MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY
Hoe Kian Choon
Founder & Chief Executive OfficerCUCKOO International (MAL) Sdn Bhd
Consumer Goods Industry
www.cuckoo.com.my
Information about Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is one who is unafraid to challenge the status quo, take risks and provide revolutionary solutions. Embodying that very entrepreneurial spirit, Hoe Kian Choon has been involved in many ventures over the years.Upon graduating from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Hoe joined an Internet Portal company to gain knowledge and experience before establishing his very own multichannel internet portal company in 2002. With his daring approaches, his company grew and penetrated the Chinese market within 5 years. It was not long before he was recruited to lead and grow a home appliance MNC, marking the start of his journey in the industry.
His time at the MNC ignited a passion in him – to raise the standards and quality of living. Stemming from this passion, he left his job and a comfortable life to embark on a mission to provide healthy home solutions to Malaysians through the establishment of CUCKOO International in 2014. With the CUCKOO brand, a renowned South Korean home appliance brand, the company introduced its first mild alkaline water purifier at a time where ‘water purification’ and ‘mild alkaline water’ were foreign terms to Malaysians. His perseverance has successfully changed Malaysians buying behaviour and led to the company’s rapid growth over the years.
Other Interesting Facts about Entrepreneur
Under Hoe’s stewardship, CUCKOO International has been actively giving back to the society through multiple CSR programmes, including sponsoring the Malaysia PWH Music Award, and most recently, sponsoring the temporary hospitals for COVID-19 patients at MAEPS Serdang and the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex. He has also helped raised awareness for better water conservation habits through the #Just1Cup campaign held during the World Water Day annually, and supported the local arts community through the CUCKOO Creative Arts Foundation (CCAF).Live to make a change for a better tomorrow.
Company Achievements and
Role as Entrepreneur
A people-centric person, Hoe has shaped the company to focus
on building a humanistic culture, establishing the ‘family’ concept.
Every person working with CUCKOO International is a unit of the
CUCKOO Family. From the smallest initiative such as a buddy
system, to the biggest, each initiative has been thoughtfully
implemented to drive a humanistic work environment, building a
team that stays together as a family. To further promote trust and
empower employees, a two-way and transparent communication
is also practiced. These have led to a low employee turnover rate
at 2.3% in 2019.
Promise as Rice Bowl Protector
As the CEO, Hoe promises to be the ‘Rice Bowl Protector’ for the CUCKOO family. Over the years, he has managed to provide job opportunities to many and empower lives, including the recruitment of the differently-abled. During the MCO, this role is ever more prominent where he made sure that there’s no pay or job cuts.
No Complain, No Condemn, No Compare
These 3 C’s are the main drivers of the company’s inner workings. Under the company, every complaint is heard and dealt with seriousness; condemnation is addressed; and comparisons will not be condoned. All working under him and CUCKOO International will be treated as equal and ensured that they work in the best environment.
Exceptional Growth
Under his leadership, the company has grown exponentially recording over 100% revenue growth for five consecutive years since its establishment (2014 - 2019) with a record-setting revenue of over RM910 million in 2019. The company’s solid growth has allowed CUCKOO to expand beyond Malaysia to Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia, and subsequently becoming the Southeast Asian Hub.
Vision, Mission & Future Plans
To provide Malaysians a holistic healthy home offering, Hoe has ventured into new industries to cover other aspects of a healthy home. Under his lead, CUCKOO will focus on providing healthy appliances and the two other newly-introduced brands will focus on other aspects of a healthy home: WonderLab with more healthy beauty care offerings and WonderKlean with greater home care services.As the Southeast Asian hub, the company also plans to expand its network of distribution centres and establish its very own product assembly lines to cater to an increasing demand for healthier product and service offerings.
An entrepreneur who’s always ready to challenge the status quo, Hoe is also in the midst of setting up new ventures that are set to make an impact on the lives of Malaysians. As his journey as an entrepreneur continues, he will continue to place ‘people’ at the core of everything - touching the lives and making an impact in people through people-focused solutions.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
