The Hershey Company and Iconic Brands Landing in Malaysia

Global Chamber® organized a special globinar to learn why iconic brands are landing in Malaysia, and how they're using that as a launching pad for success across Asia.

We partnered with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in New York City and we heard from the The Hershey Company on utilizing Malaysia as a hub.

Watch the globinar HERE.

NOTE: Due to company public speaking restrictions at The Hershey Company, that portion was removed from the recording.

Learn more about how to expand in Asia. Global Chamber® New York City, Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington along with Global Chamber® Kuala Lumper have been partners on this event, including members MIDA and Burgher Gray.

Speakers

• Nelson Samuel - Director at MIDA - New York City
• Subas Visvalingam - Senior Director, ERP Global Supply Chain, at The Hershey Company
• Renee Tiun - Paralegal at BurgherGray LLP

Agenda:

0:00 Welcome and Remarks by Susan Gitenstein Assadi - Global Chamber New York City

0:10 Growth Opportunities in Malaysia by Mr. Nelson Samuel Wilson - MIDA Director in New York City

0:20 Hershey Company Experience in Malaysia by Mr. Subas Visvalingam - Plant Manager, The Hershey Company in Malaysia

0:35 Company Services Offered for Investors looking at Malaysia by Ms. Renee Tuin - Paralegal, BurgherGray LLP

Speaker Bios:

Nelson Samuel - Consul Investment and Director of MIDA New York. Mr Nelson Samuel, Director at MIDA - New York City joined the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in 1992 with experiences from various sectors in MIDA covering Industrial Promotion Division, Foreign Investment Promotion Division – America Desk, Deputy Director in MIDA Tokyo and in Strategic Planning Division MIDA, and appointed as the Director of MIDA Seoul in Rep. of Korea. After returning back from Rep. of Korea, Mr Nelson Samuel was appointed as the Director of the Foreign Investment Promotion Division, MIDA which monitors MIDA overseas centers globally in attracting FDI to Malaysia.

Mr Nelson Samuel currently attached as the Director of MIDA New York, USA with the role to implement promotional activities and to promote Malaysia as business/investment destination.

Subas Visvalingam - Former Malaysia Plant Manager & Senior Director, ERP Global Supply Chain at The Hershey Company - Subas Visvalingam is the Senior Director, ERP Global Supply Chain, The Hershey Company. Subas serves as the owner of the overall ERP S/4 Hana Transformation for the Global Supply Chain workstream, responsible for the business process, tool development, and change management across the North America and Malaysia launch. Prior to this role, Subas was the Director, AEMEA (Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa) Supply Chain and Malaysia Plant. Subas was responsible for developing optimal supply chain network, reliable service through the order to cash process, and actively leading the Integrated Business Management (IBM) process in the areas of demand and supply planning. In addition, Subas was responsible for the management and operations of the US$260 million confectionery manufacturing facility with a regional distribution center in Malaysia that exports to more than 35 markets in AEMEA. Subas brings 30 years of experience in supply chain management. He joins Hershey from Procter & Gamble (P&G), where he held product supply leadership positions in the Asia Skin & Personal Cleansing business unit and ASEAN market operations. As Program Manager he successfully led the product supply integration of P&G and Gillette in ASEAN, Australia, and India. Prior to P&G, Subas had eight years of experience in management consultancy working for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte Consulting, managing projects with a wide variety of supply chain improvement assignments across Asia Pacific with major multinational consumer business and high-tech clients. Subas began his career as a Senior Test Product Engineer in National Semiconductor. Subas received a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, a bachelor’s degree in electronic & computer engineering from Malaysia and is certified in production and inventory management (CPIM) from APICS USA.

Renee Tiun - Paralegal at BurgherGray LLP - Renee Tiun is a paralegal at BurgherGray in Washington, D.C., as part of the firm’s tax practice. She is involved in domestic and cross-border tax planning and advisory to corporations and individual U.S. taxpayers. Renee began her career in the U.S. in 2018 and has since developed a passion for U.S. international taxation law. She attributes it to her experience and fascination as a foreign-trained attorney in the U.S. navigating an entirely new legal system as compared to the Malaysian legal system. Renee earned her Bachelor of Law in Malaysia in 2009 and proceeded on to private practice as a civil litigation attorney, gaining experience in dispute resolution, trial, and appellate advocacy focusing on corporate disputes, Islamic financing, and defamation. She then went on to work in the financial services sector in Kuala Lumpur as legal counsel in 2015 before moving to the U.S.

Moderator

Susan Assadi - Co-founded GAPR and Director at Global Chamber NYC. Susan co-founded GAPR in 1992, a PR firm with an emphasis on expert and thought leadership campaigns. She is a highly respected national media strategist who helps her clients to be promoted to the national media, weaving in compelling stories that resonate with top media outlets. Her campaigns catalyze her clients into leaders of their respective fields. Susan also has over four decades representing non-profits, leading public companies and subject matter experts. Her firm’s campaigns are fresh, creative, tech savvy, and innovative, a cocktail that engenders powerful results. She co-founded Safed House, a non-profit, that provides a welcoming place for refugees and recent immigrants to share their stories.

About MIDA. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority abbreviated as MIDA is the government's principal agency to oversee and drive investment into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Starting operations in 1967, MIDA was given the mandate to promote investments in the manufacturing and services sectors; and to advise the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Malaysia on industry matters including the formulation of related policies.

Today, MIDA is the National Investment Promotion Agency to promote and assist foreign investors around the globe including in the USA to look at Malaysia and beyond the ASEAN region. MIDA assists companies which intend to invest in the manufacturing and services sectors, as well as facilitates the implementation of their projects. The wide range of services provided by MIDA includes providing information on the opportunities for investments, as well as facilitating companies which are looking for joint venture partners.

MIDA has 20 overseas offices including three (3) in the US alone in New York, Chicago and San Jose ready to assist enquiries and follow up on the interest of American and Canadian companies on Malaysia for business opportunities.