Vinod Shekar

Datuk Vinod Balachandra Sekhar is one of Malaysia's most prominent businessmen and philanthropists. He is president and group chief executive of Petra Group and Chairman of the Sekhar Foundation, based in Kuala Lumpur, and has been named by Forbes Magazine as Malaysia's 16th richest man.

Early and family life

Born August 6th 1968, his father is the late Tan Sri Dr. B.C. Sekhar, also known as "Mr. Natural Rubber" who revolutionised and saved the rubber industry in Malaysia. While in college, he started Malaysia's first non partizan multiracial youth organization, Malaysiana Muda. He remained President of MM for two terms and stood down having built it into the largest multiracial youth organization at the time. Mr. Sekhar is married with two children Tara and Petra, after whom his business empire is named. He currently lives in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur.

Business ventures

Mr. Sekhar earned his entrepreneurial stripes while at university in the United States. At the age of 21, he set up the Vincent Siefer Clothing Company, which sold college embossed shirts to students at American universities.

In 1990, he formed the STI Group with partners and was responsible for some ground breaking businesses, such as the world’s smallest optic engine, South East Asia’s first commercial internet company, and a variety of other technological innovations.

The multimedia arm of the group was also responsible for the first Malaysian joint venture to produce a movie in Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida (Tarzan, the Epic adventures). After 1997, STI merged with other international interests and The Petra Group was created.

Mr. Sekhar was one of the first Malaysians to venture into the former Soviet Union after its break up and was a part of the privatization of the country’s second largest petrochemical plant. He was also the first Malaysian to own a Formula 2000 and a Formula 3 Championship motorsport teams.

Petra Group has now become a technology conglomerate that owns international patents spanning several different industries. In 2008 Petra Group announced plans to bring Green Rubber Global (GRG) to the public market. GRG owns a patented chemical formula called DeLink. The technology is used to devulcanise rubber so it can be recycled and used again for a wide range of applications. Investors in the company include Forbes Vice Chairman Christopher Forbes, Hollywood actors Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr, and Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket legend. Petra also has other technological innovations in its portfolio including those involving biophotonics, hiv treatment, biofuel development and financial software.

ocial contributions

Mr. Sekhar is the founder and chairman of the Sekhar Foundation. Mr. Sekhar has placed 60 per cent of his holdings in the Petra Group into the foundation, which uses the stake to fund a wide range of educational and charitable causes in Malaysia and around the world. He is also responsible for some award winning adverts related to poverty and race in Malaysia that played a role in the shift in sentiment within the government and among Malaysians in general about race relations in the country.

He sits on the board of several other Malaysian and international charitable bodies.

Environmental conservation and Philanthropy

Mr. Sekhar through his Sekhar Foundation and Britain-based Green Rubber Global Ltd is funding the Royal Society South-East Asia Rainforest Research Programme to fund a rainforest ecology research programme. Among others, the fund would facilitate research, training and environmental programme in rainforest ecology at Danum Valley, one of the world's top five tropical forest research centres.

The Petra Group through the Sekhar Foundation will provide RM8mil to the eight-year study at the Sabah Foundation-initiated Danum Valley Field Centre.

Datuk Vinod Sekhar, who is also the Chairman of the Sekhar foundation said the sponsorship was in line with the group's long-term focus to help mitigate indiscriminate logging practices and to promote the importance of rainforest to humanity. Gracing the signing of the MoU was Hollywood actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson, a staunch advocate of rainforest conservation who is currently on a two-week holiday in Malaysia. Datuk Vinod Sekhar had already contributed RM1m to the conservation programme in the Mirador Basin of Guatamala in South America. The programme is run by FARES, a foundation chaired by Mel Gibson.

Petra expects to eventually expand its support to other research centres in Sabah and Borneo, including the Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon Conservation Areas.

Datuk Vinod Sekhar, through the Sekhar Foundation has donated GBP8m to the Univ. of St Andrews in Scotland as a contribution towards their new medical school to be known as the BC Sekhar School of Medicine and the Sciences. Dr Brian Lang, the Vice Chancellor of St Andrews university stated he expected the new state of the art medical and science school, being built at a total cost of GBP45m, to be among the best in the world. Along with the donation, Mr.Sekhar also set up a full scholarship programme for 7 students a year to study at the university.

Awards and recognitions

In 1991, Tuanku Ja’afar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, who was then the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, conferred on Mr Sekhar a “Datukship”, the equivalent of a knighthood in Malaysia, for his contribution to society and the Malaysian nation.

Mr Sekhar is a regular speaker at international business conferences. He has given addresses at the World Economic Forum (WEF) gatherings in Davos, Singapore and South Korea. He was named in 2003 by the WEF as one of 40 'New Asian Leaders'.

In 2007, he shared the stage with former US President Bill Clinton in New York, where he launched a biofuels initiative for poverty eradication.

In July 2008 Sekhar was made the inaugural Grant Thornton Corporate Leader of the Year. Among the testimonials given on the night of the award was a video message from President Bill Clinton. Attending the dinner to honor Sekhar was Mel Gibson, Baroness Amos (the former Leader of the house of Lords) and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (the Malaysian Minister of Trade and Industry)

Vinod is ranked the 16th richest businessman in Malaysia in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He is estimated by Forbes to be worth RM 1.2 billion. At 39, He is also the youngest on the list.

Hobbies and interests

He has written several plays and a book of poetry. One of his plays, “In the Mind’s Eye” was produced with success in the United States, United Kingdom and Malaysia. He also hosted Malaysia’s first English language talk show on television. He is also an avid golfer with a 13 handicap. He is also known to have an active interest in politics and is known to be close to both the current Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Badawi and the Leader of the Opposition, Anwar Ibrahim.

Mr Sekhar loves Cuban cigars and collects ties with Mickey Mouse and Disney motifs, and is thought to own over 200 such tie's.

References

* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/vinod-sekhar-solving-global-problems-over-the-pulignymontrachet-461175.html Vinod Sekhar, Solving global problems over a Puligny Montrachet] -The Independent On Sunday, UK 12th August 2007
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/29/eamalay129.xml Mel Gibson, the English Earl and the Malaysian entrpreneur] - The Daily Telegraph UK, August 29th 2007
* [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/84/biz_07malaysia_Vinod-Sekhar_TL7H.html Forbes.com - Vinod Shekhar]
* [http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/29/business/18722081&sec=business Petra plays its part in conservation] , The Star, August 29, 2007. [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/84/biz_07malaysia_Vinod-Sekhar_TL7H.html Forbes.com - Vinod Shekhar]
* [http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/16/business/21837559 Vinod named Corporate Leader of the Year] - The star, 16 July 2008
* [http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Asian-tycoon-donates-8m-to.3805121.jpDEFAULTSORT:Sekhar, Vinod Asian tycoon donates 8m to help fund world-leading medical centre] The Scotsman, 22 February 2008
* [http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_a48811c7-cb73c03a-c8c7d600-459ee95b Sekhar - Addressing economic needs vital to fight graft] - The Edge Daily, 20 June 2008
* [http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/St-Andrews-University39s-45m-science.4157868.jp St Andrews University 45m Science school will set international benchmark] Fife Today, 8 June 2008
* [http://www.business24-7.ae/articles/2008/9/pages/09082008_cae93ffa0f1f44da83559c540cb9a5fe.aspx Making an impact and making money] Business24/7 Dubai, 8 September 2008