All-Malaysian Team at Goodyear Malaysia
In 1972, Goodyear recognized the potential of the Malaysian auto market and decided to establish a small factory in Shah Alam, Selangor. The move was also to meet government policy which encouraged local production of automotive components as a means to develop the industry and boost the national economy. This saw high import duties being imposed on imported tyres, hence making it logical for anyone wanting to sell more tyres in Malaysia to make them locally.
Over the past three decades, Goodyear Malaysia, which is a joint-venture between the American company and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has been run mostly by expatriate executives (not all of them have been Americans). It’s an expensive exercise for corporations to send executives (who often come with the families) to work overseas but in the early years of such ventures, local expertise is not always available so expatriate staff are needed.
Nevertheless, many multi-national corporations recognize that it is only right for locals to run an operation in their own country and as soon as appropriate, promising executives are exposed to many aspects of the business by being posted to other countries. Some are also given opportunities to run other operations in various capacities.
The process can take many years but is extremely useful for the executives because they gain a lot of experience in different environments. Over time, they are brought back to their home country where, with their breadth of knowledge and experience, they are ready to run the operation.
C.K Choo is among the executives at Goodyear Malaysia who was put through this process of development. He joined Goodyear’s sales office in Malaysia 1966 and when Goodyear Malaysia was formed, he naturally was among the first staff members. In 1988, he was assigned to Goodyear’s headquarters in Ohio, USA, where he served as Sales & Marketing Director for Asia.
The stint in the US lasted three years and from there, he would spend the next 11 years in various countries. Notable positions that he was in included Chairman/Managing Director of Goodyear India and Managing Director of Goodyear Thailand.
Now Mr Choo has ‘come home’ and with all that experience in running much bigger operations, he is undeniably qualified to become the first Malaysian Managing Director of Goodyear Malaysia, a position which he has been appointed to recently. Even more significantly, he has been put in charge of Goodyear’s ASEAN operations office, based in Malaysia.
However, it is not only Mr Choo’s appointment that is laudable but also the fact that, along with his appointment, the Goodyear Malaysia management team is composed entirely of Malaysians now, in this 30th year of operations. The all-Malaysian team consists of:
Yoong Pak Shing – Sales Director
Yap Chee Wah – Marketing Director
Pat Leng Kon – Original Equipment/Customer Relations Director
Shaharuddin Abdul Manaf – Human Resources Director
Lim Wee How – Finance Director
Hajjah Jamilah Hashim – Manufacturing Director
Of the six, Mr Lim and Puan Hajjah Jamilah are the first Malaysians to hold those positions while Puan Hajjah Jamilah also has the distinction of being the first and only woman to be manufacturing director in Goodyear’s Asian operations.
“We are very proud of this achievement which comes during the company’s 30th anniversary. It’s not just an achievement for Goodyear Malaysia but also a Malaysian achievement and very much in the true spirit of Malaysia Boleh. This augurs well for the country and is a positive reflection of the capabilities of Malaysians as a whole,” said Mr Choo.
