CEO of the Year Awards 2026| 11 Think tanks play a crucial role in bridging the gap between knowledge and national development, providing evidence-based research and expert analysis to influence policy decisions. The Research Institute for Sustainable Excellence and Leadership is one think tank actively shaping Malaysia’s infrastructure, a nonprofit organisation focused on sustainable development and ethical leadership throughout the country. We spoke with Founder and CEO Hong Wai Onn to learn more information, as his leadership is recognised in the APAC CEO of the Year Awards 2026. The Research Institute for Sustainable Excellence and Leadership (RISEL) was established in 2024, born from a shared vision of addressing the complex challenges currently facing Malaysia. Bringing together a diverse group of Malaysian professionals, RISEL has soon established itself as a leading voice in advancing sustainability, ESG integration, and the netzero transition. At the helm of this development is Hong Wai Onn, Founder and CEO of RISEL. Wai Onn leads applied research at RISEL and advises partners in government, industry, and civil society. Guiding national discussions on sustainability, climate action, and responsible growth, he translates complex technical, environmental, and economic problems into clear plans that can be utilised by decisionmakers. In a competitive market, Wai Onn stands out for uniquely combining deep engineering and industry experience with systems thinking. While many ESG experts hail from policy- or advocacy-exclusive backgrounds, Wai Onn has spent almost two decades within the palm oil, biotechnology, and industrial sectors. His past roles spanned production, engineering, project management, R&D, process safety, and leadership. “This background lets me speak the language of industry,” Wai Onn explained. “I still uphold the values of sustainability and integrity. I act as a translator between science, industry, and policy. Sustainability must not be a simple checklist for rules. It must create long-term value for Malaysia and the region.” “Sustainability must not be a simple checklist for rules. It must create long-term value for Malaysia and the region.” Under Wai Onn’s leadership, RISEL conducts strict, independent research and offers new policy recommendations that support sustainable development, ethical leadership, and social progress in Malaysia and beyond. The organisation focuses on thought leadership, practical application, and ecosystem building, ensuring that its solutions remain credible for academia, practical for business, and influential to shape policy. Each new client relationship or project begins with one rule: to listen first. “Sustainability problems are rarely generic,” Wai Onn explained. “We spend time at the start to learn the client’s contexts, limits, and long-term goals, before we offer plans. At RISEL, we avoid standard frameworks, instead focusing on custom, data-driven methods.” This approach is especially essential in today’s fast-paced world, with APAC’s ESG sector undergoing continuous development. Wai Onn joins international ESG standardsetting discussions to stay up to date, meeting regularly with regulators, investors, and corporate leaders to track changing expectations. He also dedicates time to learning, attending conferences, reviewing new research, and consulting the experts to ensure that RISEL’s solutions remain at the industry’s cutting edge. As he looks to the future, Wai Onn envisions RISEL becoming the APAC’s top centre for ESG ideas, a trusted advisor to companies, governments, and civil society groups on sustainability changes. The CEO learned the value of patience with progress and urgency with purpose through 2025, understanding that sustainable change takes time but must remain a top priority. This understanding has significantly shaped RISEL’s plans for the future. This year, RISEL will embark on a number of projects that will enable it to realise this vision. Throughout 2026, RISEL’s key missions will include a full research programme on fair transition paths for APAC’s manufacturing sectors; an executive education platform for sustainability leaders; discussions with stakeholders on climate finance and adaption in Southeast Asia; and introducing more advisory services that help groups put ESG into their main strategy. And that’s not all for RISEL’s future, as Wai Onn shared: “In five years, I see myself leading RISEL with a new focus. I want to spend more time on high-level ideas. I will write, speak, and shape regional and global sustainability discussions. At the same time, a strong team will manage daily work; I plan to serve on international boards that shape ESG standards, while also mentoring the next group of sustainability leaders. “Success means RISEL relies less on me. We will build company strength and a community that outlasts any single person’s work. Legacy is not about being needed. It is about making yourself unnecessary while the mission succeeds.” Contact: Hong Wai Onn Company: Research Institute for Sustainable Excellence and Leadership Web Address: www.risel.org ESG Thought Leader of the Year 2026 (Malaysia): Hong Wai Onn
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