Life has a funny way of reconnecting people.

Over 35 years ago, I met Angela Fong through the Rotaract Club of Tanjung Puteri.

We were both in our early 20s, full of ambition, volunteering our weekends for community projects, never once imagining our paths would cross again in business.

Looking back, Angela started her career with Arthur Andersen, one of the Big Five firms back then.

Coincidentally, one of my advisory client’s auditor was Arthur Andersen. Even then, I could see her sharp thinking, attention to detail, and how serious she was about her work.

After Arthur Andersen, Angela’s career took off. She held key positions in several large corporations, building a solid reputation in HR, talent management and business operations.

Her last role was with my ex-boss, mentor, and sifu Tony Seah’s company … someone I’ve always respected deeply.

So when Angela messaged me one day asking, “Any opening at KTP?” I thought she was joking.

We’re a small establishment. Less than 50 staffs.

Why would someone of her calibre, with over two decades + of corporate experience, be interested in a firm like ours?

But after several calls and WhatsApp messages, I realised she was serious.

Out of respect, I reached out to Tony Seah, my ex-boss cum mentor, to seek his blessing. His reply was straightforward, “Go ahead, she’ll be a great asset to you.”

With his full support, everything fell into place.

Angela officially joined KTP in April 2023 as our full-time HR Manager.

But to me, she’s more than just an HR Manager. She’s my strategic partner in building a future-ready, resilient team.

Why bring someone with such vast experience to a small firm like ours?

The answer is simple.

I’ve been running KTP long enough to know recruitment, retention, and employee development have become tougher, especially after the MCO and in Johor Bahru’s competitive market.

I also know these challenges are beyond what my current team can handle alone. We need an experienced hand to lead effective recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and continuous learning and development.

Since Angela came on board, the difference is clear.

One example she completely revamped our onboarding process. We try very hard for new hires integrated into the team and culture.

Angela is more than our HR Manager. She’s our all-round utility woman, quietly handling everything from recruitment to admin crises.

When problems arise, she’s the first to step in, keeping our back-end support team running smoothly. Behind every success, there’s always someone like her keeping the engine running.

To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure why she chose us until now.

With her background and market reputation, Angela could have easily secured a senior role in any large corporation.

Maybe I’m lucky.
Maybe it’s the culture we’ve built at KTP.
Or maybe, after all these years, life has its own way of coming full circle.

Angela, as you cross the half-century mark today, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for believing in KTP,
for believing in me, and
for bringing your experience, passion, and leadership to our team.

Happy Birthday Angela. I’m truly lucky to have you on board.

PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, the group principal, in his personal LinkedIn post