KUALA LUMPUR, Achieving success in a male-dominated industry is no easy feat, but two Malaysian women selected for the Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2024 programme proved otherwise in making significant strides in the world of entrepreneurship. Datuk Anna Teo, the founder and group chief executive officer (CEO) of Hernan Corporation Sdn Bhd for more than 20 years, admitted that her entrance into entrepreneurship was challenging, as the stigma against women in the durian industry was overwhelming. Coupled with that, she shared it was hard to obtain funding to start her company because many in the durian industry doubted a woman's capability, particularly one without experience in growing durian trees. 'If you want to start a business and embark on entrepreneurship, you have to come up with a very solid business plan. From here, stay resilient and make sure that you take every challenge. Remember, when you embark into business, there is no going back,' she told Ber nama in an exclusive interview recently. Teo added that entrepreneurship is a continuous learning journey, but it is not always smooth sailing. 'Expect some challenges and some downtime, but I always tell myself, 'You're not alone'. This is part of the journey to success,' she said. She also expressed her gratitude to EY Malaysia for creating a platform to convene fellow successful women entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia and empower each other, while allowing herself to expand her potential client network. 'This is something that I felt so proud to be a part of. Most importantly, I feel even more confident than ever. EY has done quite a lot to help me in getting the correct investors and mentorships, as well as connect me to the right potential clients,' she added. Another candidate, Ooi Lay Pheng who is the CEO of her family-owned business Berjayapak Sdn Bhd, faced gender bias and prejudice when she first entered the rugged nature of industrial packaging. 'Being a small-sized, petite person, people que stioned my capability and ability in this fierce industry. I always rely on four things, unlearn, relearn and keep learning, establish a good network with fellow industry players, self-motivation and embrace criticism. 'These are what help me to break down the barriers I encountered along the way,' she said, adding that her entrepreneurial journey began when she accompanied her father on business dealings during her primary school years. On the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific Class of 2024 programme, Ooi opined that it enables women from diverse backgrounds to better understand the various responsibilities they undertake as individuals of many roles. 'Therefore when we come together, we have a certain understanding of how we need to help each other to overcome the stages of life that we are going through,' she added. The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women programme is a year-long executive programme that identifies and champions a select group of high-potential founders, who have built profita ble companies and provides them with the connections and resources needed to unlock their potential and sustainably scale their companies. Launched in 2008, the programme has evolved into a global community of over 900 women entrepreneurs from more than 55 countries and various industries. For more information on the members of the 2024 Asia-Pacific EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women programme, please visit https://www.ey.com/en_gl/entrepreneurial-winning-women-asia-pacific. Source: BERNAMA News Agency