Boldness grounded in tradition

IN many aspects, you could call him an industry veteran. After all, with about 35 years of industry experience under his belt, Desmond Teo has grown almost simultaneously with Singapore's offshore and marine sector.

But the novelty in his management philosophy and the boldness in his corporate strategy suggest otherwise - his modern and fresh approach has propelled Gaylin Holdings (Gaylin) into an international player in the rigging and lifting solutions segment.

What began as a small family-run trading establishment with just five employees in 1974 is now a listed company with more than 450 employees, with operations in nine countries and a market capitalisation close to S$250 million.