“I Grew Up By the Sea”
Gwei hails from a seaside enclave just six miles outside Melaka—Tanjung Kling. He reminisced with a nostalgic smile, “That’s where I grew up.” At 10, however, he left the familiar rhythm of coastal life for Singapore, a leap that began his lifelong pattern of stepping into the unknown. “I was quite young. At first, I stayed with my father’s friend. Then, by 13, it was just me and my sister—she’s a year older. We were on our own.”
That early independence shaped him. He completed his O-Levels in Singapore and later pursued engineering in the United States. “Engineers are trained to think differently,” he said, “We are problem solvers.”
But his education didn’t end there.
The Pull of China
In 1990, a new chapter opened: Malaysia had just established diplomatic ties with China. “Before that, you could only go to China for medical reasons or to visit relatives,” he recalled. “But in 1990, it changed. I was among the first batch of Malaysian Chinese students to study there.”
At Beijing University, he immerse himself in Chinese studies, literature, and archaeology. “It was both a personal pull and a historical opportunity.”
For Gwei, learning wasn’t confined to degrees—it was about absorbing contexts, histories, and the human condition. “Why China? I wanted to learn more about it. You learn the history, the literature. You understand more than just the place. You understand its worldview.”
Finding His Way Back
After China, Gwei returned to Malaysia in 1995 and began experimenting with ventures alongside former college mates. The mid-90s saw the internet boom, and Gwei jumped into the digital wave. “We were doing okay,” he says, until the Asian Financial Crisis hit in 1997. “It was bad. We had to pivot.”
And pivot he did—into something surprisingly analog: baby products.
Pioneering Mother and Baby Brands
At the time, AVENT was a premium baby care brand, well-known abroad but barely making waves in Malaysia. “It perceived as being on the pricier side,” Gwei admitted, “but parents returning from overseas knew the brand. There was already a small base here, but it wasn’t well done.”
Seeing an untapped opportunity, Gwei acquired the local distributorship. “I didn’t even have kids then,” he laughed. “I was 32 or 33. I just knew I wanted a business that was more physical than virtual.”
And physical it was. Building the AVENT brand in Malaysia required cash flow management, trade partnerships, and trust from retailers. “It’s a very cash-intensive business,” he said. “You pay the principals upfront but give credit terms to retailers. That creates a big gap.”
Through sheer persistence and strategic marketing—including traditional media like newspaper ads and TV commercials—he turned AVENT into Malaysia’s top baby product brand.
Spotting Trends Before They Arrive
Gwei’s knack for trendspotting didn’t stop at baby bottles. “In Malaysia, trends always arrive a bit late,” he noted. “Singapore, Taiwan, Japan—they get it first. But with the internet, you can now see what’s coming.”
That foresight led him to bring another game-changing brand into Malaysia: Crocs.
“I saw Crocs exploding overseas, but not yet in Malaysia. I thought, this is it.”
Over the next eight years, Gwei and his team built Crocs’ presence into a national footprint of retail stores and distribution channels. But rapid global expansion caught up with the brand. “Nike took 20 years to hit a billion dollars. Crocs did it in six. They grew too fast.” When Crocs faced turmoil in the U.S., Gwei made another calculated decision: he exited the business.
Today, he remains focused on AVENT and continues to lead its presence in Malaysia, including ten other brands in the mother and baby industry.
The Invisible Costs of Modern Business
While many assume social media has made marketing easier, Gwei disagrees. “People say, ‘It’s all online now, it must be cheaper.’ But that’s not true. It’s actually more expensive.”
Modern marketing requires constant content—videos, graphics, campaigns. “You have to hire more people, manage creatives, do live sessions. It’s not as simple as just buying a newspaper ad anymore.”
With a team of 60 and a strong sales force across Malaysia, Gwei’s business today is stable, but far from stagnant. His shift toward trade marketing reflects a matured brand strategy. “We do bundling, seasonal campaigns, retailer programs. Branding now is more about shelf presence and customer experience at the point of sale.”
Philosophy Over Profit
Ask Gwei about success, and he doesn’t cite numbers. He talks about mindset.
“Not everyone can be an entrepreneur. You need to have a big appetite for risk. High risk, high return. There are always obstacles. Always surprises. And you need to know how to manage that.”
But what grounds him isn’t just resilience—it’s perspective.
He shared a story of climbing Mount Kinabalu years ago, unprepared and soaked from the rain. “I didn’t enjoy it,” he admitted. “But this time, I’m going again. More prepared. I want to enjoy the journey.”
That metaphor carries into how he views life and business.
There Is No Absolute Right or Wrong
Gwei’s worldview, shaped by philosophers and personal reflection, rejects absolutes. “People often talk about values, but they skip a step. Before values, you need to ask: what’s your worldview?”
He explains it this way: “Your worldview informs how you see life. From your view of life, you get your values. But if you don’t examine your worldview, your values may not hold up.”
In his mind, life is rarely black and white. “There’s no absolute right, no absolute wrong. Everything depends on the angle. Your principles are yours—but they don’t need to be imposed on others.”
It’s a grounded philosophy—flexible, thoughtful, and deeply human.
From Seaside to Summit
From the shores of Tanjung Kling to the summit of Malaysia’s baby care market, Gwei Tze-Co’s journey is one of conviction without rigidity, ambition with empathy.
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Focus on the fundamentals. Be aware of the risks. Stay updated. Be willing to evolve. “It’s all about managing people, adapting to change, and knowing that obstacles are part of the process.”
And most importantly?
“Know how you see the world. That will guide everything else.”
Gwei Tze-Co
Gwei Tze-Co will be speaking at the MALAYSIA SME Sportrepreneur 2026 Congress, where he will share more about business and the worldview that has shaped his life and legacy.
MALAYSIA SME’s 12th installment of its Congress will take place at Panalaban of Mount Kinabalu, 3,272 meters above sea level, in June 2026. Stay updated on the training for the ascent and interviews from the expedition members on the MALAYSIA SME Congress YouTube channel .
