“ the Joy, the Laughter, the Family Bonding, the Friends We See
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Interview | INVEST INNOVATE HIGHER POWER Could the humble As featured in battery solve our planet�s energy problem? INSPIRING THE BUSINESS WORLD LAUNCHING BEATING The CEO Magazine GREAT BURNOUT LEADERS Why it pays to How to manage middle invest in you managers better INVEST The IoT IS IT TIME TO For more info visit RETHINKINSPIRING THE THE BUSINESS WORLD Hype or BONUS SYSTEM? revolution? HOW TO SURVIVE A MANAGEMENT theceomagazine.com “ The joy, the BUYOUT Finding BALANCE David Jacob, CEO of Marsh Asia, explains laughter, the family ISSN 24249831 why health is wealth bonding, the friends we see “It’s been an hanging out in the parks – that’s our greatest achievement.” amazing RIDE.” Malaysian theme park Sunway Lagoon has come a long way since its beginnings at a former mining site. WORDS SHARON MASIGE • IMAGES KELVIN & KIM PHOTOGRAPHY unway Lagoon – home of Asia’s ‘Best Day Ever’ experience,” Calvin tells first Nickelodeon-based attraction The CEO Magazine. “We make families and the world’s largest funnel ride, happy and, at the end of the day, we make the Vuvuzela – is one of Malaysia’s them have something to look forward to for most popular family destinations. next time. The joy, the laughter, the family It is one of two theme parks bonding, the friends we see hanging out in Sowned by the Sunway Group and has six the parks – that’s our greatest achievement.” adventure zones featuring more than 90 rides. Prior to Sunway, Calvin made his mark The other park, Sunway Lost World of in the hotel industry. “I worked in Europe Tambun, is action- and adventure-themed, for a couple of years,” he says. “I did hotel offering both a day and a night experience management courses and joined the hotel filled with recreational and leisure activities. industry in Hong Kong and Australia. Then The two parks enjoy a combined total of I got headhunted to join the theme park more than three million visitors each year. industry in Malaysia and I have never looked Apart from having some notable back. It’s been an amazing ride.” attractions, Senior General Manager of Although Calvin describes working for Sunway Theme Parks, Calvin Ho believes the theme parks as fun, he acknowledges that Sunway Lagoon’s success is due to its there was a lot to learn to ensure continued customer care. “We strive to deliver the operations. “In this industry, we are » theceomagazine.com | 137 Interview | INVEST GET YOUR vulnerable to a lot of things that could impact the business tremendously: Malaysia’s economic situation, world stability and ADRENALINE inclement weather,” he explains. “So it’s up to us to keep innovating and finding new ways to accommodate these kinds of situations. PUMPING With Malaysia’s unexpected weather, we try to manage guest expectations with added indoor entertainment to address rainy days. X Park is Malaysia’s first theme park In terms of economic instability, Sunway dedicated to motorised and non- Lagoon implemented a strategy to encourage local visitors who are struggling financially. Calvin (right) takes pride in the motorised extreme sports. Our park Wildlife Park. Seen here feeding “The economy is pretty challenging right Lola, a Malayan sun bear cub. features an assortment of thrills now so we created package options that are and attractions that cater to the a little more affordable for Malaysians and apps that can track the movements of our entertainment needs of all visitors, with international travellers to still come and enjoy customers within the parks. This is so the park,” Calvin notes. we can determine the main attractions a focus on extreme sports. But it’s not just the weather and the they go to and how much time they spend Our number one rule to our visitors is economy that the parks have to deal with. at each.” “We have wildlife parks at both Sunway Due to the history of the park, Calvin ‘Enjoy Yourselves’. Lagoon and Lost World of Tambun” Calvin ensures that all its practices keep sustainability says. “We don’t believe in having an front of mind. “The park was built on enormous safari and lots of animals. Instead, previous mining land. There was nothing ESCAPE TO A DIFFERENT WORLD OF FUN! we feel we could play a small role in giving on it; it looked like a moonscape,” he says, Full page advert back and sharing with young children about describing the former tin-mine site. X Park is the perfect venue for daily Motomarin conservation, preservation and what not to “Sunway City rose from a desolate do in the future with wildlife.” 