Vistage Veteran

Manjoor Sahib Hussein, Chairman, HMS Corporation Sdn Bhd

Having been a Vistage member for more than ten years, Manjoor reveals that he always looks forward to Vistage meetings because of the close bond he has established with his Group members, sharing and learning experiences.

Manjoor Sahib Hussein, a chemical engineer, has been in business for 20 years, and with Vistage for 10 years. He acknowledges that ‘has been there, done it’ , having survived three recessions. But he has never found Vistage meetings boring. ‘Friendship is the greatest gift I’ve got from Vistage, ‘ he explains.

Initially, he joined Vistage because he felt ‘lonely at the top’, when he left a high corporate position to enter the business world. From working with a team of 50 staff in the oil and gas sector, he found himself manning the fort single-handedly when he started HMS Corporation in 1987. For ten years, he struggled with many business problems and found that the company was going nowhere. He is glad that he was introduced to Vistage where he learnt ‘different things at different times’ to grow the company. One important lesson was how to delegate. ‘You are not telling them (staff) what to do, but guiding them, keeping control and letting them grow,’ he elaborates.

Over the years, he shared his business problems with his Group and removed many obstacles to his company’s growth. Among significant moves he made was getting his books in order. When the accounts were organised and audited, he found it easier to get banking facilities. ‘Looking back, we were at fault, most banks need the accounts to see whether the business was financially viable,’ he notes. The company has since moved out of the rut. Turnover which stood at RM3m in 1999 has grown to RM20m in 2008.

HMS Corporation provides engineering consultancy, design and contracting services. It also supplies products such as pumps, seals and fire fighting equipment. The company focuses on the oil and gas and energy sectors.
Regardless of business ups and downs, Manjoor enjoys his Vistage meetings and has outlasted four Chairs. ‘There is a lot of laughter and jokes. It’s fun and makes my day. Vistage meeting is a day off and yet you are learning,’ he enthuses. As a veteran in the group, he has established rapport with older members and has no problems mingling with younger ones.

‘Trust has developed and we have build strong bonds. We are best friends, share business and personal problems, ’ he enthuses. The Group bonds in many ways. They have annual retreats with their spouses, buddy systems (where two or three members catch up over lunch) and dinner after each monthly meeting (where the host pays). ‘Dinner has become a ritual,….we pull each other’s legs and laugh a lot,’ Manjoor reveals. He assures that it is not beer or wine talk as the members are not drinkers.

Seeing the value in Vistage, Manjoor has registered his young Operations Manager Buhairi Yaakub under a KEY-group. This is part of his succession planning. ‘The whole group is now fluid and I am grooming my people to take over. I am thinking of the end game and looking at the exit plan,’ he discloses.