Dedication and passion in work are of utmost importance in the technology industry as these traits help leaders to create new innovative ideas. Curiosity and interest are the key qualities for leveraging technology with other industries. The leaders who are continuously following and working on designing ingenious tech solutions.
Holding a passion for technology innovations in the textile industry Dr. Thomas Ong P.S. (CEO, NanoTextile Sdn Bhd) is strengthening the entire textile ecosystem. Dr. Thomas leads the first Malaysian company that has implemented nanotechnology in textiles.
An Eminent Career
Dr.Thomas has a work experience of more than 12 years and served in numerous fields such as Semiconductors, Solid State, Renewable Energy, Fuel cells, Material Science, Nanotechnology, Medical & Wellness, Textile, Fashion, Sustainability and Circular Economy, etc. He has also led and managed in all the sectors mentioned above. In addition to that, he has executed tech and sustainability business development and strategies.
Thomas’s strong involvement in leadership management has resulted in partnerships with over 55 companies through successful B2B and B2C commercialization strategies and products across APAC. According to Thomas, the ability to apply agile omnichannel client-user tech experience while prioritizing the goals has been his strength throughout his career. Currently, he is focusing on building compelling business cases with ESG sustainability potential.
Leveraging Nanotechnology
NanoTextile Sdn Bhd is the first Malaysian company that recognized the innovative potential of nanotechnology in the textile industry and started implementing the same. The mission of the company is based on two foundations, to make the customers succeed and ensure they stay relevant in the market. Thomas perceives it as an important opportunity that is valuable for the upcoming years as the technology finishing and embedment are different from others.
Service and supply in the clothing and apparel industry, also known as textile and fashion, is a robust and quick commodity industry. The company provides customer-focused, value-added products with its latest technologies to provide clients the experiences of better quality and latest technology. A business based on innovation and specialism distinguishes NanoTextile Sdn Bhd from others.
A Visionary Leader Driven by Enthusiasm
Being at the helm, Thomas plays an important role to accomplish the vision, mission, goals and values of the company and is responsible to lead the team towards notable success. According to him, the definition of success may vary according to organizations and individuals. However, the skills needed to achieve success are very essential. Dr. Thomas believes in making fast and resolute decisions. He quotes: “I am a person who doesn’t mind swallowing mistakes and it takes mere seconds only for me to restart and navigate for new solutions.”. He consistently reminds the employees to embrace punctuality, professionalism, and politeness as core values of the company.
Thomas shares a special trick of ‘High-Five’ emoji to motivate the team. This shows that regardless of the issues or challenges, he is with all the staff helping them out in any situation.“I’m pleased this has somehow become our team’s “rituals” in the company,” adds Thomas. It shows togetherness and engagement in the company. Along with sharing responsibility, risks, and stress, he also gives recognition to the employees. According to Thomas, his team also inspires him whilst he is inspiring the team.
Individual Attention to Clients
NanoTextile Sdn Bhd maintains its relations with fellow clients. Keeping close relations with the clients, the company treats all of them as business partners. Owing to its understanding of what works for a particular client, most times, the company follows the ‘Think, Behave, React, and Decide’ pattern. With client’s gain being its highest priority, NanoTextile Sdn Bhd has dedicated personnel who work closely with each client, handling one-to-one accounts and their management.
Sustainable Textile Industry
Latest trends in the industry boost innovation in the relative field. Innovative trends in the textile sector are beneficial for the future. According to Thomas, the sustainability theme surrounding the industry is beneficial and leads to success. Several countries are coming forward with their blueprints and strategies in handling textile waste as well as to close the loop. Thomas adds that the recent work focuses on building compelling business cases with ESG sustainability potentials toward circular economy in the textile and fashion industry.
Life beyond Work
Handling a business requires hard work and dedication. Moreover, maintaining a work-life balance is the most crucial task. With that said, leaders must have skills to ensure optimum work-life balance. In his personal life also, Thomas plays various roles such as a father, husband, tennis player, and gym-goer. According to him, as humans get older, keeping metabolism revved is a must-do thing.
Emphasizing Strategic Planning
Suggesting the aspiring leaders to strive in the race and do remarkable business in their respective fields, Thomas says that starting something new and embracing the challenges without prior planning and strategies does not help the business. He believes in making quantifiable calculations in justifying decisions before doing something.
Launch of nanotextile+ and nanotextile360°
With the latest and advanced nanotechnology combined with the textile industry, NanoTextile Sdn Bhd aims to explore other textile segments that can be enabled by the technology. Along with clothing, automotive, industrial, home, and medical textile segments, the company is now supporting and entering the sub segments such as the batik, reversible wear, plus-size, sportswear, etc. In 2022, the company is launching sustainable efforts-driven programs as nanotextile+ and nanotextile360° to work with business partners in niched projects while promoting awareness in textile sustainability.
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Also Read: The 10 Influential Personalities in the Retail and Fashion Industry.
