Kuala Lumpur Series
Where People’s Decisions Shape the Generation of Businesses
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Overview
Businesses today are operating in a far more complex and unforgiving environment than ever before. Market opportunity alone no longer guarantees success. Growth is now constrained by leadership depth, talent capability, governance maturity, regulatory exposure, succession readiness, and the ability to build organisations that can function beyond their founders. Across Malaysian and regional businesses, one truth has become increasingly clear: Every major business outcome is shaped by people decisions. PeopleNXT Asia, with the theme “Where People’s Decisions Shape the Generation of Businesses,” was created as a response to this reality. PeopleNXT is not a traditional HR conference. It is a business and leadership platform, built through collaboration between IHR Consulting and Knowledge Group of Companies, bringing together deep people-governance expertise and real-world business leadership. The conference convenes founders, CEOs, and senior leaders who have built institutions, navigated crisis, professionalised organisations, survived succession challenges, and learned often the hard way that people decisions determine whether businesses endure or decline.
Registration
1st Annual Conference and Exhibition of PeopleNXT Asia 2026 Kuala Lumpur Series
Opening Address
Opening Address
Speaker
Keynote Address
Keynote Address
Speaker
Presentation
The Habib’s Story: Building a Multi-Generational Legacy – Values, Discipline and People Stewardship
This session explores how enduring institutions are built across generations. Dato’ Sri Meer Sadik Habib shares how values, leadership discipline, and deliberate people development shaped Habib Group into one of Malaysia’s most trusted family enterprises.
Speaker
Dato’ Sri Meer Sadik Habib
Group Executive Chairman, Habib Group, Malaysia
Break
Morning Refreshments and Exhibition Walkabout
Presentation
The Sterling’s Story: From Service Culture to Performance Discipline – Professionalising a Founder-Led Business
This session examines how a practical account of leadership discipline, accountability, and governance enabled a service-driven business to earn international confidence without losing its values.
Speaker
Abdul Halim Jantan
Chief Executive Officer, Sterling Insurance Brokers, Malaysia
Presentation
The Menz and Gasser’s Story: From Italina Craft to Malaysian Success – Building a Global Brand With a Malaysian Team
This session highlights how global brands succeed locally through people ownership. Mr. Boratti shares lessons on localisation, cross-cultural leadership, and building Malaysian capability to global standards.
Speaker
Riccardo Boratti
Chief Executive Officer, Menz and Gasser Asia, Malaysia
Leadership Dialogue
Ask the Executives 1
This session unpacks candid executive insights on strategy and leadership, featuring interactive audience dialogue on emerging industry trends and risks.
Panelists
Dato’ Sri Meer Sadik Habib
Group Executive Chairman, Habib Group, Malaysia
Abdul Halim Jantan
Chief Executive Officer, Sterling Insurance Brokers, Malaysia
Riccardo Boratti
Chief Executive Officer, Menz and Gasser Asia, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
HR Tech, AI and Automation Impact on Productivity Efficiency and Redundancy of Work
A reality-based discussion on where AI truly improves productivity, where it fails, and why human judgment remains critical in business decision-making.
Break
Networking Luncheon and Exhibition Walkabout
Presentation
The Tujuan Gemilang’s Story: People Before Concrete – The Culture Decision That Built Award WinningBuildings
A leadership perspective from construction and property development, highlighting how people discipline, accountability, and culture drive safety, quality, and long-term reputation.
Speaker
Tuan Haji Ahmad Khalif Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal
Executive Chairman, Tujuan Gemilang, Malaysia
Presentation
The PIK Film’s Story: When Succession Planning is Survival – Rebuilding the Business In the Midst of Transition
A candid session on leadership transition under crisis, governance reset, and the people decisions required to stabilise a business during organisational upheaval.
Speaker
Anand Nadason
Chief Operating Officer, PIK Film, Malaysia
Presentation
The Knowledge Group’s Story: Resilience as Strategy – How a Malaysian Company Built a Regional Business on Trust, Talent and Tenacity
Speaker
Selva Nagappan
Managing Director, Knowledge Group of Companies, Malaysia
Leadership Dialogue
Ask the Executives 2
This session unpacks candid executive insights on strategy and leadership, featuring interactive audience dialogue on emerging industry trends and risks.
Panelists
Tuan Haji Ahmad Khalif Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal
Executive Chairman, Tujuan Gemilang, Malaysia
Anna Soon
Chief Executive Officer, PIK Film Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
Selva Nagappan
Managing Director, Knowledge Group of Companies, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Employment Law and Industrial Relations Malaysia – Protecting the Business
Employment law and industrial relations are often seen as compliance matters, until something goes wrong. This panel examines how businesses can proactively manage HR law, industrial relations, and employee disputes without paralysing leadership decisions. The discussion focuses on practical governance, risk mitigation, and how founders and leaders protect themselves, their businesses, and their people in real-world situations.
