you. That being said, there are instances when I lead my team towards a path—but it was the wrong one. It’s fine, you can always course correct and eventually, you will find the right path. The worse thing a leader can do is not say anything. You can’t just think, you must act—decisively and confidently. To quote Nike, just do it!

"I think whether you are a rocket scientist or a gardener, change is coming at you. Digitalisation has changed the world. Old guards like me know you can’t fix problems the same way anymore. So I think it’s important to practice the FAR philosophy: flexibility, adaptability and resilience. Luckily, these three qualities can be learnt on the job—as long as you remember to practice it!"

President & CEO, Formcase Group

Industry Furniture design
Location Indonesia

"Human resources are very scarce. There’s great talent everywhere, but finding loyal people is difficult. Today, becoming a YouTuber, influencer or some other self-employed role is already such an accepted alternative—people don’t mind not having a conventional job because there’s always opportunities everywhere. In my industry or others, facing high turnover rates will become an issue for future companies."

Founder, 55 By The Group

Industry F&B
Location China

"I think 2019 is a very important year and it seems pretty positive for traditional industries. In terms of cuisine, China and the West need more exchanges. We need to learn from the Western diet, the Western integration of Chinese cooking methods, and after this we can rise to a certain height."

Founder, Eversendai Group

Industry Construction
Location Malaysia

"A leader must set a good example, because he needs to inspire strong support from his subordinates. He must lead with a vision and discipline without compromising on basic ethics, principles and fundamental values of the organisation. Without the support of people down the line, it is not possible to make an organisation successful over the long term. The business environment is becoming tougher and tougher. It is going to become more challenging as the years go by. A leader must be able to deal with sudden changes.

He or she needs a better understanding of what’s trending regionally and globally. You need to hone this foresight to develop smart thinking, prudent management and proactive action. When a leader is ahead in anticipating future problems, you can keep the company afloat and hopefully make it even better in the years to come."