SembCorp: A young man and his $1.25b 'baby'

At just 32, Mr Lim Yeow Keong found himself with a US$1 billion (S$1.25 billion) mega-project on his hands.

Fresh from a two-year stint in a supporting role as commercial director of United Arab Emirates' Fujairah Independent Water and Power Plant, he was charged with being the lead developer of a similar facility in Salalah in Oman.

The Sembcorp Industries scholar, now 37, did not hesitate.

"I was surprised. I don't think many companies would entrust a project this size to someone so young. But I was raring to go," said Mr Lim, who became the general manager of Sembcorp Salalah Power and Water Company.

This year, he was made chief executive officer of the newly listed company.

"I was a swinging bachelor with no family commitments. It was a defining moment." Despite initial concerns about safety, Mr Lim also saw it as a chance to get some overseas exposure.

Sembcorp Industries provides energy and water solutions to industrial and municipal customers. It has been aggressively increasing its global footprint and now has a presence in 16 countries.

Sembcorp also has interests in marine and offshore engineering, as well as urban development. The group is listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange, and posted a 40 per cent rise in third quarter net profit to S$181.2 million from a year ago.

Mr Lim looked after virtually every aspect of this "baby", from tendering for the project to the construction of the plant from "bare ground and rock" to completion.

"My life revolved around the project. I was breathing, eating, living, and drinking Salalah. Whether I was in Oman or not, the project was always on my mind," he recalled, but added that since the completion of the plant last year, he has had more relaxing 10-hour work days.

But Mr Lim's early ambitions had little to do with engineering - he was initially drawn by the prospects of a "noble and better paying" career in medicine, but his interest waned by the time he got to university.

"I became more interested in creating things, business and interacting with people," said Mr Lim.

He won a Sembcorp scholarship in 1997 to study chemical engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada. When he graduated in 2001, he chose a more hands-on position as a process engineer in Sembcorp Utilities' engineering department over doing business development.

"I wanted a better grounding in the business, so I opted for overalls, a helmet and being in the plant before getting into a suit and tie," he said.

His Middle Eastern adventures began in 2004, when he accompanied Mr Atul Nargund, now CEO of Sembcorp Utilities India, to explore business opportunities in Oman.

Sembcorp finally powered up in 2006 with Fujairah, where he stayed for two years. Then came Salalah - the largest and most energy-efficient water and power plant in the Governate of Dhofar.

While he has adjusted to life there, he admits there are still challenges on the business front.

"In Oman, the work pace is a lot slower, the locals also communicate mainly in Arabic," said Mr Lim.

It was only in May this year that Oman changed its work week from Saturday-to-Wednesday to Sunday-to-Thursday. The time difference has meant limited overlaps in working hours.

"Between having to work there and continuing to interact with the folks in the Singapore headquarters, we ended up working seven days a week," he said.

Even as Oman's government pushes for the hiring of locals instead of foreigners, its workforce is not as mature and skilful as Singapore's; so many have to be trained "from scratch".

Mr Lim initiated a tie-up with local technical colleges to make related training part of the curriculum, and offers students two-month industrial attachments. He also has a nine-month paid training programme for potential staff, so both the company and potential hires get a "preview" of each other.

Close to 40 per cent of Salalah's 85-strong staff are now local, up from just two out of 35 three years before.

Not surprisingly, the biggest misconception people have about his job relates to safety and security.

"There has always been wide coverage of unrest in the region. But both Oman and the UAE are peaceful and stable, and are suitable for long-term investment... People are also friendly and welcoming, and both cities are well set-up for expatriates," he said.

Now that the plant has stabilised, Mr Lim is looking at ways to expand Sembcorp's footprint in Oman and other parts of Saudi Arabia. Sembcorp has commenced a second Oman project in the Duqm Special Economic Zone, a new industrial and commercial hub. It will develop a centralised utilities facility modelled after the one it has on Jurong Island.

But before any more work projects pick up steam, the baby Mr Lim needs to look after is his own - his wife of two years is due to give birth to their first child this week. "That's my personal IPO," he said with a laugh.