Flower Power

What underlines the supportive dynamic between YM Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Tengku Noor ZakiahTengku Ismail and Datuk Chay Wai Leong of KenangaInvestment Bank Berhad? The Peak Malaysia finds it’s about mutual respect, leading by example, and the ability to leave plenty of room for humour.

The financial sector isn’t an industry that’s known for its sense of humour and, yet, YM Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Tengku Noor Zakiah Tengku Ismail and Datuk Chay Wai Leong are at Kenanga Tower, chuckling away together good-naturedly. “We do try to see the light side of things,” Datuk Chay responds, when asked if they both share the same sense of humour.

“Our field is not exactly easy and relaxed, so there’s a lot of tension all the time, especially with the capital markets. That being said, I definitely haven’t seen her tense before, and I don’t think she’s seen me at a very tense moment either.” That’s quite something when you consider that the two have known each other for eight years, ever since Datuk Chay was appointed Group Managing Director of Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad in 2011.

DIG YOUR ROOTS

Trusting a veritable outsider to take charge of Kenanga could not have been an easy prospect for Tan Sri Tengku Noor, considering she built the investment bank from scratch 46 years ago. Neither was it a position to take lightly for any newcomer: Kenanga – named after the ylang-ylang flowers Tan Sri Tengku Noor used to string into garlands for her first youthful business venture – has very much spread its wings and soared as Malaysia’s largest independent investment bank.

It’s not just Kenanga’s substantial equity trading volume and value that continues to draw attention. It remains one of the country’s top brokerage houses, with the largest network of remisiers, while the financial group collectively boasts vast experience not just in equity broking, but also investment banking, treasury, Islamic banking, listed derivatives, investment management, wealth management, structured lending and trade financing.