“The First (Female) Employee of SRKK”

International Women’s Day each year is a day to celebrate and increase the visibility of women’s achievements, as well as to advocate women’s rights, and forge gender equality. As society evolved throughout the millennium, the female gender that was once seen as inferior is now emerging to be as productive and efficient as their male counterparts. It’s undeniable that women can bring unique qualities to their roles

This year on March 8, SRKK joins the world to celebrate International Women’s Day. We spoke to Yew Peng Fong, SRKK Group’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) & Managing Director of SRKK Computer about women empowerment in the workplace especially in an industry that was predominantly male-dominated in the past. Interestingly, she was also the FIRST employee of SRKK Group 25 years ago when the company was established in 1997.

Join us to learn more about the journey of the first female and also the first female of SRKK.

Peng Fong, can you please share with us your growing up years?
Peng Fong (PF): “I have an older brother and seven younger sisters. I am the eldest girl in the family. My parents were a hawker and I started helping them out at the age of 7. I have always been known as their good helper.

Have you always envisioned yourself being in the tech industry growing up?
PF: “Never. I studied Hotel Management in KL, and I always thought I would end up in the Hotel & Hospitality industry forever. My hotel life lasted only two weeks, then my parents introduced me to work in securities firm. That was how I transitioned my career from hospitality line to the corporate world. Then, I joined SRKK. I was the first employee.”

What contributed to your passion in this industry?
PF: “I love fashion very much. To me, technology is just like fashion. It changes every three to six months, and keeps on moving from time to time. [That] something I really love. It helps me to have the right mindset to adapt.”

What were some of the challenges you have experienced as a female in this technology industry?
PF: “As a female, working in a technology company in the 20th century can be very challenging. At that time, those hardware and computers can be very heavy to carry especially when I was handling the delivery to customers by my own. When I started the role, I also have very limited technical knowledge. It’s very difficult for me to understand the technical kinds of stuff. My business partners and colleagues have to explain and share layman terms to help me.”

 Do you think there is still gender inequality in the workplace? As a female leader, how do you ensure SRKK promotes equality among employees?
PF: “Of course. Some industries still facing it, but I really see men and women are equal. Regardless of gender, you just have to put in the effort, you can definitely excel and overcome some the challenges in workplace. In fact, my team leaders are all female.  In the company, we have many other female leaders as well and they are all given equal opportunities. For example, when we want to work on some business opportunities in Johor Bahru and Singapore, together with a few female leaders, we will discuss how we can grab the right opportunity.

In SRKK, we reinforce our core values and encourage mutual respect among each other. Our CEO also emphasizes that everyone in the company need to learn and grow together. I believe this has also helped everyone in the company to set the right mindset.”

What do you think is your proudest triumph and achievement as a career woman?
PF: “It was about 11 years ago, when SRKK was selected by our partner, HP, to go United States for their World Partners Conference. It has always been a dream to travel the world since young. Today, as I grow my career and earn my dollars,. I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries now. Isn’t it awesome?

What is the one advice that you want to share with young women thinking about their careers?
PF: “I would say passion and patience will always be the key to success. Find out what you like, what’s your passion, and have the patience to learn and grow it. As a woman, just carry yourself good and well.” 

 How many years in total have you spent in SRKK?
PF: “25 years, and now I am so proud to see this year we are celebrating our 25 years of success. Today, we have grown with more than 100 employees in different countries including Singapore, Philippines, and the UK.”