A dynamic and accomplished businesswoman is what anyone will call Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Dato’ Mohd Radzi who is not only a trained lawyer but a respected and leading expert in the Malaysian Aerospace Industry with over 20 years of experience. She is currently the Chairman of Global Turbine Asia Sdn Bhd, a maintenance, repair, and overhaul service provider of military and civil engines in the Asia Pacific region, and a Partner in Arthur Yeong Nonee Ashirin Advocates & Solicitors. Renowned for her Visionary Leadership, she has steered her company Global Turbine Asia (GTA) to become a market leader domestically and a highly acclaimed regional authority in the MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) sector. Her track record speaks for itself sealing the unbelievable landmark Global Support Package for the Royal Malaysian Air Force EC725 helicopter engines. GTA is also one of a very few selected global groups of companies that support the TP400 engine which is the world’s most advanced airlifter of the 21st century. Dato’ Nonee aims to be the driving force and catalyst behind the initiative to “Put Malaysia on The Global Aerospace Map” and with her ‘always pushing the limits mentality’ and with her tenacity, business acumen and patriotism she is set to achieve her goal. Back in 2001, she started her career as a lawyer at Mohammad Ali & Co where she served for 3 years until 2003 before joining Eurocopter Malaysia (now known as Airbus Helicopters Malaysia Sdn Bhd). In 2006, Dato’ Nonee Ashirin joined Unique Globe Sdn Bhd and was appointed Vice President, Business Development. She later joined HELIPARTNER Sdn Bhd in 2009 as Vice President of Business Development and Sales until 2010. In 2011, she was appointed as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Turbine Asia Sdn Bhd where she served for 7 years until 2017.

OIC Today has the pleasure to talk with Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Dato’ Mohd Radzi, the Chairman and Founder of Global Turbine Asia (GTA) Sdn Bhd who shared a glimpse of her success in the Global Aerospace Map.

You were called to the Malaysian Bar in 1999 and started practicing in 2001 as a lawyer. Fast track and you have become one of the most respected and leading experts in the Malaysian Aerospace Industry, with over 20 years of experience in aerospace, defence, and international security. How did you get involved in the aerospace industry when you were trained as a lawyer?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Well, I grew up within the aerospace segment, as my father used to organise the air shows in 1981. I fell in love with what I saw as I used to visit these air shows when I came back home during the winter holidays. was kind enough to ensure that I come back every I came back on winter holidays, just to be at Lima and I helped around as much as I could. I then realised that there was a potential growth in this exciting field of fighter jets, and the sound of jets flying around. As a young person I had this dream of becoming a pilot and was even keen to take up a private pilot’s licence professionally. Of course, being Asians, our parents did not give much thought to my ‘pilot ambition’ and there was I taking my bar exams, which was to me one of the most difficult exams at that time. However, I took it in my stride as I knew this learning experience would be an asset in my future endeavours. Fast forward with all the companies that I was involved in with the mergers and acquisitions, my legal knowledge and experience really helped.

I also realised that if I wanted to do something, I needed to have the knowledge to back me up. When I was working with Eurocopter Malaysia, I used to visit the shop floors and ask the Head of Engineering all sorts of questions of the engines and components so that I was able to absorb the knowledge as much as I can. Although everything was very technical, I enjoyed learning all about the basics and the mechanisms of the products. I was also dealing with the Europeans and being a lady, I always had to on top of things to prove my worth. That’s the reality of things, working hard to prove ourselves so that we are taken seriously. Once I broke that barrier, I earned the trust and confidence that came along with it.

How would you describe your experiences so far as the Chairman of Global Turbine Asia in the last 10 years? What do you feel is the biggest strength of your company right now? It was a great learning experience over the years as I moved from being a barrister onto the global aerospace map. As mentioned above I had a lot to learn to ensure I survived amongst the experts in this very technical field. Being a lady had its disadvantages in the beginning but over the years I overcame the hurdles that came along. The Covid-19 pandemic was the real challenge as it posed different problems where the safety of our people and the business was at stake. We managed to ride through the storm and were luckier than those companies that had to shut down their operations. We retained our people, our cash flow was protected, and we made sure our expertise level was always at its optimum. I was lucky to be on the Board of the Malaysian Aerospace Association and had the voice to put forward all our strong views and arguments to the Government and we came through successfully. Putting us in a stronger position to protect our fellow members. With the clout I had as the Chairman of GTA I could bring to the table a higher level of discussions for the aerospace sector in general.