800-acre wasteland into an integrated and activities, corporate entertainment, Like all theme parks, safety is a major thriving township. family days, product launches, mini- priority at Sunway Lagoon. “The good thing “Today, we have trees,” Calvin continues. adventure races, treasure hunts and about today’s world is that there is a lot “We didn’t take away a forest or other natural team-building events. Our marketing of technology, software and programming environments to build a theme park; we available for tracking purposes,” Calvin took a wasteland and converted it into a executives & event management team says. “Besides software, you need a lot of wonderland. Sustainable development is very will assist your company in customising visual checks and well-trained engineers important for us. We have lakes within our the event. to go through the attractions. Of course, park and ensure they are clean, and we have like other attractions, we have downtime lots of flourishing habitats.” where we shut the rides every year. Each There is one person Calvin is inspired by ride goes through this process of scheduled the most and that the Founder and Chairman maintenance and replacement.” of Sunway Group Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr With technology advancing at a rapid Jeffrey Cheah. “He is always supportive and rate, Calvin says the company is innovating points us in the right direction,” Calvin says. but still has a way to go to keep up with “He has given opportunities to all of us who global trends. “We keep changing the park to serve at Sunway. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey make it better every year,” he says. Cheah established the three central values “We are not quite there yet, but we are that our purpose, vision and mission are loving some of the technology that has come synonymous with throughout the group; on board so far, especially in sales and a solid foundation based on integrity, marketing,” he reveals. humility and excellence. “A lot of marketing channels have “What I like the most is humility. If Motomarin Sdn. Bhd. (757305-H) switched to online and digital. The Sunway we forget about this, then complacency steps Extreme Park HQ, Jalan Tasik Selatan, Sunway South Quay, Group is working tirelessly to look at system in and we stop innovating. If we think we » Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 03 5632 9913 Fax: 03 5633 9913 http://xparkmalaysia.com/ theceomagazine.com | 139 Interview | INVEST are the best, then that’s it; we’re not going to style and his humility – he still picks up do anything more. But if we keep reminding rubbish on the grounds when visiting the ourselves that we can be better and we are parks. “He leads by example,” Calvin says. humble with what we have, then that will “There are plenty of employees who have keep us going for another 25 years worked here for 10, 20 years. or more.” It speaks volumes about the These principles are kind of leadership the exemplified by the staff. “What I like the Chairman shows.” engage with our partners and our supply For instance, one of the And it’s not just chains. There are so many improvement ideas cleaners found a bag most is humility. employees who have that come to us through these two channels, containing nearly If we forget about stuck by Sunway for so we keep doing it.” RM8,000 and handed this length of time but Calvin believes sharing is the key to the it over to the park’s this, then suppliers as well, and longevity of the theme park industry. “We Lost and Found that, notes Calvin, really need to get together and share best counter. The bag, complacency steps is due to effective practices, values and ideas in marketing, safety, which also contained in and we stop communication. “They preventive maintenance, and so on,” he three passports, belonged are our teammates,” he advises. “By sharing, we ensure every theme to a Saudi Arabian family. innovating.” says. “We have constant park in our region and around the world This worker’s honesty was meetings with them. Every works well and our people are safe. Theme praised by the company’s partner has ups and downs, good parks are becoming economic drivers in most THE SUNWAY EMPIRE management team, who presented them with months and bad months, and I think it’s countries. Businesses and partners go to work a hamper as a token of appreciation. crucial that we maintain that communication. the moment a customer walks through our Sunway Group Founder and Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Calvin attributes the low employee We have a business development division and gate; so many other agencies go to work, and Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah has built a Sunway empire. turnover rate to the founder’s management a procurement department that constantly that pays salaries, which then pays bills. You Founded in 1974, the Group has grown to encompass get a lot of people gainfully employed and 12 divisions worldwide including real estate, families having a better life.