Merdeka has always been a celebration of freedom, resilience, and collective spirit. Experian Malaysia launched Leaders on the Walk to bridge generational gaps and mentor Malaysia’s future leaders. The walk proved leadership’s future lies on open paths with authentic conversations, not boardrooms.
A Walk That Redefined Leadership
Held at the historic Perdana Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur’s 221-acre sanctuary of green calm, the event gathered more than 20 prominent C-suite leaders who walked side by side with over 300 university students, fresh graduates, and young professionals. Forget stiff handshakes across polished conference tables, this was leadership stripped of hierarchy, recast in sneakers and shared strides.
The format was simple yet transformative: mentors and mentees engaging in informal, one-on-one conversations along a scenic 5-kilometer route. Topics ranged from industry insights to personal resilience, and the result was a mentorship ecosystem grounded in authenticity rather than performance. It was a rare, humanizing reminder that leadership is not only taught but it’s modeled, lived, and shared.
The Merdeka Spirit in Motion
For Experian Malaysia, timing the initiative during Merdeka was deliberate. It wasn’t just about national pride but about translating the Merdeka ethos—independence, collaboration, and vision, into leadership. “This event truly embodied the spirit of Merdeka, allowing established leaders to give back to the future talents of our nation,” said Chua Chai Ping, Country Head and HR Director of Experian Malaysia.
She added that Leaders on the Walk is only the beginning of a longer-term mentorship movement designed to continuously nurture future leaders. It’s a bold declaration that nation-building starts not only with institutions, but with personal commitments to guide and empower.
Bridging the Generational Gap
Leadership isn’t simply about holding titles—it’s about navigating change with foresight. Today, the generational talent gap is widening across industries. Young professionals are grappling with the pace of digital disruption and evolving work cultures, while seasoned leaders often find it challenging to connect with the expectations of a younger workforce.
The mentorship walk proved to be an antidote. Walking side by side, mentees gained candid access to industry veterans from companies such as HSBC, Dell, Shell, EY, BASF, Abbott, and Sanofi. Leaders, in turn, heard unfiltered perspectives from Gen Z and millennial professionals, creating a two-way dialogue that conferences rarely achieve. This wasn’t mentoring as lecture—it was mentoring as exchange.
Beyond Talk: The Power of Experiential Learning
What made Leaders on the Walk remarkable was its rejection of conventional formats. No panels, no PowerPoints, no posturing. Instead, it fused physical activity, mental wellness, and real-world dialogue. The very act of walking side by side dissolved barriers and allowed mentorship to become what it should be—organic, honest, and deeply human.
It wasn’t about theory but about lived experience. Mentors shared stories of failure as openly as they shared strategies for success, modeling vulnerability as a strength. Mentees left not just with advice but with a vision of leadership that feels attainable.
A Growing Movement
The initiative was supported by academic institutions such as Universiti Malaya, Monash University Malaysia, Taylor’s University, and INTI University, further reinforcing the link between education and industry. By involving both corporate titans and academic voices, Experian Malaysia established a blueprint for holistic leadership development that prioritizes collaboration across sectors.
The long-term vision is clear: to create a sustainable mentorship ecosystem that evolves with time, ensuring Malaysia’s leadership pipeline doesn’t just survive but thrives. In a region where conversations about “future talent” are often abstract, Leaders on the Walk made it tangible.
Walking Into the Future
In the end, Experian Malaysia’s Leaders on the Walk was more than an event—it was a cultural statement. It challenged the traditional choreography of mentorship and reimagined leadership as a living, breathing practice that unfolds not in boardrooms but in everyday connections.
As the mentees walked away with newfound confidence and mentors with fresh insights, one thing became evident: leadership in Malaysia’s future will be defined not by titles but by those willing to walk the walk.
You Might Like
