At MGB Berhad (“MGB”), growth is not always linear and planned. On occasion, it begins with curiosity, exposure, and the courage to step beyond the familiarity, safety and convenience of the comfort zone into the unknown.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, MGB celebrates one of our newest team leaders, Nicole Lai (“Nicole”), who has successfully transitioned to the Assistant Manager in the Property Management Department from a Personal Assistant. An inspiring tale of personal development, internal upskilling, and how when given the trust, opportunity, and empowerment, career defining switches can occur, in an industry traditionally seen as being male dominant.
From Administrative Support to Operational Leadership
Nicole’s career at MGB began as the Deputy CEO’s Personal Assistant, where she handled high-level administrative and executive support, from managing schedules, coordinating meetings, preparing meeting materials, and facilitating communication amongst departments as well as liaising with external vendors and stakeholders.
In addition to her daily tasks, her career pivoted slowly towards property management, starting with additional tasks of engaging service providers and rendering assistance to project teams in addressing the grouses of homeowners. “I was given opportunities to be involved in matters related to the management of the company’s developments after vacant possession is delivered to homeowners,” she explains. “The tasks allocated to me started off rudimentarily, and before long I was put in a position of responsibility entrusted by the management to make decisions and carry out tasks that had That exposure allowed me to see how decisions made at management level translated into real operational outcomes.”
Her transition into property management was not something she initially planned. Instead, it developed naturally through hands-on experience and trust from leadership. With an academic background in Property Management, Nicole was later entrusted with handling projects after vacant possession — allowing her to apply theory into practice and deepen her understanding of the field.”
A Role with Real Impact
Today, Nicole oversees MGB’s developments post-delivery of vacant possession, such as Idaman Melur in Cybersouth and Idaman Cahaya in Shah Alam. Beyond daily operations, she works closely with residents, service providers, and maintenance teams to ensure developments run smoothly. From addressing on-site challenges to laying the foundation for future handover to the residents upon the formation of either a Joint Management Body (“JMB”) or Management Corporation (“MC”).
“Property management after the delivery of vacant possession is crucial in maintaining the perception towards the company’s branding,” she shares. “It directly affects residents’ living experience and the reputation of the developer.”
Learning Beyond the Comfort Zone
“The biggest learning curve was changing my mindset from a support role as a Personal Assistant to one where I have to lead and make decisions that affect stakeholders,” Nicole reflects. “It pushed me to prioritise my tasks better, manage various stakeholders of different backgrounds, and improvise when facing unexpected situations.”
The decision and transition was not made over one day. Balancing her on-going Personal Assistant tasks and duties with the new property management was not only challenging but also demanding both mentally and physically. Being on-site at the property and doing walk-arounds and keeping the property in shape meant physical strength was mandatory not optional, whereas dealing with stakeholders personally on the formation of the JMB or JMB within a year of delivering vacant possession was no easy day.
To succeed, she upskilled herself in maintenance processes, resident management, compliance requirements, people management, reporting, and stakeholder communication. More importantly, she learned to be proactive rather than reactive, a mindset shift that came with experience and confidence, as well as a bit of wittiness.
Continuous Learning And Support
Nicole credits the supportive environment at MGB for enabling her transition into property management.
“The trust and support from management, through encouragement and the tools provided to me, gave me the confidence to learn, explore, and take on new challenges beyond what was familiar,” she says.
While much of her learning has come through hands-on experience managing newly completed developments, Nicole has also benefited from the company’s initiatives to upskill employees through formal training programmes.
Beyond role-specific courses, MGB continues to support employee development through a range of professional training initiatives. These include industry seminars and technical programmes, designed to strengthen both operational expertise and emerging skill sets. Nicole has benefited from several property management–related courses to deepen her understanding of the field, while also being among the employees identified for the company’s upcoming AI Champion programme, which aims to enhance digital awareness and encourage the practical adoption of AI tools across the organisation.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly relevant in everyday work processes, initiatives such as the AI Champion programme are helping employees explore how digital tools can enhance productivity and streamline routine tasks. For Nicole, the introduction of AI tools into her workflow has been both eye-opening and time-saving. Processes that previously required a full day to complete can now be optimised to approximately an hour, particularly when working with documents that require data extraction and manual data entry.
A Message of Growth and Inclusion
Reflecting on her journey, Nicole describes it simply: “It has been a journey of stepping outside my comfort zone, embracing new challenges, and growing into a role where I can make a real difference.”
As a woman in the construction and property industry, she acknowledges the challenges but also the strength gained through it. “It’s not about gender,” she says. “It’s about doing what is required and expected of you well, continuing to learn, and have the self-belief that anyone can succeed with the right mindset.”
Her advice to colleagues considering upskilling or exploring new opportunities within the company is equally encouraging: stay open to learning, ask questions, and take small steps forward. Progress may feel slow at times, but consistency and a positive attitude can open doors to new opportunities.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, Nicole’s story highlights one of many growth journeys within MGB. While this feature celebrates a woman’s experience, MGB’s commitment to upskilling and development extends to all employees, across genders, generations, and roles.
Her journey reminds us that growth is not about having everything figured out from the start. Sometimes, it begins by saying yes to opportunity, and learning along the way.
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