Though futuristic technology is fast moving towards a stage where it seems to take over human endeavour, Edberg Ponniah swears by innovation and creativity of the human mind. With the conviction that engineering is not only a profession, but a way of thinking, the chemical engineer believes in leading from the front and back in keeping with the situation. It is this belief of his, along with his passion for creativity, which has enabled him to create a company that makes sustainable furniture. In an interview with Business Frontier, Edberg Ponniah, Director, Edsha Solution Sdn Bhd, lays out hisvision for the businessand hisinclination to empower people.
Q. Give us an overview of the early stages of your professional journey?
My career began with one main objective — solving problems. I studied to be a chemical engineer due to my passion for solving problems and a love of chemistry. After graduating from Iowa State University, I did a couple of years of soul-searching in the engineering industry to find the best fit for myself. It turned out the best fit was closer to home — at Edsha Solutions Sdn Bhd.
I initially joined Edsha Solutions as an Industrial Effluent Treatment System (IETS) engineer for which I am competent for physical chemical process and biological process. When I joined the company in 2018, we had only recently been licensed by the Department of Environment Malaysia for the recycling and recovery of hazardous waste. In 2020, the pandemic hit us hard as it did many other companies. That was when I was pushed to deliver my best and rose to face the challenges that came with the pandemic. I took on the role of management representative for the implementation of the ISO14001:2015 and ISO45001:2018 systems in the company and attained a safety and health officer competency. In addition, I was part of the duo driving to push for more codes approved for hazardous waste recovery from our meagre four codes in 2017 to 11 in 2024. As the company grew with my humble contributions, so did my role. In recent years, I have been inspired to diversify this business — by creating a new company (eTree) that makes sustainable furniture.
Q. How has your chemical engineering degree helped you in your role as the Director of Edsha Solutions?
Engineering is not just a job, it’s a way of thinking. As a company director with an engineering background, I am always up to researching and developing various solutions to adapt to changing demands of customers for the products being produced, while staying within cost limitations. I have a team, of which I am truly proud, and inspire them to continuously focus on improvement. We have not just found solutions to problems by purchasing ready-made machines, but also been able to create our own machines to cater to specific issues. With the mindset of an engineer, I often find myself being able to maneuver through tough times to find a pragmatic solution.
Q. At the helm of managing people and processes, what are the factors you consider before taking a major business decision?
Profits, environment and community are the three factors we consider when taking any decision. Profit is the obvious criterion to ensure the company thrives. Being an environmental business and one that has integrated environmental sustainability into its culture, it is crucial that our decisions not only have no adverse effect on the environment, but leave a positive impact on the ecosystem. Finally, it’s the community, which is an important variable when making decisions that can create new jobs, new products, influence the company culture and boost the economy.
Q. How do you keep abreast of the latest technologies that spearhead change in your field of work?
We always keep our ears close to the ground to see what is new around us and assess whether it will bring a positive change to the environment and complement the company’s growth. Attending conferences periodically keeps us aware of new opportunities and latest developments in the field. Researching novel green technologies that we can adapt to in our business helps us be on our toes on the environmental front.
Furthermore, the company has created its own application and accompanying system to manage its fleet. In addition, we have implemented multiple automation initiatives, and are currently looking into adopting AI technology to handle certain aspects of managing the company.
Q. What are the leadership principles you like to follow? Do you have a favourite leadership style or you prefer to have different approaches in keeping with the circumstances?
I believe in empowerment. In a day and age of technological advancements that seem to push people to the sidelines, I believe people are capable of innovation, ideas and creativity that technology cannot yet provide. As a leader, I choose to empower my team to solve problems and continuously bring about improvement in keeping with their abilities and in line with the company’s vision and mission. Besides, I deeply value the ability to find ways to make a complex job simpler and reward employees who can do this. Someone who can find easier, faster and efficient ways of doing a job is an asset. A good leader must be capable of leading from the back and front in keeping with the demand of the situation. That is something I pride myself in doing. During times of change or new challenges, I believe in leading from the front to show my team that the hurdle can be overcome. At the same time, there are situations when leading from the back is necessary to give opportunities to team members to rise up to the challenge and lead.
Q. What are the hobbies and interests that you seek refuge in while unplugging from work?
Work-life balance is a difficult feat when there is so much to achieve in life. However, it doesn’t mean that your passions cannot lead to new opportunities. I love inventing things and I channeled this passion into creating sustainable furniture that is being sold under eTree, a spinoff company of Edsha Solutions Sdn Bhd. Being a firm believer in lifelong learning, I am currently picking up a new language and learning a musical instrument. An avid football fan, I believe sometimes business is a lot like football: there are seasons with highs and lows but if a team of individuals comes together and fights for it collectively, they can become one powerful force that is unstoppable.
