Building Businesses That Last Conference 2026 brought together over 160 entrepreneurs and executives to discuss SME growth, leadership and sustainability.
PETALING JAYA: More than 160 Malaysian business owners, founders and senior executives gathered here to explore strategies for building resilient enterprises that can withstand changing economic conditions, preserve business value and thrive across generations.
The Building Businesses That Last Conference 2026, jointly organised by the SME Association of Malaysia and VKA Wealth Planners Sdn Bhd, brought together entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and industry experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The conference focused on business succession, enterprise value creation, leadership, talent retention, corporate governance and long-term sustainability, highlighting the need for business owners to look beyond immediate growth and prepare for the future.
Delivering the keynote address, SME Association of Malaysia national president Dr Chin Chee Seong said SMEs remained central to Malaysia’s economic development, adding that resilience, innovation and succession planning were increasingly important as the business environment evolved.
“SMEs remain the backbone of Malaysia’s economy. As the business environment continues to evolve rapidly, entrepreneurs must not only focus on business growth but also on resilience, innovation, governance and succession planning to ensure their businesses continue to thrive across generations,” he said.
VKA Wealth Planners founder and group managing director Datuk Javern Lim said the conference was inspired by the changing needs of business owners, particularly those seeking to preserve the value of enterprises they had spent years building.
“Over the past two decades, we have had the privilege of serving more than 100,000 individual and corporate clients, many of whom are SME owners.
“As their businesses grow, their priorities evolve—from building a successful business to preserving its value, preparing the next generation and ensuring long-term sustainability. This conference was created to address those real business challenges,” Lim said.
The conference featured three key knowledge-sharing sessions addressing different stages of the business ownership journey.
The first session, Business Legacy, Family Trust and Succession Planning, saw MU Advisory and MySuccession App founder Million Lo share insights into preserving business continuity through succession planning, family trust structures and wealth preservation strategies.
The session highlighted the importance of preparing for the transition of business ownership and ensuring enterprises remain sustainable beyond the founder generation.
In the second session, Preparing Businesses for Sustainable Growth and IPO Readiness, Finsource Group founder and group director Ching Chee Pun discussed ways for SMEs to strengthen enterprise value, improve corporate governance and prepare for potential fundraising, mergers and acquisitions or public listing opportunities.
The session explored how stronger business fundamentals and governance structures can support sustainable growth and future expansion.
The conference concluded with an Executive Leadership Dialogue moderated by HernanCres Tax Consultancy Sdn Bhd managing director Desmond Anil.
Joining the discussion were former HRD Corp deputy chief executive II Prof Dr Rony Gobilee and VKA Wealth Planners chief investment advisory officer and former Manulife Asset Management Malaysia chief executive officer Edward Ooi.
Drawing on their corporate leadership experience, the panelists shared practical perspectives on how SMEs could learn from larger corporations in areas including leadership and succession, corporate governance, talent attraction and retention, employee benefits, cybersecurity preparedness, business continuity planning, and wealth and risk management.
Participants also took part in a live digital question and answer session, allowing business owners to raise practical challenges and engage directly with experienced corporate leaders.
In addition to the knowledge-sharing sessions, participants were invited to continue their learning journey through complimentary executive consultations, business advisory sessions and educational programmes aimed at supporting the long-term development of Malaysian SMEs.
The organisers said the conference reflected their shared commitment to providing practical learning platforms that help entrepreneurs strengthen resilience, improve competitiveness and build businesses capable of creating lasting value.
They also expressed their aspiration for the Building Businesses That Last Conference to become an annual leadership platform bringing together entrepreneurs, professionals and strategic partners to exchange ideas, build meaningful connections and strengthen Malaysia’s business community.
“Building a successful business is one achievement. Building a business that lasts for generations is another. Through collaboration between business associations, industry leaders and professional advisers, we hope to inspire more Malaysian entrepreneurs to think beyond today’s profits and begin planning for tomorrow’s legacy,” the organisers said.
The organisers acknowledged the support of the conference sponsors and supporting organisations.
The four gold sponsors are easycover.my, Hernancres Tax Consultancy Sdn Bhd, Mr Tolong Sdn Bhd and Zurich General Insurance Malaysia Berhad.
Meanwhile, their silver sponsor is Etiqa Life Insurance Berhad and finally the bronze sponsor is RAMS Fintech Sdn Bhd (PayDayNow).
The conference was also supported by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), ESG Association of Malaysia (ESGAM), Federation of Malaysia Hardware, Machinery & Building Materials Dealers’ Association (FMHMBA), Internet Alliance Malaysia (IAM), Malaysia-Cambodia Business Association (MCBA), Malaysia Cross Border e-Commerce Association (MCBEA), Malaysia Enterprises Investment Association (MEIA), Machinery & Engineering Industries Federation (MEIF), Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association (MyBHA), National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serdang Selangor (SSCCCI).
The organisers expressed their appreciation to all sponsors, supporting organisations, speakers and participants, whose contributions helped make the conference a success and reinforced the importance of collaboration in strengthening Malaysia’s SME ecosystem.
The conference served as a reminder that sustainable business growth requires more than financial performance. Effective leadership, sound governance, talent development and succession planning are increasingly important in ensuring enterprises remain competitive and create value for future generations.
