MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY
DATO’ SRI VICTOR HII LU THIAN
CHAIRMAN & GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
Information about the Entrepreneur
Dato’ Sri Victor Hii, fondly referred to as ‘Ah Thian’ by family and friends, has always dreamed about continuing his father’s legacy from a young age. Determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Dato’ Sri Victor was relentless in his educational pursuits and succeeded with a strong academic foundation in Business administration, Science in Project Management, and Executive Secretaryship. Today, his passion for entrepreneurship is evident in his journey, which has spanned more than 22 years. Currently, he steers the biggest integrated steel mill and building materials solution provider in East Malaysia, ASTEEL Group (previously known as Magic Network) as its Founder and Managing Director. He also serves in prominent industry associations as the Chairman of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Sarawak Branch), a council member of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM); Chairman of Malaysia Iron & Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) Sarawak Branch; Council Member of Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association (SMA); and Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Industri Demak Laut (PIDE).
Dato’ Sri’ Victor attributes his success to his mentors who nurtured him to be both a leader and a great motivator. He also acknowledges that his entrepreneurial journey is not without challenges, but it has built his strong character with resilience over the years.
Other Interesting Facts about Entrepreneur
As for Dato’ Sri Victor’s success formula, he believes that an entrepreneur must be empathetic, creative, innovative, agile, and flexible in all areas of life. Thus, he believes in continuous learning and continuous improvement and can be done by inculcating positive habits such as reading motivational books, practising gratitude, and listening to podcasts, to name a few.
Further, he is a philanthropist at heart and cares deeply about the communities in which ASTEEL serves. The company undertook various corporate social responsibility initiatives led by him to aid communities. He is also a member of the Kuching Rotary club where people unite and create positive impact in communities. In addition, he is the Chairman of Sarawak Neighbourhood Community Association (PKKS). He constantly reminds community members to remain vigilant and to be cautious of their surroundings.
Furthermore, he has received several prestigious awards for his achievements such as APEA 2021 Master Entrepreneur Award, Sarawak Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Award (CMIEA) 2017 (Golden Award under Large Category) and much more.
Dato’ Sri Victor Hii, fondly referred to as ‘Ah Thian’ by family and friends, has always dreamed about continuing his father’s legacy from a young age. Determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Dato’ Sri Victor was relentless in his educational pursuits and succeeded with a strong academic foundation in Business administration, Science in Project Management, and Executive Secretaryship. Today, his passion for entrepreneurship is evident in his journey, which has spanned more than 22 years. Currently, he steers the biggest integrated steel mill and building materials solution provider in East Malaysia, ASTEEL Group (previously known as Magic Network) as its Founder and Managing Director. He also serves in prominent industry associations as the Chairman of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Sarawak Branch), a council member of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM); Chairman of Malaysia Iron & Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) Sarawak Branch; Council Member of Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association (SMA); and Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Industri Demak Laut (PIDE).
Dato’ Sri’ Victor attributes his success to his mentors who nurtured him to be both a leader and a great motivator. He also acknowledges that his entrepreneurial journey is not without challenges, but it has built his strong character with resilience over the years.
Other Interesting Facts about Entrepreneur
As for Dato’ Sri Victor’s success formula, he believes that an entrepreneur must be empathetic, creative, innovative, agile, and flexible in all areas of life. Thus, he believes in continuous learning and continuous improvement and can be done by inculcating positive habits such as reading motivational books, practising gratitude, and listening to podcasts, to name a few.
Further, he is a philanthropist at heart and cares deeply about the communities in which ASTEEL serves. The company undertook various corporate social responsibility initiatives led by him to aid communities. He is also a member of the Kuching Rotary club where people unite and create positive impact in communities. In addition, he is the Chairman of Sarawak Neighbourhood Community Association (PKKS). He constantly reminds community members to remain vigilant and to be cautious of their surroundings.
Furthermore, he has received several prestigious awards for his achievements such as APEA 2021 Master Entrepreneur Award, Sarawak Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Award (CMIEA) 2017 (Golden Award under Large Category) and much more.
"Live everyday like it’s your last, ensure that everything you do is positive with a purpose."
Company Achievements and Role as Entrepreneur
In 2017, the Board of Directors of YKGI Group appointed Dato’ Sri’ Victor as the Managing Director of YKGI for his leadership capabilities as demonstrated in the success of the ASTEEL. Since its incorporation in 2013, ASTEEL has recorded steady growth in both revenue and profitability.