We wanted to be the centre of excellence globally and so we wanted to be reliable and dependable and that was our vision moving forward. Although I had no formal training in the business and engineering side, it was through years of training that I acquired all the knowledge through hard work. People started coming to me to take on their business because I was a reputable company, and I had the trust of the people and a proven track record that saw me though even in the challenging times. That is my strength of my company. When I speak of strength, I also talk about the strength of my team who have excellent skills to do the job. There is also the confidence in our clients when they come to us as they know we will not land them into any problems whatsoever and the partnerships that I have with my European partners make the company stronger too.

You are a visionary leader and a person who is always innovating. I would call you a passionate innovator extraordinaire. Your vision and aim are to “Put Malaysia on the Global Aerospace Map”. Can you share with us some of your plans towards achieving this?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Okay, for a start the people that we have are all very technically qualified and that is part of the technology transfer from OEM, from our partners and our people and our services are exportable. We have the advantage that our people are fluent in the English language unlike countries like Japan where language can be a barrier. We realised that a lot of the neighbouring countries also looked at the aerospace sector closely and they are giving incentives and I felt that since we started a lot earlier, we should not lose that competitive edge. As we are also involved in training people, we make sure that our people go through the required hours to keep the skills going as it is not easy to get the certification and we certainly donot want to lose that. So, my aim is to go global and it’s not an impossible challenge as we have done this before. I want to put up a footprint in the UK. However, to be frank we have lost our way along the way. For example, you can see that our neighbours can even build their own plane. If you look at the breakdown of how Malaysia has the revenue in terms of aerospace sector, its part manufacturing and MRO and sad to say it’s mainly driven to the support of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). At the end of the day, we need to persevere to become a Tier 1 company and enhance what we have. We need to spruce up the R&D section on the technology side and we can do all these as we are a smart nation, and we have very smart people too.

How would you evaluate YOUR progress made so far in competing with any of the existing players in the market? Any success stories to share with us.

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: I would think we have been successful so far especially during this pandemic where I can safely say our company has withstood the challenging times better than my competitors. We werealso doing quite well and what’s different was that we went on an acquisition trail during this time. This is something we embarked on, and other MRO companies were not in this space. It was a challenge for us to take on these problematic companies and to turn them around which we did and that’s one of our great success stories so to speak.

Globally every business was impacted during the Covid-19 Pandemic? The aviation business was not spared either. As an MRO service provider, how did you handle any uphill battles that your company faced over the last 2 years. Did you embark on a pivot during that time?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: I can say that because we have government contracts, and they were flying more we were not that affected during the Covid pandemic. The other companies that relied 100% on airlines did get into trouble though. So, what we did was that we went into acquisition on companies that relied on airlines, and we took them over. We saw a reduction in business in GTA, but the reduction was not serious like what it was on the commercial side to the extent of 70%. Our cash flow position was good, and we managed our payments in time and things did work out well for me. So, I really did not have to pivot in a way. We were lucky to keep our staff and did not need to let them go. I was very mindful of the fact that the situation was already tough enough and worked to ensure all my staff retained their positions.

Could you tell us of a time where you faced a very challenging situation in your area of business? How did you manage to overcome the situation?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Well, I must say, every day was a challenge, but the 2008 financial crisis really threw me off as I had to shut down my office that I was building up and that was the most difficult part of my career. The experiences that I went through during that time was a learning experience and taught me to be more cautious in my approaches the next time I went into a business. It taught me to never go in alone but with partners, study the financials deeply and look at the patterns and proceed. So, Yes- 2008 was the hardest but from the Aerospace perspective, I was more ready and understood the difference. God was great as whatever I had lost, he had given me back more.

Eventually I worked with the French, and they decided to take me as a partner. My modus operandi was firstly rooted in building strong rapport with the French counterparts in terms of networking and consultation with the Safran Group based in France. The Group which holds a 30% stake in GTA represents a huge French multi-national aircraft engine, rocket engine, aerospace-component, defence, and security company. I held a credible record of accomplishments and high level of trust in business relationships and with this I overcame many challenges and grew in terms of my business acumen. Furthermore, my ability to network effortlessly with international clients gave me a lot of praise. That was the turning point in breaking the barrier for me.

Can you tell us more about the recent GSA-GTA and RUAG strong synergy deal? It is said to be the first for a Malaysian company within the MRO sector, to becoming a regional and global hub. What are the benefits of this acquisition by GSA?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Our Company GSA acquired the Swiss maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) giant RUAG International’s operation in Malaysia, and it is one of the most strategic moves in the Malaysian aerospace industry history. It is signified as the first for a Malaysian company within the MRO sector, and it will enhance the nation’s agenda of becoming a regional and global hub forthe industry. This deal would significantly increase GSA’s MRO helicopter and aircraft capabilities while supporting its affiliate company, Global Turbines Asia Sdn Bhd (GTA).

