Still riding the wave of International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting bold Malaysian women who continue to shape industries and conversations—one LinkedIn post at a time. These voices remain as relevant today as ever, driving dialogue and change far beyond March 8.
Their impact goes beyond hashtags. These 10 women are changemakers, thought leaders, and fearless advocates for leadership, diversity, and inclusion. If you’re looking for fresh insights and bold moves, these are the voices keeping the momentum alive.
Highlights
Nadiah Tan Abdullah
As the Chief Human Capital Officer of Malaysia Airports and the Regional Chair for ASEAN Human Development Organisation, Nadiah Tan Abdullah has over 30 years of experience transforming organizations through people-first strategies. Her professional journey has seen her lead HR departments through mergers, talent pipeline development, and large-scale organizational transformations. Nadiah is also an adjunct professor, keynote speaker, mentor, and advocate for women empowerment, blending corporate expertise with her passion for developing future leaders.
Nadiah shares leadership wisdom drawn from decades of navigating complex change management and organizational development landscapes. Her insights often focus on building human-centered workplaces, leadership resilience, and empowering women to thrive at executive levels. Nadiah’s storytelling and photography skills also offer a personal touch, making her posts both relatable and impactful.
Dr. Prachi Thakur
Dr. Prachi Thakur is a diversity strategist and academic whose mission is to create inclusive spaces, particularly in the tourism and hospitality sectors. A TEDx speaker and seasoned researcher, she has consulted for high-profile organizations such as the UN Tourism’s Regional Conference for Women Empowerment and contributed to critical gender reports. Her work bridges academia and industry to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in global workspaces.
Dr. Prachi shares powerful narratives around women’s experiences in travel, workplace inclusion, and diversity strategy. She combines practical advice with academic rigor, often engaging audiences with stories from her research on solo women travelers. An avid hiker and violinist, her personality shines through her content, making her a relatable and passionate advocate for change.
Hanie Razaif-Bohlender
Known as “The Career Doctor,” Hanie Razaif-Bohlender is a go-to career coach for senior executives and C-level professionals across industries. As the founder of Dragonfire Corporate Solutions, she specializes in sustainable career management, outplacement, and leadership development. Her coaching services are tailored for professionals navigating transitions or aiming for growth and fulfillment in their careers.
Hanie inspires professionals with actionable strategies around career pivots, leadership skills, and diversity in the workplace. As an accredited international trainer and frequent speaker, she regularly addresses how individuals and organizations can embrace learning, equity, and resilience in their professional journeys.
Freda Liu
Freda Liu is a prominent business journalist, author, and moderator who has interviewed thousands of global changemakers, including Simon Sinek and Jack Welch. With two decades of experience as a media professional, Freda is a strong advocate for sustainability, women empowerment, and personal branding. Her award-winning contributions include hosting radio shows at BFM and creating sustainability-driven content for organizations such as World Vision and Chivas Regal.
Freda inspires a wide network with insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and ESG topics. She shares lessons from her interviews, speaking engagements, and her personal advocacy for social enterprises. Freda’s voice resonates with professionals who seek to combine business success with purposeful impact.
Ling Yah
A former lawyer turned personal branding strategist, Ling Yah has carved a niche in helping professionals hack the LinkedIn algorithm and amplify their personal brands. As the host of the So This Is My Why podcast and a LinkedIn Top Voice, Ling shares stories of inspiring people while helping clients achieve viral success and career growth.
Ling often shares her insights about personal branding, storytelling, and the startup ecosystem. From her adventures at Everest Base Camp to being featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden, her insights are a blend of personal anecdotes and professional strategies, encouraging others to embrace bold career moves.
Diane Jackson
Diane Jackson is a Global Education Influencer and the founder of Global English Consultancy (G.E.C.), an organization dedicated to empowering English teachers and learners around the world. Through her consultancy, Diane partners with educational institutions to deliver internationally certified English courses using methods aligned with natural language acquisition. Her foundation courses, built around CEFR levels, have enhanced both teaching quality and learner success across Malaysia and beyond.
A certified Neurolanguage Coach®, Diane blends neuroscience, coaching, and linguistics to create a highly effective learning environment, especially for advanced language learners. She is also a passionate advocate of Self-Organised Learning Environments (SOLEs), where students take ownership of their learning through curiosity-driven collaboration and digital exploration. Diane’s work continues to raise the standard for language education while unlocking new career pathways for educators globally.
Prestine Davekhaw
Prestine Davekhaw is the founder of MalaysianPAYGAP, a fast-growing movement advocating for wage transparency in Malaysia. What began as a viral Instagram page has since evolved into a social enterprise with initiatives like a Wage Transparency Dashboard and community events tackling workplace inequality.
Prestine champions labor rights, transparency, and empowerment for employees navigating today’s evolving workplaces. A cultural photographer as well, Prestine merges social activism with storytelling, documenting disappearing cultural legacies and driving conversations on fairness in the modern workforce.
Suraya K.A. Rahman (Kak Sue)
After decades in corporate leadership, Suraya Rahman, also known as Kak Sue, now dedicates her time to coaching and mentoring individuals seeking balanced lives. As a Clarity Coach, she helps professionals find happiness and fulfillment in both personal and professional spheres.
Suraya’s presence is marked by her empathetic and down-to-earth approach. She shares reflections on work-life balance, leadership challenges, and personal growth, drawing from her rich experience of building high-performing teams and mentoring others through career transitions.
Geeva Samynathan
Geeva Samynathan is a speaker, trainer, and founder of ECTAA SDN BHD, a social initiative promoting sustainability and social intelligence. A certified ESG practitioner and social competency expert, Geeva focuses on helping organizations build cultures of empathy, trust, and collaboration.
Geeva speaks on topics like workplace culture, social intelligence, and civility in leadership. She inspires professionals to embrace social responsibility while improving team dynamics and workplace engagement.
Salika Suksuwan
Salika Suksuwan is a seasoned HR leader and diversity advocate who has returned to financial services with a mission to elevate leadership and organizational excellence. With a passion for advancing women and young talent in the workforce, Salika brings a people-first approach to talent development.
Salika often shares her thoughts about leadership, diversity, and building Malaysia’s talent potential. Her thoughts reflect her belief in leveraging the country’s diverse population to create inclusive and high-performing organizations, making her a valued voice in HR and leadership spaces.
The Celebration Is Far From Over
While this feature highlights just a handful of inspiring women, there are many more stories waiting to be told. The movement to spotlight impactful voices continues, reminding us that women everywhere are shaping conversations, businesses, and communities.
Stay tuned as we continue to honor more incredible women across Asia. Because true leadership knows no borders—and every story deserves to be heard.
Highlights
Read the article in Chinese here.
