64 | theceomagazine.com
TRAILBLAZER
The
The first woman to be President and CEO of specialist science and
technology company Merck Malaysia, Ee Boon Huey is a passionate
advocate for inclusion and diversity.WORDS DANIEL HERBORN • IMAGES YEW KWANGI
n 2016, Ee Boon Huey shattered the glass ceiling by
becoming the first woman to be President and CEO
for Merck Malaysia. “All my predecessors were male,
so I’m proud to be the first female president and
CEO. It goes to prove, yet again, that this can be
attained with the right values and goals.”
She approaches her daily challenges pragmatically,
with the opinion that one would have to be very clear
and focused as to how one can contribute positively and
effectively. To this, she credits having a strong network
to support her aspirations.BEGINNINGS
Upon obtaining her degree in chemistry and biology,
Boon Huey was employed at Bayer as a sales representative.
This provided the valuable insight into the importance of
reciprocal relationships between customer and company, and
gave her an overall understanding of the industry. Having
gained a stronger footing, she moved to GlaxoSmithKline
and was involved in the marketing and brand management
side of the business.
Shortly after, she was approached by Merck Malaysia
and took up the role as head of sales and marketing, where
she was responsible for the set-up of a new oncology unit.
This greatly appealed to her, since it involved more than
just heading a department. It presented an opportunity to »INSPIRE | Interview