Sarena Cheah and Ong Pang Yen were appointed as joint managing directors of the property development division at Sunway Bhd effective May 1. They replace Ho Hon Sang who left at the 30 April 2013. Cheah joined the group 18 years ago. Her father is Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, Sunway Group founder and chairman.
Cheah and Ong brushed aside the joint positions, saying that having two MDs is nothing new.
“I take the younger and the female perspective,” says Sarena, 39.
Ong, 52, says: “No, she is not understudying me. We complement each other.”
Sarena Cheah has been a Board member of Sunway Berhad since 2010. She brings to this position 15 years of experience in strategy, corporate planning and development roles in various industries including Corporate Finance, Audit, Education, Healthcare and Property. Previously in the property division from 2006 to 2009, she was the Senior General Manager for Sales & Marketing and the Director of Property Division. Sarena is also the Executive Director of Strategy & Corporate Development of Sunway Berhad.
Going back to her school days, the Sekolah Jalan Selangor and Garden International School student informs that she was one of the earlier batches of enrolments at Sunway College, founded by her father. "My dad believes in putting his own children in institutions he starts. Why not if he's doing it with the best interest for the good of all?" Sarena says. She then did her matriculation and a twinning programme at the University of Western Australia, majoring in commerce, accounting and finance. "I've always liked Maths and amazingly, my parents and brother all come with an accountant's degree." While her youngest brother still burns the midnight oil studying, whether he'll join the family of accountants, we'll have to wait and see.
Every parent would wish for their child to join the family business, and Sarena reveals that hers were no different, although they never demanded she do so or imposed their ideals on her. "I'm grateful for being allowed to make my own decisions and glad I chose to work with the Sunway Group, as well as the short stint I did with IBM." After five years in the corporate world, Sarena returned to Australia to complete her education by doing her Masters Degree in Business Administration from Melbourne Business School.
While the corporate world keeps the chairman's daughter on her toes, her role as a mother to her baby girl Zoe and wife to her husband Leo, adds spark to her fire. "I totally adore and love being mum and wife. I'm very happy living with my in-laws and enjoy getting fully involved in raising my daughter, right down to bathing, feeding and reading to her before I rush off to work.
Evan Cheah Yean Shin, 36 years old, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Group in China. He obtained a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and a Bachelors Degree in Business Systems from Monash University. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder, a Certified Practising Accountant and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.
Further reading : Sunway moving to next level
Most beautiful Corporate Princess Poll
谢燕蒂
謝富年千金 接手房產發展業
（吉隆坡10日讯）双威（Sunway，5211，主板产业股）宣布，委任谢燕蒂和黄鹏言（译音）为马新区域产业发展部的联合董事经理，5月1日起生效。
双威在文告中指出，他们会取代即将离任的产业发展部董事经理何汉生。
谢燕蒂和黄鹏言在公司的产业和其他部门，均有丰富工作经验。
謝燕蒂是双威创办人公司主席丹斯里謝富年的千金，於2010年11月進入董事部出任執行董事，並在多個部門如企業融資、審計、教育、醫療及房產等，擔任企業策劃及發展的職位，前后共有15年經驗。
在2006至2009年期间，她担任产业部的主管，也是销售与行销高级总经理。
她也是双威策略与企业发展的执行董事。
另一方面，黄鹏言在双威的各个部门有20年的工作经验，曾参与集团在柬埔寨、津巴布韦、南非、澳洲、印度和中国的投资计划。
在2012年4月受委为国际产业发展部董事经理前，曾担任该部门的总营运长
身为丹斯里谢富年的长女，39岁的谢燕蒂，自幼便在父亲的严格栽培下，一步一脚印走进双威管理层的殿堂。
谢燕蒂毕业于澳洲西部大学，取得商业学士学位。在加入集团之前，曾在知名国际公司IBM服务过短暂的时间，1995年回到父亲公司，开始了一连串的接班培训。
要接手双威这个大集团，让它继续常青并非易事，因此谢富年对孩子的要求非常严格。他坚信，只有把根基打好，才能在升上高位后，仍屹立不倒，所以孩子进入集团后，都必须从低做起，了解每一个部门与业务的运作模式。
由于谢富年相信，透过细心琢磨，方可雕塑出一个更好的领袖，所以谢燕蒂和弟弟谢延鑫，虽然顶着“继承人”的皇冠，但做事丝毫不得马虎，需要吃的苦也比一般职员多，继而培养出能屈能伸的个性。
谢燕蒂紧跟父亲的培训大计，能力与才干都有了大跃进，散发出优质领导人的光芒，是双威再创高峰的重要资产。
经过多年的栽培下，谢燕蒂于2010年被委任为雙威產業信托（SUNREIT，5176，主板產業投資信托組）的執行董事。同年11月再入驻双威城董事部，开始背负更大的使命。
严格栽培
谢富年的长女谢燕蒂，同时也是双威集团策略与企业发展执行董事，自幼便在父亲的严格栽培下，一步一脚印踏入双威管理层的殿堂。
毕业于澳洲西部大学的谢燕蒂，在取得商业学士学位后加入美国国际商用机器公司（IBM）。1995年，她辞去工作回到父亲公司接受一连串的接班培训。
此外，谢富年的儿子谢延鑫更是双威执行董事兼双威企业金融与融资部高级总经理。掌管中國業務及其他3項業務，包括貿易及製造、建材及礦業。
接手双威这个庞大企业，让它持续常青并非易事，因此，年届68岁的他对孩子的工作表现非常严格，并没因为他们的特殊身份而格外开恩。
从低做起
他坚信，只有扎稳根基才能在升上高位后屹立不倒，进入集团后都必须从低做起，了解每一个部门与业务的运作模式。
谢富年相信，只有透过细心琢磨，才能培育出一个优质领袖。尽管谢燕蒂与弟弟谢延鑫顶着父亲继承人的光环，但吃的苦也比一般职员多，继而培养出能屈能伸的个性。