The GSA-GTA and RUAG strong synergy would boast an enhanced services portfolio adding components, fuselage, starter generator and electrical systems to GTA’s already successful MRO offering. Hence this would make GSA the first Malaysian company to boast a complete MRO ecosystem portfolio covering military (GTA) and civil (RUAG International). With this deal highly skilled jobs for the public will be created representing a significant benefit to the company, our customers, our shareholders, and stakeholders. This approach will provide new career pathways and opportunities amidst our industry transformation efforts. We need to forge more similar partnerships like this that benefit our partners and our people, who can learn and refine their skills over the long term. Furthermore, this acquisition by GSA would enhance Malaysia’s global and regional footprint for the components MRO segment.

There are a lot of new products in the aerospace industry that is forthcoming. Do you see any opportunities or a future for SMEs to get involved into this area? Any potential areas they can be harnessed to venture into?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must be brave enough to tap into the aerospace industry as it is a high value sector which can give high yields to small corporations. The involvement of SMEs in the aerospace supply chain components is important, as there is a huge investment by the global aerospace manufacturer firms in the country. The SMEs also contributes more than 95% to the national economy. There are a lot of new products from the aerospace side and SMEs may want to dabble on this aspect as I believe there is still huge potential in this sector where SMEs can play a big role. Especially now that the borders are closed, we are unable to venture overseas and moving forward we will have to look at real capabilities in Malaysia. If the SMEs can get together and be brave into dabbling in the world of aerospace, we can reduce our dependency and be sustainable locally. SMEs from different sectors can take this up and there is so much room for them here, what with all the new technology we now have here. So, expanding the involvement of SMEs in the aerospace supply chain worldwide is the way to go in the future.

According to the Malaysia Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030, the Government aims to generate some RM55 billion and create more than 32,000 additional highskilled jobs as there has been an increase in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul business. Can you give us some insight into the aviation industry, its future, and your journey into this field?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: The pandemic has somehow halted the progress of this, and it will take some time for us to get an insight into the aviation industry. Things will eventually get back to normal but it’s a waiting game. Most importantly there must be the right direction and the right support from the government to move forward.

What is your growth plan for the company in the next 5 years?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: I plan to set up my footprint in the UK in the next 5 years. I’m hoping to set up a finance company here to support the group and others in Malaysia. To raise finance, I’m looking at the bigger picture to raise investment portfolios. I’ll be communicating with the bankers in London to follow through with some investors. In the next 5 years I’m hoping to have exponential growth in aerospace and to have a global outfit.

Are you planning a listing exercise for your company soon? Any time limits on this?

Dato’ Nonee Ashirin Binti Dato’ Mohd Radzi: Not really, I have no plans on a listing exercise now. The sky’s the limit where you are concerned, and you can do anything. You have mastered the MRO industry. Your bucket list is to venture into (1) Property development and (2) piloting a helicopter. Both very challenging and stressful vocations which I know you will be successful. Any reasons behind these areas you intend to conquer.

In my office there is this model of a factory that I envisage where I hope to have a big plot of land maybe 10-20 acres of land and have a building which has my name on it one day. That’s my dream. I am also contemplating embarking on a more diversified portfolio including journeying towards entrepreneurship and venturing into property investment. After expanding into international business deals which is my core business, I am more than ready for the next challenge and that is to put a deal together for my manufacturing facility.

As an Entrepreneur, I have the business acumen in my bloodline as compared to my siblings. My family business in Perak is in property too, and we are in the construction business. I’m hoping for this dream building to be in KL in Malaysia and it will be part of my MRO business too. At the same time, I’m also looking at building a property portfolio in London and am in the process of looking for advisors towards this aspect.

On piloting a helicopter, that’s in the plans one day hopefully, to be a co-pilot first and then slowly proceed to be a pilot. Anything else you would like to share with us would be most welcome.

The last 2 years has been challenging and when we are in unprecedented times like what we are in now, people rally together to become stronger to face the challenges. Everything we do must be for the benefit of the rakyat, the people of our country. My biggest hurdles were during the early years in business, and I had to overcome several downturns in the past, but I didn’t give up and picked up the pieces and moved on. They were learning experiences and being disciplined, equipping myself with skills and knowledge, being perseverant with a hands-on approach has stood me in good stead and sustained me in the business.