Moderator
Supra Ramasamy
Chief Executive Officer, i-HR Consulting, Malaysia
End
Evening Refreshments and End of Day 1 of 1st Annual Conference and Exhibition PeopleNXT Asia 2026 Kuala Lumpur Series
Registration
1st Annual Conference and Exhibition of PeopleNXT Asia 2026 Kuala Lumpur Series
Presentation
Legacy Leadership by Datuk James: Building Institution That Outlast Us – Why Belief in People Is the Only Sustainable Strategy
This session focuses on institution-building beyond personalities, how belief systems, leadership depth, and values-driven structures create organisations that endure across time.
Speaker
Datuk James S. W. Foo
Entrepreneur, Business Strategist and Leadership Practitioner, Malaysia
Presentation
The BAC’s Story: Democratising Education Through People and System – Scaling with Purpose
This session focuses on scale, access, and execution. Mr. Raja Singham shares how BAC Education Group scaled impact by building disciplined people systems, leadership pipelines, and execution capability across a large organisation.
Speaker
Raja Singham
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BAC Education Group, Malaysia
Presentation
The Nyonya Colors’ Story: Growing Without Losing Our Soul – How Culture, Craft and People Sustained a Heritage Business
A heritage-business perspective on preserving identity, culture, and people values while growing commercially.
Speaker
Ong Mei Lean
Co-Founder and Creative Director, Nyonya Colors, Malaysia
Break
Networking Luncheon and Exhibition Walkabout
Presentation
Inclusiveness Beyond Tech – Empowering Specially-Abled Talent to Build Stronger Organisations
This session showcases Malaysian organisations that successfully employ OKU talent, demonstrating how genuine inclusion, beyond technology, strengthens team dynamics, fosters inclusive culture, and enhances overall business performance and resilience.
Leadership Dialogue
Ask the Executives 3
This session unpacks candid executive insights on strategy and leadership, featuring interactive audience dialogue on emerging industry trends and risks.
Speaker
Datuk James S. W. Foo
Entrepreneur, Business Strategist and Leadership Practitioner, Malaysia
Raja Singham
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BAC Education Group, Malaysia
Ong Mei Lean
Co-Founder and Creative Director, Nyonya Colors, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Family Business – Legacy, Boundaries and Transition
Family businesses face unique leadership challenges where relationships, emotions, and ownership intersect with governance and performance. This panel explores how families navigate succession planning, leadership transition, and role clarity while preserving trust and continuity. It highlights what works, what fails, and why many transitions break down not at strategy level, but at people and boundary decisions.
Break
Networking Luncheon and Exhibition Walkabout
Presentation
The Body Shop’s Story: Business as Force for Good – Why People, Purpose and Profit Must Work Together
A leadership case on building purpose-led organisations where people, profit, and values reinforce one another.
Presentation
The Boost Juice’s Story: People on the Frontline – How Boost Built Performance in a High-Turnover Business
This session explores insights into building performance culture, leadership depth, and engagement in high-volume, frontline-driven businesses.
Speaker
Nick Tiernan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Boost Juice SEA, Malaysia
Presentation
A Sharing by David Chua: Why Most SMEs Plateau – Leadership Blind Spots That Block the Next Level
After two days of real stories, decisions, and frameworks, this closing session turns the lens inward. Mr. David Chua explores why many businesses stall despite having strategy, talent, and opportunity, not due to market forces, but unresolved leadership blind spots. This session challenges leaders to confront habits, assumptions, and behaviours that quietly limit growth and organisational maturity.
Speaker
David Chua
Founder, Vertex Mastery, Malaysia
Leadership Dialogue
Ask the Executives 4
This session unpacks candid executive insights on strategy and leadership, featuring interactive audience dialogue on emerging industry trends and risks.
Panelists
Nick Tiernan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Boost Juice SEA, Malaysia
David Chua
Founder, Vertex Mastery, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce – Leading Gen Z, Gen Y, Gen X as Baby Boomers Exit and Gen X Near Retirement
Today’s businesses are managing up to four generations in the workplace, each shaped by different values, expectations, and experiences. This panel explores the real leadership and people challenges that arise as Baby Boomers exit the workforce, Gen X approaches retirement, and Millennials and Gen Z redefine work, loyalty, and leadership. The discussion goes beyond stereotypes to address practical management, capability transfer, and organisational continuity.