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MDs can be a lot younger these days
By Chen Huifen
WHILE not denying that he is one of the youngest - if not the youngest - second- generation successors in town, PowerPlus Group managing director Marcus Ong brushes aside his youth and lack of life experience as possible obstacles in running a $50 million company.
'I always felt that if you are good enough, you are old enough,' he tells BT in an e-mail interview. 'I don't see being young as an obstacle to running a business. Instead, as the company evolves, it is the creativity and energy of its youth that will drive the company forward.'
Coming from a 19-year-old fresh out of school, the response smacks of confidence and gutsiness. Mr Ong qualifies, however, by adding that he was fortunate to have his father, Derrick, and many 'old guards' guide him closely. It also helps that he is enthusiastic about the business, even mapping his education path to match the needs of the heavy equipment manufacturing firm.
At 16, for instance, he opted to pursue a diploma course in business, even though he qualified for junior college. The Anglo- Chinese School (Independent) alumnus wanted to be able to apply what he learnt at PowerPlus quickly, and topics such as human resources management and organisation structure would be useful to get him started.
'Since young, I have always shown a keen interest in motorcars, motorbikes and boats or anything that has wheels and an engine,' says Mr Ong. 'Since PowerPlus manufactures construction equipment, it came as second nature for me to be integrated into the company.'
Even while he was in secondary school, Mr Ong would exchange ideas with his father on subjects such as the appearance and finishing of the heavy equipment vehicles that PowerPlus produces. His father also nurtured his interest along the way by sending him for courses and created opportunities for him to test-drive bulldozers, wheel loaders, excavators, motor graders and cranes in China and Japan.
'He sent me for courses at Dale Carnegie, PricewaterhouseCoopers, etc, to let me upgrade my skills and pick up more knowledge that would come in handy in the future. Also, I attended several technical training programmes in various parts of China such as those by Cummins Inc USA, CL Wheel Loader and Motorgrader, Shanghai Bulldozer and Hydraulic Excavators, to gain a better understanding of how our machines operate as well as how to repair them.'
However, the most valuable lessons were those picked up while watching his father. Despite a failed venture in property development years ago, his father never gave up and continued to pursue other entrepreneurial endeavours including PowerPlus, which was set up in 2004.
Inspired by his father's resilience, Mr Ong helped out at PowerPlus of his own accord. In the early days of PowerPlus, he would go into the office to lend a hand in all sorts of tasks, ranging from design, human resources, quality control and IT - all this while juggling a heavy school schedule.
He was involved in the company's product development programmes, sourcing for customer feedback while working with the R&D department. He was also responsible for the creation of the company's logo and is credited for drawing fresh blood into the firm. Today, PowerPlus has 15 employees under 30 years old among the 20 on its payroll.
Entrepreneurship certainly runs in his blood. Even before joining the family business, Mr Ong saw a business opportunity in the clubbing scene and seized it with a group of friends.
'When I was 17 years old, together with three other friends, I started an events company called Flaunt Industries, which organises legal underaged clubbing parties,' he says. 'We would book an entire club for young people to have some healthy fun during their school holidays. The legal age of entry to the clubs was also lowered to 16 for the night and, back then, our profits ranged from $3,000 to $10,000 per event.'
Barely a year after being appointed managing director (a position which he took up after a rule change that lowered the age of full contractual capacity from 21 years to 18), Mr Ong already has big plans for PowerPlus. He recently led the firm to win last year's Enterprise 50 Award and to earn a place in two categories of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award.
He is aiming to list PowerPac International, a subsidiary that deals with construction equipment, hopefully by next year.
By Chen Huifen
WHILE not denying that he is one of the youngest - if not the youngest - second- generation successors in town, PowerPlus Group managing director Marcus Ong brushes aside his youth and lack of life experience as possible obstacles in running a $50 million company.
'I always felt that if you are good enough, you are old enough,' he tells BT in an e-mail interview. 'I don't see being young as an obstacle to running a business. Instead, as the company evolves, it is the creativity and energy of its youth that will drive the company forward.'
Coming from a 19-year-old fresh out of school, the response smacks of confidence and gutsiness. Mr Ong qualifies, however, by adding that he was fortunate to have his father, Derrick, and many 'old guards' guide him closely. It also helps that he is enthusiastic about the business, even mapping his education path to match the needs of the heavy equipment manufacturing firm.
At 16, for instance, he opted to pursue a diploma course in business, even though he qualified for junior college. The Anglo- Chinese School (Independent) alumnus wanted to be able to apply what he learnt at PowerPlus quickly, and topics such as human resources management and organisation structure would be useful to get him started.
'Since young, I have always shown a keen interest in motorcars, motorbikes and boats or anything that has wheels and an engine,' says Mr Ong. 'Since PowerPlus manufactures construction equipment, it came as second nature for me to be integrated into the company.'
Even while he was in secondary school, Mr Ong would exchange ideas with his father on subjects such as the appearance and finishing of the heavy equipment vehicles that PowerPlus produces. His father also nurtured his interest along the way by sending him for courses and created opportunities for him to test-drive bulldozers, wheel loaders, excavators, motor graders and cranes in China and Japan.
'He sent me for courses at Dale Carnegie, PricewaterhouseCoopers, etc, to let me upgrade my skills and pick up more knowledge that would come in handy in the future. Also, I attended several technical training programmes in various parts of China such as those by Cummins Inc USA, CL Wheel Loader and Motorgrader, Shanghai Bulldozer and Hydraulic Excavators, to gain a better understanding of how our machines operate as well as how to repair them.'
However, the most valuable lessons were those picked up while watching his father. Despite a failed venture in property development years ago, his father never gave up and continued to pursue other entrepreneurial endeavours including PowerPlus, which was set up in 2004.
Inspired by his father's resilience, Mr Ong helped out at PowerPlus of his own accord. In the early days of PowerPlus, he would go into the office to lend a hand in all sorts of tasks, ranging from design, human resources, quality control and IT - all this while juggling a heavy school schedule.
He was involved in the company's product development programmes, sourcing for customer feedback while working with the R&D department. He was also responsible for the creation of the company's logo and is credited for drawing fresh blood into the firm. Today, PowerPlus has 15 employees under 30 years old among the 20 on its payroll.
Entrepreneurship certainly runs in his blood. Even before joining the family business, Mr Ong saw a business opportunity in the clubbing scene and seized it with a group of friends.
'When I was 17 years old, together with three other friends, I started an events company called Flaunt Industries, which organises legal underaged clubbing parties,' he says. 'We would book an entire club for young people to have some healthy fun during their school holidays. The legal age of entry to the clubs was also lowered to 16 for the night and, back then, our profits ranged from $3,000 to $10,000 per event.'
Barely a year after being appointed managing director (a position which he took up after a rule change that lowered the age of full contractual capacity from 21 years to 18), Mr Ong already has big plans for PowerPlus. He recently led the firm to win last year's Enterprise 50 Award and to earn a place in two categories of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award.
He is aiming to list PowerPac International, a subsidiary that deals with construction equipment, hopefully by next year.
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