Young Egg Leaders Explore Southeast Asian Business, Leadership and Innovation

17 September 2026

The WEO Young Egg Leaders (YELs) continued their two-year development journey this September with an inspiring programme of business visits, leadership discussions and industry insights in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Discovering Malaysia’s investment landscape

The group keenly reunited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday 3 September, where they got the opportunity to reconnect on a welcome excursion of the impressive and iconic city.

They then gained a deeper understanding into Malaysia’s investment landscape through a dedicated session with Mr Dato’ Sivasuriyamoorthy (Siva) Sundara Raja, former Deputy CEO at the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

Drawing on 36 years of experience in investment promotion, policy advocacy and industrial development, Dato’ Siva explored what the country looks for from businesses seeking to invest, how companies can meet investment criteria, and the opportunities and benefits available to businesses establishing or expanding their presence in Malaysia.

Inside Southeast Asia’s egg industry

On Friday, the YELs travelled to Ovotherm’s Asia Pacific site, where they were warmly welcomed by CEO Franz Hofer, and Louis Koay, Regional Sales Manager.

Louis provided an overview of the Southeast Asian egg industry and the story of egg packaging manufacturer, Ovotherm – from its origins and evolution to its mission, vision and values.

Franz then shared his own experience of establishing the company’s Asia Pacific operation in 2022. He spoke openly about the opportunities he identified in the region and how he adapted the business model, as well as the challenges and obstacles he overcame and the importance of building the right relationships along the way.

The YELs were then given an exclusive tour of the facility, witnessing the complete production journey of the egg packaging.

Understanding egg production in Singapore

The group then travelled to Singapore, where their programme continued on Saturday with a visit to Seng Choon Farm – one of Singapore’s three remaining egg farms.

Founded in 1987, Seng Choon Farm is a pioneering Singaporean egg business led by second-generation owner Mr Yeow Koon Koh.

Mr Koh and his sister, Kiam Nee Koh, welcomed the YELs and shared the story of their business. They then provided an engaging tour of the farm’s fully integrated facility, showing the business’s day-to-day operations and how production and marketing work together to support its success.

Next, a dedicated discussion with Mr Koh and Ms Kiam Nee Koh enabled the YELs to better understand the unique experience of operating an egg farm in Singapore, including the opportunities and challenges presented by the country’s distinctive business and agricultural environment.

Afterwards, the group visited a local supermarket to see the egg displays at point-of-sale.

Connecting with the wider WEO community

From Monday 7 to Thursday 10 September, the YELs joined the wider WEO membership at the WEO Global Leadership Conference in Singapore.

The conference provided another important dimension to their development journey, giving the young leaders the opportunity to broaden their international networks and continue building relationships with other leaders from across the industry.

As part of the opening session, South African YEL, Jandré Rossouw, took to the stage to report on their latest visits. He summarised: “This programme gave us something no textbook or trade report could. A seat at the table, with people actually running the industry.”

Leadership lessons from a global entrepreneur

During the Singapore Conference, the YELs enjoyed a dedicated breakfast meeting with entrepreneur and THORNICO owner Christian Stadil.

The inspiring and interactive discussion explored entrepreneurship, leadership, succession planning and the future of family business, with Christian sharing his own journey and experiences from leading a global family-owned conglomerate.

For the YELs, it was an opportunity to hear the first-hand perspective of a dynamic entrepreneur and have an open conversation about mindset, vision and the future of business.

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WEO extends its sincere thanks to Dato’ Siva, Franz, Louis, Mr Koh, Kiam Nee and Christian, together with their wider teams, for sharing their time, experience and knowledge with the YELs.