The youngest grandchild of the late Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay – founder of Malaysian conglomerate YTL Group – now serves as vice president of YTL Hotels, which manages 38 properties globally including those under the brands of Marriott International and Hilton.
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Yeoh Pei Xien, vice president of YTL Hotels. Photo via her LinkedIn account |
Yeoh, 25, was raised among 26 high-achieving cousins driven to excel, an environment that helped shape her ambitions and taught her the value of family.
“Family life really was the center of my childhood,” said Yeoh, as interviewed by Channel News Asia. While many of her cousins are involved across the group’s divisions, Yeoh now serves as vice-president of transformation and strategy within the hospitality arm.
“A lot of people ask if we regret going to the family business or if we ever wanted to do something else. The honest truth is we were never forced into it, but we always felt a very deep sense of belonging and duty.”
Her desire to contribute to the family business was expressed early on. “When I was seven or eight and learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint for the first time, I would design my own business cards. I even Googled the YTL Group logo and added it in,” she recalled with a laugh.
With her father Dato Mark Yeoh leading the hospitality division, it seemed a natural path. As she noted, it was also “the only division without a successor from the third generation.”
While attending boarding school in London, she received messages from her father containing board papers and research reports, with weekly calls turning into informal tutorials.
“I’d call him and say, ‘Hi Papa, how are you?’ and the first thing he’d ask was, ‘Did you read what I sent you? Have you gone through the numbers?’” she said.
The exposure continued at the age of 16 when she left for the U.K. and attended University College London, spending term breaks shadowing her father during business trips.
When she was ready to enter the workforce, Yeoh formally emailed her resume to her father, complete with a cover letter.
“He replied with just one word, ‘No,’” she said with a laugh. Instead, he urged her to gain experience elsewhere first. “Go make your mistakes on someone else’s dime before you come back to me,” he told her.
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Yeoh Pei Xien and her father, Dato Mark Yeoh – executive director at YTL Corporation. Photo courtesy of Yeoh Pei Xien |
Yeoh subsequently spent two years in consulting, working across projects spanning government, telecoms, healthcare and insurance, gaining broad industry exposure.
The experience also honed her soft skills. “You learn how to strategise, think on your feet, and understand different clients’ needs and expectations,” she said, noting that the experience has translated seamlessly into her current role.
An expanding empire
At YTL Hotels, Yeoh oversees a portfolio of 38 properties, working across sales, partnerships and internal teams.
She also manages relationships with global hospitality giants such as Marriott International, Hilton and InterContinental Hotels Group, under whose brands much of the group’s portfolio operates.
She is also responsible for shaping the commercial strategy of five standalone Malaysian resorts — Pangkor Laut Resort, The Majestic Malacca, Gaya Island Resort, Tanjong Jara Resort and Cameron Highlands Resort — each requiring a tailored approach.
Despite joining YTL only a year ago, Yeoh has already been involved in a period of expansion. In 2025, the group opened three new hotels in Malaysia. In November, it also announced the acquisition of the former Thistle Johor Bahru, which is set to be redeveloped into JW Marriott Johor Bahru by December 2026, featuring 410 rooms, three pickleball courts, a grand ballroom and a dim sum restaurant.
“We’ve been on a really big path of expansion but in terms of the future, we’re not desperate to keep acquiring properties. But when we see the right deal, we are willing to invest,” said Yeoh.
“My motto is we find the diamonds in the rocks, and then we polish then to make them very nice, shiny diamonds.”
That philosophy is guiding the group’s next phase of growth. In Phuket, Thailand, YTL is developing The Rawai Phuket, a beachfront resort slated to open in 2027 under Hilton’s luxury portfolio.
Closer to home, Yeoh’s focus for 2026 will centre on Visit Malaysia Year 2026, with the group working alongside Tourism Malaysia to spotlight its five domestic resorts.
“They are not very huge assets, but they each have distinctive identities that showcase the multifaceted nature of Malaysia,” she said.
Escaping from ‘nepo baby’ doubts
Despite a lifetime of preparation, Yeoh admitted to experiencing imposter syndrome when she first joined the business.
“My reservation was always, what if I’m just another ‘nepo baby’ who doesn’t know the ropes and everyone has to pander to them just because of who they are?” she said.
“I never want to be someone who gets to where they are and then isn’t grateful or doesn’t strive to succeed.”
Her father remains a key mentor, and the two share a similar energetic and outgoing personality. “My dad has always been more like a friend to me than a father, because he’s very cheeky,” she said.
Living at home, work discussions often extend into family time. “I don’t call work life balance anymore. I call it work life integration,” she said, adding that after dinner, she and her father often talk about work past midnight, while her mother would leave to watch TV because “she feels done with it.”
One of the most important lessons she has learnt from her father is decisiveness. “Don’t be afraid to make a bad decision, which is better than no decision,” she said.
“The hotel industry is very dynamic, and things can change from day to day. Sometimes it’s better to make a decision, really understand why you’ve made it, and follow through with the consequences, rather than being indecisive and missing the boat entirely.”
Yeoh also recalled the significance of her father’s teaching. “Even though I’m the youngest, I had 16 good years with him. My grandfather was a great lover of history, much like my father,” she told The New Straits Times.
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Yeoh Pei Xien and her late grandfather Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay – founder of YTL Group. Photo courtesy of Yeoh Pei Xien |
She said her grandfather used to drive to the local market in the weekends to buy fish, a habit he kept to keep local businesses thriving.
“It wasn’t just about the produce; it was about ensuring we supported the small businesses and the people who had stood by us through the years. He believed in honoring those ties, in nurturing relationships that go beyond transactions,
From her grandfather, she learnt the importance of unity. “I think we are haunted by the stories of family businesses that crumble, especially after the third generation.”
“But we were always taught by my grandparents, and now by my aunts, uncles and my dad, to be humble in what we do and to never take any personal credit.”
Building up the next generation
Beyond her corporate role, Yeoh is passionate about youth mentorship and remains active in her church, where she has served in youth ministry.
“It’s a lot like being a teacher. It can be exhausting, but it’s also incredibly rewarding because you get to witness the next generation grow and develop,” she said.
To her nieces and nephews, she is known simply as “the fun auntie”. Acknowledging that her generation was “born with a silver spoon”, she hopes to instil humility in the next generation, just as her grandparents and parents did.
As she looks ahead, Yeoh recognises both the privilege and responsibility of continuing the family legacy.
“There are very big shoes to fill,” she said. “I’m very aware of all the noise around it, but my motto has always been to keep my head down and let the work speak for itself.”
