KUCHING, 28 November 2025: “Purpose becomes our compass in tourism as we preserve Sarawak’s identity while creating meaningful opportunities for our communities,” Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor told a panel during the recent Sarawak Women of Tomorrow (SWOT) Season 4 programme.
She identified leadership as ultimately listening to people who explain their realities, understanding their needs, and ensuring that growth never compromises their dignity, culture, or community wellbeing.
The Sarawak Women of Tomorrow (SWOT) Season 4 programme, held from 23 to 26 November, brought together leaders, industry experts, and emerging talents for a four-day exploration of future-ready leadership in Sarawak’s digital-green transformation era.
As part of this flagship initiative to strengthen women’s leadership capacity across the state, the programme featured keynote sessions, workshops, exclusive conversations, and mentorship activities.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive Officer Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor joined the programme on 24 November 2025, contributing her perspectives during the panel session titled “Leading with Purpose: Authentic Leadership in Complex Times.”
Her participation follows her recent recognition as one of Malaysia’s Top 30 Women of Excellence 2025, a testament to her leadership in elevating Sarawak’s tourism landscape.
Sharzede’s national recognition, presented at the W Hotel Kuala Lumpur on 12 November 2025, honours her work in positioning Sarawak as a global tourism destination grounded in sustainability, creativity, and inclusivity.
This year’s awards, themed “Excellence as a Spectrum, Not a Summit”, celebrated leaders and changemakers who drive impact through purpose and innovation.
Her leadership has strengthened strategic partnerships, elevated Sarawak’s international visibility, and advanced Responsible Tourism principles — further affirming her standing as one of Malaysia’s notable voices shaping the nation’s tourism industry.
Future-ready leadership
During the panel session, she drew from experiences across rural communities, national platforms, and crisis-era tourism recovery to highlight the importance of authenticity and clarity in leadership.
Held at Pullman Kuching, the session also featured Datu Dr Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan and Datin Rosmarie Wong Lu Yi. Arinah Najwa Ahmad Said of Grab Malaysia moderated the session.
SWOT 2025, themed “Future-Ready Leadership: Navigating Sarawak’s Digital-Green Transformation”, continues the Women Leadership Foundation’s mission to nurture women leaders who can adapt, innovate, and contribute to Sarawak’s long-term social and economic progress. Since 2022, the programme has empowered 129 women leaders from more than 40 organisations, building a growing community of resilient, ethical, and purpose-driven talent across sectors.
Key themes explored during the session included women’s empowerment, inclusive tourism development, crisis leadership, and values-based decision-making. STB’s participation underscored insights drawn from community engagement, Responsible Tourism, and Sarawak’s CANFF pillars — Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, and Festivals.
(Source: Your Stories — Sarawak Tourism Board)
