Berjaya finds great wealth in diversity

As one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates, Berjaya Corporation showcases the entrepreneurial genius of its founder and former chairman Vincent Tan. Committed to giving back to society, the corporate visionary united different business segments under the Berjaya umbrella and used the group as a platform to provide jobs, generate income and help stimulate economic growth.

The word berjaya means "success" in Bahasa Malaysian and it perfectly describes what the company has achieved since its founding in 1984. Berjaya is listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia Securities. The company is also on the Morgan Stanley Capital International Malaysia Index.

Vincent Tan demonstrated his business savvy when he transformed Berjaya from a small holding company to a diversified corporation with more than 16,000 employees.

"My father has an exceptional vision in business," says chairman and CEO Robin Tan.

"He often challenges conventional thinking, which enables him to see some things that most people miss. With divine blessings, a majority of his decisions and strategies turned out to be successful. That is one of the great strengths of Berjaya."

With such a massive workforce, Berjaya relies on its capable leaders to foster synergy between the different segments.

Among its businesses is the hotel, resorts and recreation division. Berjaya owns and operates four- and five-star hotels in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Britain, Seychelles and Sri Lanka. Aside from managing hotels, Berjaya is also engaged in hospitality timeshare operations and the ownership and operations of golf clubs. Under this division, Berjaya also manages Berjaya Air, the airline which services the group's different island resorts. Berjaya is studying strategies for expansion of its routes.