Cover Entrepreneur and second-generation business leader Kristy Yong shares how strong leadership that helps a business outlive its founders’ success (Photo: Fady Younis)
Entrepreneur and second-generation business leader Kristy Yong shares how strong leadership that helps a business outlive its founders’ success (Photo: Fady Younis)
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Entrepreneur and second-generation business leader Kristy Yong shares how strong leadership that helps a business outlive its founders’ success
Life doesn’t always go as planned, but if there’s one thing Kristy Yong has learned, it’s that being open to change—and trusting your instincts—can be the most powerful tools in leadership.
As the executive director of Ms Read, a Malaysian fashion brand that has empowered plus-size women for over 28 years,
Yong has carved out her own path, steering the brand into a new era while staying true to its core values. Ms Read was founded in 1997 by her mother, Helen Read, with a simple yet revolutionary mission: to create stylish, well-fitting clothes for women sized UK12 to UK24.
From a single store, it has grown into a regional presence with 15 locations across Malaysia and Singapore, complemented by a thriving e-commerce platform. Under Yong’s leadership, Ms Read has made its mark beyond borders, leveraging technology and data to optimise research and customer relations.
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Above Photo: Ms Read/Instagram
Photo: Ms Read/Instagram
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Having previously collaborated with international brands like Bowerhaus along with local names and designers such as Frankitas and Ezzati Amira, Ms Read remains committed to celebrating individuality and ensuring that every woman feels confident in her own skin.
For Yong, the journey to helming the family business was far from predetermined. She started her career as a graphic designer at The Melium Group before moving to London to work. After returning to Malaysia, she rejoined Melium as an art director before eventually stepping into Ms Read’s leadership.
“I never thought that this was a role I would take on,” Yong says. “I always wanted to be an employee. I struggled with confidence because I never thought that this would be my path. Even now in the business, I find that I prefer playing a supportive role. I’m not your textbook leader.”
The transition wasn’t always easy, but Yong has embraced her own leadership style—one that prioritises collaboration over top-down management, data over instinct, and above all, the ability to listen inward despite the myriad of voices all around.
Above Photo: Ms Read/Instagram
Photo: Ms Read/Instagram
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“Before, a lot of organisations ran on authoritative leadership—top down style, which many retail businesses still practice today,” she adds. “But I'm just not built like that. It took me many years to find my own footing and to accept that my way may be different, but it works. And as a founder and entrepreneur, you really have to discern for yourself what works.”
Her style of leadership involves empowering the next generation of leaders to help strengthen a brand that should ultimately outlive its founder. Beyond Ms Read, she also helms Auri Malaysia, a fashion label designed for women seeking comfortable yet stylish everyday wear. “I didn’t want Auri to be a founder-based business because founder-driven brands only last as long as their founders,” she explains. “Auri is about the customer, about evolving with them.”
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Yong’s approach to leadership is grounded in a deep respect for the customer experience.
A poignant moment during a trip to Japan reinforced her philosophy. “I saw a man in the market grilling beef skewers, using his bare hands to test the heat of the plate to make sure it was not too hot but warm enough before handing it to his customer,” she recalls. “This is what business is really about, that intrinsic sense of service and purpose.”
What has been your biggest lesson in leading a multi-generational business?
It’s all about values. Ms Read has transitioned from a first-generation business to a second-generation one, and we’ve had to shift from an authoritative leadership style to a more collaborative one. I believe in treating my team like adults—we shouldn’t be spending time governing them, but instead focusing on delivering value to our customers. I’m lucky to have a team that works more collaboratively as well as colleagues that are truly invested in the business.
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Above Photo: Fady Younis
Photo: Fady Younis
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How do you decide what stays as ideas on paper versus what the customer actually sees?
Everything is based on data. We spent a good part of the last five years building up our Power BI dashboard. Before, if you wanted a report, you had to ask a certain merchandiser to churn out analytics. Now, it’s all on the dashboard. I’m really grateful we have that data to help us evaluate decisions, to test small capsule collections or campaigns and then see what works and then hone in on that. I always say like when we do our sampling confirmation, it's not about what I like. I'm only one of our customer profiles. It’s not about me. It’s about offering something to every customer who shops with us.
With data, everything is transparent according to business needs, and I love that. I love how technology has helped to shape and build so much of what we need to operate in new ways. As a Malaysian-founded business and a homegrown brand, I love how we have come together to be able to build new things and not just copy-and-paste what has been done before.
What makes you feel most creative?
Travel definitely helps. Seeing different ways of life gives me inspiration. But honestly, the internet has changed everything. It allows us to see beyond the surface of any country and gather insights from multiple perspectives.
What are some milestones you’re proud of in 2024?
The biggest one has been centralising our structure. We’ve been grooming new leaders across every division, and it’s rewarding to see them take ownership of their ideas. When you see your team quoting back the company’s values and applying them to real situations, that’s when you know something is working.
Above Gaya Subramaniam and Francisca Turner of Frankitas (left) with Yong at the launch of the Ms Read x Frankitas collection in 2024 (Photo: Ms. Read)
Gaya Subramaniam and Francisca Turner of Frankitas (left) with Yong at the launch of the Ms Read x Frankitas collection in 2024 (Photo: Ms. Read)
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What’s the biggest shift you’ve had to adapt to?
That change is the new business-as-usual. The post-pandemic world means constant evolution, and that took me a while to embrace. But once I adopted the right mindset, I realised change is not so bad. Staying the same and never changing at all is a bigger risk.
What’s the best advice you’ve received—and what advice would you give your younger self?
People love giving advice, but not all advice is meant for you. I’ve had people tell me to be more authoritative, but that’s not who I am. In the last year or so, I've spent more time listening inward and moving the business towards being a spirit-led business. Prayer helps. So does intentionally listening to the voice inside yourself, because sometimes too much advice from others doesn’t work.
That said, there is good advice at every juncture. People come and go, and sometimes they’re sent in the form of angels to help you, you know? I believe very much in that–not in a hocus-pocus sense, but in a practical sense.
To my younger self, I’d say: Be more confident.
This article is part of Founder Stories, a series dedicated to discovering the untold stories and challenges of today’s entrepreneurs on their climb to the top. Meet more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2024 from the Real Estate & Hospitality and Technology sectors.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
