This week, we spoke and interviewed Gerrick Ho, alumni of Sri KDU Secondary School of the Year 2011. Read his interview below to get to know Gerrick Ho, the current and running Chief Executive Officer of Good2U, a brand that creates value by providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase quality clothing products at a fraction of their original price.
“Growing up being more inclined towards creativity and enterprising, I was constantly seeking various opportunities surrounding the matters I believed in and was fond of. I initially embarked on my GCE A-Level journey at Concord College, United Kingdom immediately after completing my studies at Sri KDU Secondary School. Soon after, I went on to study at the University of Warwick or more specifically, Warwick Business School, and completed my degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Accounting and Finance. After graduating, I continued to seek opportunities that are made available to suit my skills and knowledge. With a thirst for knowledge and to equip me with the skills to be better, I pushed myself to experience different positions and industries leading to where I am now. Unlike others that may only discover what they are passionate about after a long period of time, I am very fortunate to have discovered my passion in the retail industry so early in life without going out of the way to do so.
These opportunities eventually made me realise that the price of clothing products in Malaysia are priced absurdly high compared to what the average household earns a month. I was blessed with the chance of being exposed to retail operations as young as 7 years old, following my parents on their daily “night walks,” to shopping malls due to their job requirements. I would also observe each of the retail stores that I pass by and think of ways they could improve to serve their customers better or provide the customers with a better shopping experience. This allowed me to experience the changes and growth of the retail industry during these 20 years period and made my entry into the retail industry easier. I realised that low-priced clothing products in the market are poor in terms of fabric and workmanship quality which eventually leads to the consumer spending more in the long run, and it was our great honour to bring Good2U to our fellow Malaysians.
We are privileged to introduce a brand that creates value by providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase quality clothing products at a fraction of their original price. Good2U primarily sells clothing products sourced from suppliers globally by purchasing their closeouts, canceled orders, overruns, and off-season products and the brand is currently operating across Malaysia through a network of 37 retail stores with plans to expand further. As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Good2U, my main responsibility is to drive growth to the overall business through business expansion, management of day-to-day operations of physical stores and backend operations. This includes my daily tasks involving setting and implementing business strategies for the whole group, building business relationships with landlords, driving innovation in retail experiences through collaboration with various stakeholders, as well as recruiting of human resources and talents to achieve business goals, among the many.
I strongly believe that my time in Sri KDU truly shaped me into being who I am as a person, as a leader today. The many extra-curricular activities, special workshops, and programmes especially like Paramount Championship, Sports Day, inter-class competitions, and career talks have given me the avenue to explore my capabilities, while teaching me that opportunities are always available to those who seek them. If I were to choose my favourite class, it would be a tough choice because growing up in Sri KDU Secondary School, most teachers did a very good job making each of their classes engaging and entertaining. I personally enjoyed most of the classes during my time especially during Sejarah (History) lesson by Mr. Jeya (Form 5) and Mr. Jaya (Form 3) as they made our classes very interesting and easy to understand. Not only that, Sri KDU teachers have always empowered me to take part in activities that I lack confidence in. The school has taught me that failing is never a bad thing as long as we learn from them. Based on this, it gave me the courage to take on different roles even though I lack expertise or experience in them. Sri KDU definitely provided me with an avenue to discover my true self by allowing me to make mistakes, and discover my strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. I would try out different roles to learn basic concepts when growing my career and have a general understanding of these concepts. I learned that roles and industries may be different, but it is crucial to have good work ethics and be open to feedback to improve yourself further.
It definitely goes without saying, and I do believe that no matter what we do in life, make sure we are doing our best so that we do not live with regrets. Whatever you are, be a good one. With that being said, it is always important for us to be open to criticisms and see the opportunity in everything we experience especially if we are striving to reach for stars.”
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