Most Powerful Women Asia

Sarena Cheah

Courtesy of Sunway Group
  • Title
    Executive Deputy Chairman
  • Company/Affiliation
    Sunway Group
  • Country/Territory
    Malaysia

Sarena Cheah is the eldest daughter of Jeffrey Cheah, who founded Sunway in 1974, building it from tin mining into one of Malaysia's biggest conglomerates, spanning property, construction, healthcare and education. She joined in 1995 as a junior executive, running the property development arm from 2015, and became executive deputy chair in January 2025 to expand the group overseas. Now based in Singapore, she led last September's 2.4 billion Malaysian ringgit ($590 million) purchase of MCL Land from Hongkong Land.