By Leong Hung Yee
Saturday November 17, 2007
Inheriting a business that has been doing great sounds good to some of us but this was not the case for Caroline Russell.
The chief executive officer of Boh Plantations Sdn Bhd who inherited the tea business from her father Tristan Russell, felt she could not be complacent about the company founded by her grandfather John Archibald Russell in 1927.
“It was tough for me especially since the business was already doing so well that I had no choice but to bring the company to greater heights.
“The challenges then and today are not dissimilar. Boh has held a market leadership position in Malaysia for a long time. To maintain that clearly is the key focus and the challenge,” Caroline said in an interview with StarBiz.
She joined the company’s marketing department in 1988 after graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, with a bachelor of commerce degree and worked her way up to her current position.
Her passion for the business and determination to bring the company to higher levels are among the contributing factors for the good track record and reputation Boh Plantations has today.
“I knew that my responsibility in Boh Plantations was beyond profitability when I took over the family business,” she said.
Boh Plantations is currently the leading tea grower in the country. It owns four tea gardens, of which three – in Boh, Sungei Palas and Fairlie – are located some 5,000ft above sea level in Cameron Highlands. The fourth is in Bukit Cheeding, Selangor. Collectively, the gardens constitute a total planted and mature area of 1,200ha.
The company produces four million kg of tea annually, translating to about 5.5 million cups of tea per day. And about 70% of all tea produced in Malaysia comes from the Boh gardens. Besides being the leading brand in Malaysia, Boh also exports to Brunei, Singapore, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and the US.
Caroline strongly believes in efficiency because it has been fuelling the growth of Boh Plantations.
Some of Boh’s beverage products. It has one of the widest ranges of tea products covering herb and fruit infusions, standard and premium teabag blends, hot and cold instant tea mixes, and a wide selection of flavoured teas.
She said the company had leveraged on technology to mechanise the various processes of the tea business but the most important aspect is moving with the times, where marketing is concerned.
“We have been looking at methodology at our plantations to improve yields as well as the harvesting process,” she said, adding that the company continuously invests in research and development, and looks at ways to improve business.
As with all businesses, Boh Plantations has its share of competition but Caroline maintains rivalry is good as it motivates all to work even harder.
“The market has become somewhat challenging as consumers are becoming more affluent and have higher expectations, thus constant innovation is required.
“Keeping abreast with consumers’ expectations is all the more challenging because as the more established brand, consumers have even higher expectations of us.
“We cannot afford to rest on our laurels,” she said.
She added that the company was constantly researching on what consumers want in a beverage product, and exploring how tea can deliver on future consumer needs.
Over the years, the company has expanded its tea offerings. It has one of the widest ranges of tea products covering herb and fruit infusions, standard and premium teabag blends, hot and cold instant tea mixes, and a wide selection of flavoured teas.
Caroline said Boh Plantations also hopes to help preserve the environment. Its past efforts included collaborating with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and the Smithsonian Institute of the US.
In 1997, Boh Plantations supported the Malaysian Elephant Satellite Tracking Project and the WWF for Nature-Malaysia, in the Orang Utan Habitat Restoration project.
The Malaysia-born and bred Caroline, who speaks with only a slight trace of a British accent, believes that business and investing is about taking risks, but above all, you have to be realistic and practical.
She is every bit the urban working mother of two, trying to balance work and family.
“It can be done and is not difficult. You just have to compromise on both sides,” she said, adding that she hopes to find more time for her family.
“It is never an optimal balance, but I think as long as you make a concerted effort to lead a more balanced life, half the battle is won,” she said.
She enjoys painting but with two young children aged two and four to care for, there is little time to indulge herself.
Although she also loves reading, that too takes a back seat to a “splashing time” in the pool with her children.
On her success, Caroline credits having supportive people around both at home and at work. -- The Star Business.
