Making Better Connections at CMS Management Retreat 2011

Monday, 9 May 2011, Kuching – With the theme set as ‘Making Better Connections’ for this year’s recently concluded CMS Management Retreat 2011, each business operation presentation saw a stream of questions from the floor as to how their operation could participate in, tap on, and create better synergy with the other operations across CMS Group.

With the inclusion of CMS Roads and CMS Pavement Tech back in CMS Group, the floor asked how could they expand their business into the new growth area at Samalaju? How can these companies be assured of better supply of premix in rural areas in the interior of Sarawak? How cost effective is IBS compared to the conventional construction method? Could Property Development SBU participate in the future green Samalaju township? These questions and many more where heard from the 60-plus managerial-level participants attending this year’s CMS Management Retreat held at Damai from 4 – 6 May 2011.

The 3-day Retreat began with ‘Welcome Words’ from the Group Managing Director who drew out the parameters of CMS’ future within the changing paradigm that the Group faces today fresh from the 10th Sarawak State Elections and with overall greater competition in the market. According to Dato’ Richard Curtis, “The focus for the Group going forward is to position CMS as a useful ally for the Government and an important and supportive player in the economic development and transformation of the State.

”Dato’ Richard went on to stress the importance of consistently meeting our corporate mission, specifically to deliver quality products and services on spec, on time and at a fair price. In addition, the Group would focus on filling synergistic gaps across CMS, ensuring that all subsidiaries and investments contribute positively to the Group’s Return on Equity (ROE), and making careful investments in SCORE to drive the next level of profitability for CMS.

A similar message of managing CMS’ perception going forward was echoed by the Group Executive Director to the participants of the Retreat. In his speech, Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree spoke candidly and boldly of the general public’s perceptions of CMS and our future given the reality of the Group’s shareholders’ association with the leadership of the State.

“The perception of CMS as portrayed in the social media during the recent Elections has made me even prouder of CMS. It has made me redouble my efforts to treat my staff and my customers even better. With our resources, professional management and experience, I believe CMS is better than others and we will continue to do what we do and fight with cheaper and better products and services”, said Datuk Syed Ahmad.

The CMS Management Retreat 2011 was certainly a time of sharing the good, bad and ugly with all. Dispensing from the normal Retreat model of listening to business updates by the heads of the SBUs and operations, this year the presentations were done by the teams themselves. In total, 57 presenters shared the stage in groups of between 2 and 6 persons to ‘Tell OUR story’ in sessions that were insightful, funny and most of all, told with great passion for their job, role and business.

There were many different perspectives on the successes achieved by the SBUs and operations, different explanations and emphasis on how challenges were handled, different questions asked by the participants. It was also pleasing to hear the genuine appreciation for the teamwork and synergy by so many departments across the large CMS Group that had made recent business successes possible.

Apart from presentations by Cement SBU, Construction Materials SBU, Property Development SBU, Construction & Road Maintenance SBU, Samalaju Development SBU, Infra Trading, CMS Roads and CMS Pavement Tech, the Management Retreat also included presentations on safety and health and on risk management.