Stepping into his new role after taking on the mantle of leadership from his father – Dato’ Seri Lee Tian Hock, Kelvin Lee shares his vision as the new Group Managing Director of Matrix Concepts Holdings Berhad. In this Father’s Day cover story, he reflects on the lessons learned from his dad while building on the strong foundation laid before him and charting his own path forward.
BY YVONNE YOONG
Chip off the old block, Kelvin Lee Chin Chuan, 35, who just quite recently took over the reins of his father – Dato’ Seri Lee Tian Hock’s property empire in Matrix Concepts Holdings Berhad as Group Managing Director has made the headlines.
His appointment effective June 1, 2026 came on the back of a sterling record of RM1.51 billion in new property sales for the financial year ended March 31, 2026 (FY26), reporting a 9.2% increase from RM1.38 billion a year earlier. By all accounts of the sequence of events unfolding like clockwork, all the details looked like a strategic premediated succession plan many years in the making being orchestrated. However, the reality was entirely the opposite.
EMBRACING LIFE’S SUDDEN PLOT TWIST
Coming as a big surprise for everyone but mostly to him, the sudden thrust into leadership was not at all part of the original masterplan.
“It (Succession planning) was never a sure thing. We (My dad and I) had (casual) discussions on and off over the dinner tables in the past few years. But, these discussions were aimed at (a) few more (good) years down the road, like 2030 instead of 2026,” he told Paparazzi360.
“The succession of the company management was (supposed to be led by) Mr. Ho as Group Managing Director, but he has unfortunately fallen ill and requires more rest. Life took a surprising turn on everyone as usual, and here I am taking this role,” he said candidly.
Kelvin first joined the group in 2018 before leaving in 2021 and returning in April 2025 as its group executive director.
Having shaped and driven the property developer’s strategic and organisational development skewered towards a more integrated township eco-system approach, the unassuming young gentleman had made a conscious decision from 2021 to 2025, without any pressure from his father whatsoever, to join the family business.
HUMILITY BEFORE HONOUR
The less fanfare route he first chose was via the group’s relatively smaller property development firms Cangkat Hartamas and Horizon L&L
“I wanted to gain hands-on experience in running a property development business and better understand the day-to-day intricacies of the industry,” he explained of how he quietly set about understanding the ropes of the bricks-and-mortar industry which his father understands like the back of his hand, in this most practical manner he could think of.
Reasoning that being in a smaller setup allowed him to be “more directly involved in different aspects of the business to cultivate a stronger entrepreneurial mindset”, these experiences allowed him to view the business from different vantage points — from strategy to execution, and from corporate structures to entrepreneurial decision-making.
“I learned tremendously from both exposures, and I believe they have equipped me well for this appointment and the responsibilities that come with it,” he said, thankful for his own foresight to initiatie his own learning earlier on.
So, in many ways, like the proverbial saying that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Kelvin is his father’s son. His admiration of his father’s tenacity “in doing the things he sets his mind to” is palpable and echoed back in his own ability to rise to the occasion. Albeit initially intimidated and surprised by the suddenness of the takeover of responsibilites thrust upon him at this point, he has indeed taken life’s challenges in stride.
Trusting Dad knows best and guided also by his father’s inherent sense of family values, plus backed by support from the Matrix team have buoyed his sense of confidence.
No matter the relationship among the family members, it should not affect our responsibility in the company to our shareholders. The company structure he opined is now “stable, mature and ready to scale,” he reaffirmed.
The other endearing qualities about his father he admires the most are integrity and kindness which have set the Holy Grail for him and his siblings to follow namely; to “Act with sincerity, treat others with integrity”.
ACT WITH SINCERITY, TREAT OTHERS WITH INTEGRITY
“My father has one of the biggest hearts among people I know. His generosity in life truly enlightens me and the people around him about life and charitable values,” he said.
This in itself has shaped the direction of how he perceives the company will be guided following this moral compass.
“I believe Matrix’s future extends beyond being recognised solely as a property developer. Over the years, we have evolved into a broader eco-system encompassing five key pillars — development, education, healthcare, lifestyle & hospitality, and sustainability,” he said.
In many ways, he affirmed that the aspiration is to grow into a diversified conglomerate while leveraging on values imparted by Dato’ Seri Lee espousing “complementary strengths to create greater value and more meaningful experiences” for the communities they serve.
“Today, I oversee most of the day-to-day operations of the business. At the same time, my father remains actively involved in matters of strategic importance to the Group. In particular, those relating to leadership continuity, long-term business direction, and decisions that will shape the company’s future growth trajectory,” he said.
STANDING ON THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS
Intending to honour the solid foundation laid by both his father who he considers a legend in this industry, the lessons learnt will now translate into positive actions to continue to do what’s best for the company and its stakeholders.
“Standing on his shoulders today, I see it not just as continuing a legacy, but also as an opportunity to chart my own path and build a legacy in my own way, while honouring the foundation he has set in place,” he said as a fitting tribute for Father’s Day to a man who has lived his talk beyond the frontiers of business.
IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Kelvin Lee Chin Chuan, Group Managing Director of Matrix Concepts Holdings Berhad shares insights into the Father-and-son exchange – from behind corporate walls into Dato’ Seri Lee Tian Hock’s values and his integrity.
What do you most admire most about your dad and what memory of him do you most cherish growing up?
Growing up, my fondest memory would be our weekly Saturday visits to see my grandmother in Bukit Pelandok. I remember vividly that although the kampung was more rural and nearly an hour’s drive away, all my cousins would be there together. Those were truly fun times and happy memories. His filial piety towards my late grandmother was a monumental value that has been cemented in the hearts and minds of all of us — and I dare say, all of the second-generation family members.
What values did your dad raise you with?
He doesn’t care much about academic performance. He cares more about building good character and making sure we grow up with proper manners and plenty of happy memories.
Besides your dad, who are your role models and why?
Both my parents are my role models. My mother is the backbone of our household. I cannot imagine a more difficult job than managing a household with five children running around. I believe the stability of our household is one of main contributor to my father’s success.
Was your dad strict with you as a father? Was he a disciplinarian? Or was he easygoing?
No, he is not very strict. I would say he is quite ahead of his time in terms of family education and not that typical tyrannical style of education. He doesn’t care much about academic performance; quite easy going; cares more about character; and making sure we grow up with proper manners and enjoy a healthy childhood.
Our parents are both advocates of maintaining low profile and staying humble. I guess as children we know our father was someone special within the local community, but it did not influence us much as we were growing up.
Growing up, he did not talk about work at home – my mother mentions he did not want to bring the negativity and pressures of business back into the household. He does voice his opinion and ideas of career path to the children but ultimately, he is quite liberal in terms of career path we chose.
Is your father still involved in the company’s direction and continues to guide from behind?
Yes, my father, along with board of directors’ approval, do set yearly targets for the executive management team to meet. Although last year revenue generated was recordsetting, we did not meet our target earning. Nevertheless, we believe business strategies for the property development business will take 3 – 5 years to be realised.
Our plans include:
- Leverage appropriately and expand revenue centres in areas where operationally we have resources ready to scale namely Klang Valley and Johor.
- Diversify revenue sources by investing into business assets that generate recurring income but also value-adds to existing township projects such as healthcare centres, retail assets, and other township catalyst projects.
- Focus on building Matrix into a national brand.
My father and Mr. Ho were both instrumental in bringing Matrix to where it is today, and I regard them as legends in their own right. However, Matrix remains largely recognised as a Negeri Sembilan-based company. That is where I hope to chart a different path. My ambition is to take calculated risks, expand into other regions, and build Matrix into a national brand.
What are you proudest of concerning your dad? How do you intend to make your dad proudest of you? And have you always been a high achiever?
To be honest, growing up I am always the nerdy low achiever book lover. My academic results in my primary and secondary school times were at best average. Failing of few subjects during my secondary school year-end exams were very normal. However, fate took a turn, and I decided to make a change and scored satisfactory results in my 4 of 7 STPM which was 3.83 on average.
Then I continued my studies with a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Melbourne, followed by a Master of Civil Engineering at the University of Melbourne as well.
Making my parents proud was not expected of all their children; that was very clear from our parents. Being one of five children, I am happy to be of service and able to add value to my family, and that alone satisfies me greatly.
What are your short- & long-term plans for Matrix?
ShortTerm:
Generate healthy cash flows from our existing operations by strengthening and maximising performance in our core areas of expertise.
Long Term:
- Leverage our capabilities appropriately and expand our revenue centres into markets where we already have the operational resources and expertise to scale, particularly in the Klang Valley and Johor.
- Diversify our revenue streams by investing in assets that generate recurring income while complementing and adding value to our existing township developments, such as healthcare facilities, retail assets, and other township catalyst projects.
- Focus on building Matrix into a nationally recognised brand.
Charitable values have always held a special place in my father’s heart. Many of his contributions were made quietly and often anonymously, driven purely by the desire to help those in need without expecting recognition in return. I have always admired that sincerity and generosity of spirit.
At the same time, I believe there is an opportunity for us to evolve how we approach corporate social responsibility as an organisation. My role, in my own way, is not to change the intention behind giving, but to make our efforts more strategic, organised and impactful.
As Matrix has grown beyond property development into a broader ecosystem encompassing development, education, healthcare, lifestyle and hospitality, and sustainability, our community initiatives should also reflect these pillars. Rather than undertaking charitable activities on an ad hoc basis, I believe we should adopt a more focused and systematic approach by aligning our CSR efforts with areas where we can create meaningful and lasting impact.
By doing so, we can better allocate resources, build stronger community partnerships and ensure that our initiatives complement the needs of the communities we serve. More importantly, communicating these efforts openly is not about seeking praise. It is about inspiring others to participate, creating greater awareness of the causes we champion, and demonstrating the values that Matrix stands for.
How do the thoughts of two-generations align? Have there been disagreements and how do you both bridge this gap?
Of course, there are disagreements. Communication is key to managing generational differences, but equally important is having the patience to understand and navigate different personalities. I believe that is the essential ingredient in bridging the gap.
@Paparazzi360
