The Rise of an IT Industry Veteran

Datuk Tan Seng Kit, is well known to many as Group Managing Director of Strateq, a global technology enabler with innovative solutions for its clients. Datuk Tan talks with EITN about his rise the past 2 decades, from Systems Engineer to where he currently is today – at the top of the corporate ladder.

EITN: Please share about your journey within the IT industry over the past 24 years, rising from being a Systems Engineer to Group Managing Director now.

Seng Kit: Having graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelors in Computer Information

Systems in 1995, I began my career at SCS Computer System Sdn Bhd as an Application Support/ Systems Engineer with a primary responsibility of overseeing the implementation of projects.

After a brief stint at Shell Malaysia as a Consultant, I ventured on to Singapore Computer Systems Limited in 1999 where I served as a Manager where I was responsible for regional business development on petrol retail, payment solutions and enterprise IT.

Since 2017, I have had the honour of serving as the Group Managing Director of Strateq Group, leading digital transformation and innovation efforts and laying the foundation for building competitive advantage for the group’s products and services.

This is where a lot of the foundation for what I would go on to focus on for the rest of my career truly was built. Coming into the new millennium, technology was developing rapidly and these industries were already taking the first steps into becoming what they are today. Being there at the ground floor was a vital part of my career as I got to learn and be apart of this growth opened my eyes and mind to the various possibilities and potential technology and digitalisation could hold.

Looking to take things further from there, Strateq Oil & Gas Sdn Bhd in 2004, where I was once again for regional business development for petrol retail and payment solutions and enterprise IT. This marked the start of my career at Strateq. Over the next years, I continued to push boundaries and take on responsibilities at Strateq, working my way up to CEO of Strateq Oil & Gas.

From there I diversified my responsibilities to lead Strateq Health as Chairman, responsible for growth strategy and managing of business operations for the healthcare solutions business.

Since 2017, I have had the honour of serving as the Group Managing Director of Strateq Group, leading digital transformation and innovation efforts and laying the foundation for building competitive advantage for the group’s products and services.

EITN: What are some of the challenges and unique experiences encountered during your journey?

Seng Kit: Being there from an early stage in the enterprise tech and digitalisation segment was an incredible opportunity. Getting in on the ground floor offered me many opportunities and pathways to delve further into the segment and truly make my mark.

However at the same time, having to work my way up in a niche and emerging sector certainly came with its own set of challenges. For instance, there was a steep learning curve on healthcare vertical, as this is a highly regulated industry and every country is different.  The expansion into the US market was also highly complex with lots to learn and plenty of trail and errors.

EITN: Please share about your role in the global growth and expansion of the Strateq Group

Seng Kit: I am honoured to have been able to play an important role in expanding the Strateq Group’s footprint to a global scale. Starting off in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand we now have presence and business in China, Hong Kong and the United States.

I am particularly proud of the expansion that we managed to achieve for Strateq Health in managing to penetrate the American healthcare tech solutions space – it was a tough and competitive market and so to have made substantial in roads was truly a feat.

Now looking towards the future, I am personally filled with great hope and anticipation. These past few years have been challenging but it has also pushed data, IT and tech innovation miles forward. We are now living in a more connected and digital world than ever before and the potential for data and IT within industries is growing constantly.

EITN: What is your vision for the data and IT industry as a whole?

Seng Kit: I believe that data and IT industry have come such a long way in the past two decades. Technology has evolved rapidly and so has its impact and implementation within other industries and enterprises.

In that time, we have seen businesses completely alter the way they operate and even entire new industries and sectors emerge simply due to the power and capabilities of data and IT.

Now looking towards the future, I am personally filled with great hope and anticipation. These past few years have been challenging but it has also pushed data, IT and tech innovation miles forward. We are now living in a more connected and digital world than ever before and the potential for data and IT within industries is growing constantly.

I envision a future where data and IT integrate seamlessly into businesses and enterprises of all types and at all levels – whether it be multi-national juggernauts or local mom and pop shops, to elevate business opportunities and consumer experiences to new levels.

Data and IT will make it quicker, easier and cheaper for businesses to conduct their operations and it will continue to give rise to brand new sectors and opportunities as things continue to evolve.

When I first started out, simply getting on to the internet was a task – one which required multiple steps and consumed significant time, only to then be limited significantly by the actually functionality at our disposal.

Here in Malaysia, we are seeing a boom in the tech start-up and SME markets as data, IT and tech continue to make business growth more achievable and affordable. I envision that this will continue to be the case moving forward, with more advanced tech allowing for even more entrepreneurs to capitalise and see their businesses bloom.

EITN: Any thoughts and opinions on the new frontiers for data and IT solutions –  including potential challenges, trends and market opportunities in this  new normal?

Seng Kit: I believe there is huge potential for data and IT solutions moving forward. With better connectivity and computing power, business models will continue to rapidly transform.  Customer experience will continue to improve but cybersecurity will always be a potential challenge and risk. This is why I believe more and more, solutions providers will be focused on cybersecurity offerings to combat the rising threat on those fronts.

EITN: What are your thoughts about the overall evolution of the IT industry?

Seng Kit: Similar to my thoughts above, I think the growth and evolution the IT industry has seen in the 24 years I’ve been in the industry, has been nothing short of remarkable.

When I first started out, simply getting on to the internet was a task – one which required multiple steps and consumed significant time, only to then be limited significantly by the actually functionality at our disposal.

Today, internet connectivity is not only taken for granted, it is a crucial and basic need for almost every human on the planet. So many parts of our lives are connected to and controlled by the internet – from the way we travel, communicate, do business and even eat. Having borne witness to this first hand, I am beyond fascinated by what the future of tech and IT holds.

These initiatives have helped the latest tech and IT advancement be more accessible to businesses and thereby lifted overall standards and capabilities.

EITN: Could regulation and policy play a bigger role?

Seng Kit: I must commend the Malaysian government for its support towards the data, IT and digitalisation fields thus far. Time after time, they have shown their commitment towards enabling a tech-centric and future ready business environment through legislature and allocations within the annual budgets.

These initiatives have helped the latest tech and IT advancement be more accessible to businesses and thereby lifted overall standards and capabilities.

My hope would be for this support to continue and expand in light of the realities of the new normal. In this day and age, digitalisation is a vital aspect of business survivability and I do believe that the government can play a role in better enabling this through regulation and policy.  

Reference: https://www.enterpriseitnews.com.my/the-rise-of-an-it-industry-veteran/