In other words, he's the guy to watch as the company enlarges its footprint and works to become a global brand.
Since then he's 'played an instrumental role in the company's expansion drive,' says OSK Research analyst Keith Wee in Kuala Lumpur. He signed on with Genting in 2004, joining his uncle, Chief Executive Lim Kok Thay. Industry insiders point to Leong as a key agent for change in an often cautious company that's now intent on expansion. At the 121-acre construction site on Sentosa-the resort island linked to the Singapore mainland by a short causeway-more than 1,000 workers toil away on around-the-clock shifts. Planned to open in 2010, it's expected to draw 15 million tourists a year by 2015. In Singapore, it won a hotly contested bid in December 2006 to build the second of two giant casino-resort complexes. It's become the largest casino operator in the U.K., where it owns 46 venues after buying out Stanley for $1.3 billion at the end of 2006. Genting is certainly raising its profile. 'It's us to get our name out there and change the mind-sets,' he says.
At Genting-which boasts the world's largest hotel, the 6,118-room First World that's part of its Genting Highlands casino resort outside Kuala Lumpur-he's responsible for finding new areas for growth. Leong, who's the grandson of the founder and all of 30 years old, vows to help change that.