ASTEEL continues to scale to greater heights with over 400 employees. Under his leadership, and in line with its Master Plan, ASTEEL has begun their Smart Manufacturing journey to leverage technology. He believes that Smart Manufacturing is key in optimizing usage of limited resources and to manage disruptions in this very uncertain environment. Smart Manufacturing will improve the Group’s productivity, efficiency, and optimisation of resources to continue producing quality products.
Under his leadership, the company’s Returns On Equity (i.e Profit after tax / Shareholder’s fund) was estimated at RM5,157,000 (Profit after Tax in 2021), its Profit Before Tax (PBT) was RM6,791,000, and its Growth Rates (for Revenue and PBT in the last 3 years) was 16%.
ASTEEL’s success is a result of his commitment to strengthen six pillars: skilled and talented people; high quality and reliable products; continuous process improvement; regulatory compliance; innovation and technology; and its corporate culture. Under his leadership, ASTEEL has set up various branches across major coastal cities in Malaysia to enhance its distribution and the company’s logistics cost. He also led ASTEEL to set up a branch in New Zealand and is set to launch in Kalimantan, Indonesia, Philippines and much more. Dato’ Sri foresees an improvement in financial performance for the next few years from over RM64 million to RM90 million.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
Dato’ Sri Victor’s vision for the company is for ASTEEL to become the leading building materials solution provider not just in Borneo but also beyond Malaysia’s borders. Most importantly, to ensure business sustainability, his future plans include upskilling its workforce to achieve world class effectiveness and efficiency with Industry 4.0, creating more job opportunities and employ more female operators, enhancing sustainable production methods, reducing carbon footprint by 30% in line with the Net Zero Carbon agenda, and establishing more impactful industry partnerships to build sustainable cities and/ or housing.
“As we move towards the end of the moratorium and wage subsidies, more entrepreneurs will need to think ahead on cashflow. They also need to rethink new innovative business strategies when it comes to the supply of raw materials, logistics and manpower. It helps to have a flexible business model that promotes agile management.” Dato’ Sri Victor shared.
In 2017, the Board of Directors of YKGI Group appointed Dato’ Sri’ Victor as the Managing Director of YKGI for his leadership capabilities as demonstrated in the success of the ASTEEL. Since its incorporation in 2013, ASTEEL has recorded steady growth in both revenue and profitability.
ASTEEL continues to scale to greater heights with over 400 employees. Under his leadership, and in line with its Master Plan, ASTEEL has begun their Smart Manufacturing journey to leverage technology. He believes that Smart Manufacturing is key in optimizing usage of limited resources and to manage disruptions in this very uncertain environment. Smart Manufacturing will improve the Group’s productivity, efficiency, and optimisation of resources to continue producing quality products.
Under his leadership, the company’s Returns On Equity (i.e Profit after tax / Shareholder’s fund) was estimated at RM5,157,000 (Profit after Tax in 2021), its Profit Before Tax (PBT) was RM6,791,000, and its Growth Rates (for Revenue and PBT in the last 3 years) was 16%.
ASTEEL’s success is a result of his commitment to strengthen six pillars: skilled and talented people; high quality and reliable products; continuous process improvement; regulatory compliance; innovation and technology; and its corporate culture. Under his leadership, ASTEEL has set up various branches across major coastal cities in Malaysia to enhance its distribution and the company’s logistics cost. He also led ASTEEL to set up a branch in New Zealand and is set to launch in Kalimantan, Indonesia, Philippines and much more. Dato’ Sri foresees an improvement in financial performance for the next few years from over RM64 million to RM90 million.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
Dato’ Sri Victor’s vision for the company is for ASTEEL to become the leading building materials solution provider not just in Borneo but also beyond Malaysia’s borders. Most importantly, to ensure business sustainability, his future plans include upskilling its workforce to achieve world class effectiveness and efficiency with Industry 4.0, creating more job opportunities and employ more female operators, enhancing sustainable production methods, reducing carbon footprint by 30% in line with the Net Zero Carbon agenda, and establishing more impactful industry partnerships to build sustainable cities and/ or housing.
“As we move towards the end of the moratorium and wage subsidies, more entrepreneurs will need to think ahead on cashflow. They also need to rethink new innovative business strategies when it comes to the supply of raw materials, logistics and manpower. It helps to have a flexible business model that promotes agile management.” Dato’ Sri Victor shared.
MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY
DATO’ SRI VICTOR HII LU THIAN
CHAIRMAN & GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
Information about the Entrepreneur
Dato’ Sri Victor Hii, fondly referred to as ‘Ah Thian’ by family and friends, has always dreamed about continuing his father’s legacy from a young age. Determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Dato’ Sri Victor was relentless in his educational pursuits and succeeded with a strong academic foundation in Business administration, Science in Project Management, and Executive Secretaryship. Today, his passion for entrepreneurship is evident in his journey, which has spanned more than 22 years. Currently, he steers the biggest integrated steel mill and building materials solution provider in East Malaysia, ASTEEL Group (previously known as Magic Network) as its Founder and Managing Director. He also serves in prominent industry associations as the Chairman of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Sarawak Branch), a council member of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM); Chairman of Malaysia Iron & Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) Sarawak Branch; Council Member of Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association (SMA); and Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Industri Demak Laut (PIDE).
Dato’ Sri’ Victor attributes his success to his mentors who nurtured him to be both a leader and a great motivator. He also acknowledges that his entrepreneurial journey is not without challenges, but it has built his strong character with resilience over the years.
Other Interesting Facts about Entrepreneur
As for Dato’ Sri Victor’s success formula, he believes that an entrepreneur must be empathetic, creative, innovative, agile, and flexible in all areas of life. Thus, he believes in continuous learning and continuous improvement and can be done by inculcating positive habits such as reading motivational books, practising gratitude, and listening to podcasts, to name a few.
Further, he is a philanthropist at heart and cares deeply about the communities in which ASTEEL serves. The company undertook various corporate social responsibility initiatives led by him to aid communities. He is also a member of the Kuching Rotary club where people unite and create positive impact in communities. In addition, he is the Chairman of Sarawak Neighbourhood Community Association (PKKS). He constantly reminds community members to remain vigilant and to be cautious of their surroundings.
Furthermore, he has received several prestigious awards for his achievements such as APEA 2021 Master Entrepreneur Award, Sarawak Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Award (CMIEA) 2017 (Golden Award under Large Category) and much more.
Dato’ Sri Victor Hii, fondly referred to as ‘Ah Thian’ by family and friends, has always dreamed about continuing his father’s legacy from a young age. Determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Dato’ Sri Victor was relentless in his educational pursuits and succeeded with a strong academic foundation in Business administration, Science in Project Management, and Executive Secretaryship. Today, his passion for entrepreneurship is evident in his journey, which has spanned more than 22 years. Currently, he steers the biggest integrated steel mill and building materials solution provider in East Malaysia, ASTEEL Group (previously known as Magic Network) as its Founder and Managing Director. He also serves in prominent industry associations as the Chairman of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Sarawak Branch), a council member of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM); Chairman of Malaysia Iron & Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) Sarawak Branch; Council Member of Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association (SMA); and Deputy Chairman of Persatuan Industri Demak Laut (PIDE).
Dato’ Sri’ Victor attributes his success to his mentors who nurtured him to be both a leader and a great motivator. He also acknowledges that his entrepreneurial journey is not without challenges, but it has built his strong character with resilience over the years.
Other Interesting Facts about Entrepreneur
As for Dato’ Sri Victor’s success formula, he believes that an entrepreneur must be empathetic, creative, innovative, agile, and flexible in all areas of life. Thus, he believes in continuous learning and continuous improvement and can be done by inculcating positive habits such as reading motivational books, practising gratitude, and listening to podcasts, to name a few.
Further, he is a philanthropist at heart and cares deeply about the communities in which ASTEEL serves. The company undertook various corporate social responsibility initiatives led by him to aid communities. He is also a member of the Kuching Rotary club where people unite and create positive impact in communities. In addition, he is the Chairman of Sarawak Neighbourhood Community Association (PKKS). He constantly reminds community members to remain vigilant and to be cautious of their surroundings.
Furthermore, he has received several prestigious awards for his achievements such as APEA 2021 Master Entrepreneur Award, Sarawak Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Award (CMIEA) 2017 (Golden Award under Large Category) and much more.
"Live everyday like it’s your last, ensure that everything you do is positive with a purpose."
Company Achievements and Role as Entrepreneur
In 2017, the Board of Directors of YKGI Group appointed Dato’ Sri’ Victor as the Managing Director of YKGI for his leadership capabilities as demonstrated in the success of the ASTEEL. Since its incorporation in 2013, ASTEEL has recorded steady growth in both revenue and profitability.
