19/02/2026

BIZ & FINANCE THURSDAY | FEB 19, 2026

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Character, competence and chemistry o VoxEureka founder and managing director Jonathan Tan tells SunBiz that AI will overwhelm us with content and misinformation, making responsible use more important than ever SUCCESS: THE INSIGHT STORY

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today? My father lived by a simple principle: kindness is a currency. If you give good to the universe, it flows back to you. I’ve tried to embody that throughout my life and career, and I’ve consistently seen that favour returned – through open doors, client referrals, and loyal talent. This philosophy also shapes our culture at VoxEureka. In a corporate world often fixated on shareholder value, I believe in shared value. Everyone invests their precious years here, and that deserves a reciprocal return. What traits do you look for in your talent? We focus on the three C’s: Character, Competence, and Chemistry – in that order. Character is foundational; values like honesty and humility are formed over a lifetime. Competence includes the curiosity and critical thinking needed to thrive in fast-paced client service. Finally, Chemistry is vital to preserve our collaborative culture, especially as we grow. As the Malay proverb says, satu titik rosakkan susu sebelanga – one drop can spoil the whole pot. How do you think the industry will evolve? The core of public relations is constant adaptation. Twenty years ago, I was faxing press releases. Today, the proliferation of media channels and social platforms has transformed influence itself. Now, AI is accelerating this change at an alarming rate. It will unleash a flood of content, desensitise us to artificial creativity, and exacerbate misinformation. For communicators, the imperative is to wield these tools with profound responsibility. What advice can you offer to those starting a career or business? Be discerning. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone – it demands a significant financial, mental, and emotional toll, often with less stability than a salaried role. But the reward is autonomy over your values and daily purpose. I started VoxEureka to wake up happy, working alongside people I respect towards shared success. That peace of mind has been our achievement from day one. Are we in for a technological revolution? Absolutely. We’re at the infancy of the AI revolution, moving from tools to agentic ecosystems. The next phase is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) where AI can understand, learn, and apply knowledge autonomously. This will lead to self-improving systems and potentially ASI (Artificial Superintelligence), with reasoning and goal-setting abilities. The implications will reach far beyond business into geopolitics and national security, demanding our vigilance.

What has been your biggest challenge and what did you learn? Learning that self-preservation is not selfishness. I burned out badly in 2023, stretched too thin across family, work, and community. My counsellor helped me see that as we age, time and energy become scarce. I’ve learned to reprioritise ruthlessly and without guilt – it’s a necessary discipline for sustainable leadership. What was the most outlandish business proposal you’ve heard of? Elon Musk buying Twitter for US$44 billion still astounds me. I struggle to see the strategic synergy for his empire – was it purely a vanity project? Similarly, the US$900 million valuation for TikToker Khaby Lame’s brand company, while he has a massive following of 80 million, reflects a market for creators that I’m still trying to fully comprehend. What man-made innovation confounds you? Why? Plastic. It’s an environmental catastrophe, yet it’s a miracle material – cheap, durable, lightweight, and versatile. It revolutionised everything from food safety to medical devices. The paradox of its incredible utility and profound environmental cost is truly confounding. Malaysia’s greatest brand. While technically Singapore-based, I’ve always considered Grab a Malaysian brand at heart, given Anthony Tan’s roots. It’s a shame we didn’t keep it, but it remains the Southeast Asian brand I admire most. owner/manager is… Atomic Habits by James Clear for mastering systems, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s biography for mastering longevity and culture. How will climate change policies impact businesses? At the very least, they will force intentionality and accountability into operations. The critical question is whether this leads to genuine change or performative compliance. A major new challenge will be the astronomical energy consumption from AI data centres, which every corporation will soon rely on. What are the top three factors behind your success? A loving family upbringing, a grounding faith, and the ability to not take life too seriously. Tell us a joke. Manchester United will win the league this year. A must-read for every business its service footprint across key growth regions in Peninsular Malaysia. The group is also exploring selective strategic partnerships and project collaborations to strengthen its engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning capabilities and broaden its integrated solar solutions offering. At the same time, management said it is maintaining disciplined capital and liquidity management, including a cautious approach to inventory procurement to manage exposure to global commodity trends, particularly fluctuations in silver prices. Backed by a growing unbilled order book and a strong cash position, Verdant expects to safeguard margins while scaling up to meet rising demand under the new solar policy framework.

How has mentorship made a difference? I’ve been fortunate to have mentors at every stage of life. Early spiritual mentors instilled a love for nature, discipline, and accountability. By the time I entered the workforce, I had developed project management and stakeholder engagement skills, and most importantly, the ability to mobilise people towards a common goal. In a team-based industry like PR, that became the foundation of my leadership. What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? My priority is to raise my two daughters to be independent, confident, and kind. Professionally, we will stabilise and grow our new operations in Singapore and Indonesia. Our vision is to establish Vox Group as one of the most admired independent regional

networks, proudly flying Malaysia’s flag and giving global agencies a run for their money. In five years, I hope we’ve expanded into one or two more markets. Best piece of advice you ever received. I’ll share two. First, from Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Second, an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Most-admired business leader? Why? Sir Alex Ferguson. He may not be a traditional business leader, but his winning mentality was infectious across three decades. He wasn’t a tactical genius, but a master at rebuilding teams and adapting to change. His longevity and sustained success prove that class is permanent. How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry? I read widely and engage with other leaders. But more important is building contextual knowledge – understanding how geopolitics, climate science, culture, and even celebrity narratives intersect. Everything is connected. If you could have an hour with any thought leader, whom would it be? Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. His historic speech defending Canadian sovereignty at the World Economic Forum was a stunning act of courage on a global stage. I’d want to discuss how he would translate those strong principles into action in today’s political climate in the face of the Trump administration.

Verdant Solar posts RM30.7m six-month revenue, order book jumps 40% KUALA LUMPUR: Verdant Solar Holdings Bhd posted revenue of RM30.71 million for the six months ended Dec 31 2025, as it navigated a policy transition in the domestic rooftop solar market. Despite the softer quarterly performance, the group’s order book expanded to RM38 million as at December 2025, up more than 40% from RM27 million in September 2025.

during the quarter under review,” he said. Looking ahead, Lim said the group is positioning itself to capitalise on Solar ATAP, which took effect in January 2026. The new framework introduces a streamlined and quota free mechanism aimed at accelerating rooftop solar adoption across residential and commercial segments. He said the policy shift, alongside the National Energy Transition Roadmap target of achieving 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050, provides a structural growth tailwind for the group. “With Solar ATAP now in effect, there is a clear trajectory for recovery and the conversion of the group’s growing pipeline into revenue,” he added. In line with its IPO plans, Verdant is expanding

Its balance sheet remained robust, with a cash position of RM54 million and total loans and borrowings of less than RM1 million. Managing director Lim Tzer Haur said the quarter reflected an industry-wide adjustment following the end of the Net Energy Metering policy in June 2025. “The six-month absence of an interim incentive framework prior to the commencement of the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme (Solar ATAP) in January 2026 led to a temporary cautiousness in the market. This resulted in a slowdown in project execution and revenue recognition

Profit before tax came in at RM1.26 million after adjusting for non-recurring listing expenses of RM2.47 million incurred in the second quarter. For the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2025, revenue stood at RM6.77 million. On an adjusted basis, the group recorded a loss before tax (LBT) of RM2.98 million, mainly due to the one-off listing expenses. Verdant was listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd on Oct 22, 2025, and as such, there are no comparative figures for the corresponding quarter a year earlier.