 Koh Ching Hong, the managing director of Borneo Motors Pte Ltd, distributors of the Lexus brand in Singapore, has completed two Ironman triathlons and is aiming for a third. Going the distance in a multi-tasking capacity is perhaps what it takes to manage the ever-challenging auto industry.
COMPILED BY JU K. TAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM HAN
GOLF DIGEST SINGAPORE: With only nine months under your belt, how do you feel about your new job?
KCH: I spent the last 23 years in the IT industry, so Borneo Motors is quite a change. In my previous job, it was mostly business-to-business. Now, I’m in a business-to-consumer environment. Borneo Motors has 10 centres that run seven days a week, and we measure success differently. It’s all about traffic, orders and the number of test drives.
I left a job selling software and solutions to one that offers a dream. The car business is all about lifestyle and an expression of personality. It’s about marketing, segmentation and how each model fits how different people feel
about themselves.
GDS: What do you think you bring to Borneo Motors?
KCH: I see an opportunity to lead a company into the future. As the managing director, I handle cross-function activities. I was successful in doing that in my previous job, leading people of different cultures and experiences. But I’ve gone from a 500-strong company to one that employs 800 people.
It’s all about energising, engaging and influencing people to a common goal. I worked for Fuji-Xerox before joining Borneo Motors, and helped transform it from one that made multi-function copiers to one that provided a suite of services to clients. The auto industry is changing similarly and every industry goes through it. I hope to bring my expertise and knowledge of change management.
GDS: So what changes are we seeing in the auto industry?
KCH:The car population is on the rise – just look at the amount of traffic on our roads.
The Government wants to manage this congestion and we will see them do things to restrict the number of cars on the roads. This means a shrinking market.
In addition, consumers are becoming more educated. They already know much about the cars before they come to see us in
our showrooms.
They already have an impression of the price and the model that they’re looking at.
There is also a lot more sub-segmentation in the market, and automakers have to offer more range for less price. Of course, this is in all industries as well.
GDS: Much has been made about the success of Toyota and Lexus, your key brands at Borneo Motors. What do you think accounts for their success?
KCH: Three letters: Q-D-R – or quality, durability and reliability. That’s the DNA of Toyota. People know that when they buy a Toyota, they are getting value.
For Lexus, the DNA goes beyond Q-D-R and into refinement and quiet. No other car brand comes close. Lexus has come to represent the best, and is a status symbol.
From a Borneo Motors point of view, it’s all about providing our Lexus clients with special attention. Some of our consultants pick up clients’ cars for servicing, and even send them to – and pick them up from – the airport if they are away on business trips while their cars are with us. Such attention influences our customers to stay on as customers. J.D. Power, the top consumer survey company, has ranked Lexus the No. 1 luxury brand and No. 1 in luxury unit sales for eight years running. That certainly says something.
 GDS: What is it about the Borneo Motors culture that has been instrumental with the company’s success?
KCH: In a word: passion. The industry is very intense, but people feel for the brand. Our people have the desire to push the envelope. This is not only from our sales people, but also from those working behind the scenes. The Toyota company has lent us its culture of kaizen, which is the continual desire to improve the process.
GDS: We heard that you were once a very avid golfer.
KCH: I started golf when I was about 30 and was a member of Keppel Club. I was really into it. I would bring my golf set all over the world and read many golf magazines. But I found it very difficult to get better. I saw a golf coach and he took my swing apart. I struggled for a long time before I began seeing improvement. But when I turned 44, my interest was diverted and, now, I hardly play.
GDS: What happened?
KCH: I started cycling. I guess you could say I entered a mid-life crisis. I couldn’t afford a Ferrari, so I bought a bicycle. I then started running and began taking swimming lessons for the first time in my life. I then started taking part in triathlons – first, the spring distance; then, a full Olympic distance. I have since taken part in two Langkawi Ironman triathlons. I turn 50 next year and plan to do my third Ironman, this time in Hainan.
Once I began participating in triathlons, golf took a back seat. I’m part of a group called Crazy2Tri and we go out for a run or a ride several times a week. Sometimes, we take a boat to Desaru for a long ride to Mersing and back.
GDS: Back to cars, what do you think makes a good salesperson?
KCH: Hard work and the ability to build trust with a customer. No amount of advertising can replace word-of-mouth recommendation, and this comes about when a salesperson goes that extra mile.
One day, a salesperson came to the office with his clothes absolutely drenched. I asked him what happened. He said he had just helped one of his clients salvage his car from a flood. Customers appreciate that and remember this.
Naturally, for our Lexus brand, our sales people do a little bit more. One salesperson noticed that a customer had bought a Lexus for his wife as a birthday gift. When the wife came to collect her car, there were flowers and champagne waiting for her at the showroom, and the sales team got together to sing her a birthday song.
GDS: The Lexus Cup is back in Singapore again. What kind of response have you got so far?
KCH: Without a doubt, the Lexus Cup has created great interest from our customers. So many of them are asking for slots in the pro-am or for tickets.
But Lexus does more than just sponsor the Lexus Cup. We put together the Lexus Charity Golf Day every year to help the underprivileged. This is restricted to Lexus owners and is usually fully subscribed within a week.
This year, we raised S$160,000 for the Dover Road Hospice.
Did You Know
Koh Ching Hong's 3 favourite cars
1. LEXUS LS600H
“It’s super luxurious and our flagship car. For its size, it’s extremely quiet and consumes less than its displacement.”
2. TOYOTA RAV4
“I can put my bicycle in the back without any problem.”
3. HINO TRUCK
“Sitting behind the large wheel and being so high up above the road, it’s an awesome feeling. Unfortunately, I don’t have a truck license.”
LEXUS CUP 2008 The Lexus Cup 2008 is the fourth edition of an annual ladies team event pitting 12 international players against 12 leading players from Asia. It will be held on the Bukit Course at Singapore Island Country Club. Once again, golf legend Annika Sorenstam will captain Team International while South Korea’s golf icon, Pak Se Ri, will captain Team Asia. The Lexus Cup 2008 will be held from 27 to 30 November. Tickets are available from SISTIC (+65-6348-5555 or www.sistic.com.sg) at S$20 (Friday, 28 November, or Saturday, 29 November), S$30 (Sunday, 30 November) or S$50 (all three days). For more information, visit www.lexuscup.com.sg.
EXCLUSIVE ON GOLFDIGESTSINGAPORE.COM We will post updated news, reviews, blogs, video clips and other tournament-related news throughout the event. Please visit our website for our exclusive Lexus Cup 2008 coverage. Golf Digest Singapore is the Official Singapore Golf Media for the Lexus Cup 2008.
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