ASTEEL continues to scale to greater heights with over 400 employees. Under his leadership, and in line with its Master Plan, ASTEEL has begun their Smart Manufacturing journey to leverage technology. He believes that Smart Manufacturing is key in optimizing usage of limited resources and to manage disruptions in this very uncertain environment. Smart Manufacturing will improve the Group’s productivity, efficiency, and optimisation of resources to continue producing quality products.
Under his leadership, the company’s Returns On Equity (i.e Profit after tax / Shareholder’s fund) was estimated at RM5,157,000 (Profit after Tax in 2021), its Profit Before Tax (PBT) was RM6,791,000, and its Growth Rates (for Revenue and PBT in the last 3 years) was 16%.
ASTEEL’s success is a result of his commitment to strengthen six pillars: skilled and talented people; high quality and reliable products; continuous process improvement; regulatory compliance; innovation and technology; and its corporate culture. Under his leadership, ASTEEL has set up various branches across major coastal cities in Malaysia to enhance its distribution and the company’s logistics cost. He also led ASTEEL to set up a branch in New Zealand and is set to launch in Kalimantan, Indonesia, Philippines and much more. Dato’ Sri foresees an improvement in financial performance for the next few years from over RM64 million to RM90 million.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
Dato’ Sri Victor’s vision for the company is for ASTEEL to become the leading building materials solution provider not just in Borneo but also beyond Malaysia’s borders. Most importantly, to ensure business sustainability, his future plans include upskilling its workforce to achieve world class effectiveness and efficiency with Industry 4.0, creating more job opportunities and employ more female operators, enhancing sustainable production methods, reducing carbon footprint by 30% in line with the Net Zero Carbon agenda, and establishing more impactful industry partnerships to build sustainable cities and/ or housing.
“As we move towards the end of the moratorium and wage subsidies, more entrepreneurs will need to think ahead on cashflow. They also need to rethink new innovative business strategies when it comes to the supply of raw materials, logistics and manpower. It helps to have a flexible business model that promotes agile management.” Dato’ Sri Victor shared.
In 2017, the Board of Directors of YKGI Group appointed Dato’ Sri’ Victor as the Managing Director of YKGI for his leadership capabilities as demonstrated in the success of the ASTEEL. Since its incorporation in 2013, ASTEEL has recorded steady growth in both revenue and profitability.
ASTEEL continues to scale to greater heights with over 400 employees. Under his leadership, and in line with its Master Plan, ASTEEL has begun their Smart Manufacturing journey to leverage technology. He believes that Smart Manufacturing is key in optimizing usage of limited resources and to manage disruptions in this very uncertain environment. Smart Manufacturing will improve the Group’s productivity, efficiency, and optimisation of resources to continue producing quality products.
Under his leadership, the company’s Returns On Equity (i.e Profit after tax / Shareholder’s fund) was estimated at RM5,157,000 (Profit after Tax in 2021), its Profit Before Tax (PBT) was RM6,791,000, and its Growth Rates (for Revenue and PBT in the last 3 years) was 16%.
ASTEEL’s success is a result of his commitment to strengthen six pillars: skilled and talented people; high quality and reliable products; continuous process improvement; regulatory compliance; innovation and technology; and its corporate culture. Under his leadership, ASTEEL has set up various branches across major coastal cities in Malaysia to enhance its distribution and the company’s logistics cost. He also led ASTEEL to set up a branch in New Zealand and is set to launch in Kalimantan, Indonesia, Philippines and much more. Dato’ Sri foresees an improvement in financial performance for the next few years from over RM64 million to RM90 million.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
Dato’ Sri Victor’s vision for the company is for ASTEEL to become the leading building materials solution provider not just in Borneo but also beyond Malaysia’s borders. Most importantly, to ensure business sustainability, his future plans include upskilling its workforce to achieve world class effectiveness and efficiency with Industry 4.0, creating more job opportunities and employ more female operators, enhancing sustainable production methods, reducing carbon footprint by 30% in line with the Net Zero Carbon agenda, and establishing more impactful industry partnerships to build sustainable cities and/ or housing.
“As we move towards the end of the moratorium and wage subsidies, more entrepreneurs will need to think ahead on cashflow. They also need to rethink new innovative business strategies when it comes to the supply of raw materials, logistics and manpower. It helps to have a flexible business model that promotes agile management.” Dato’ Sri Victor shared.