A Woman On The Rise

Why would NADIA NASIMUDDIN strike out on her own after building a name for herself in her family-owned conglomerate, Naza Group? Lily Ong catches up with this stylish second-generation entrepreneur to find out

- Lily Ong

6 years ago, I profiled Nadia Nasimuddin for Malaysia Tatler. She was a young ingénue then, brighteyed and bushy tailed. She was also clutching her pet cat Hamlin. At that time she was still testing the waters, expanding her family legacy as she forayed into the F&B industry. She was also still in her first year of marriage with Hamzah Alang Shah.

Today, there are more responsibilities clamouring for Nadia’s attention. Not only is Nadia a director of the renowned multi-industry conglomerate Naza Group of Companies, she also heads the company’s F&B division, Lyfestyl Projects. Not content with working for her family business, she also spearheaded two other personal business ventures. Her first ‘baby’ is Portluxe, a pre-owned luxury designer boutique she started in 2014, and in August, she launched MySmink, an online platform retailing local beauty brands to end consumers. In between these ventures, she has also given birth to two children, Aidan and Tahlia.

To say a lot of things have changed since then is an understatement. Nadia agrees. “Oh, life was much simpler for me then. Now I am one of those women with a long to-do list to check off for work, family and my personal life,” she confesses with a laugh.