The Firm: Season 2 corporate profile: Chris Lo

Name: Chris Lo
Age: 28
Star sign: Taurus
Occupation: Event Executive
Team: Team Asset

Reason for joining The Firm: After watching The Firm: Season 1 and The Apprentice, I have always told myself that hey, that’s the kind of thing that I do everyday - that’s my everyday kind of job. Therefore when the opening came, I sent in my resume to see if I would be chosen and the objective to it was to test myself and see how far I could go and how well I can complete the given tasks.

Being a contestant on The Firm: Season 2 has helped me learn a lot of things about the corporate world and although it’s just a reality show, it really tests an individual’s ability to the max in terms of coming up with ideas to preparation to execution. And with the things learned here, it really helped me to look at the business world from another kind of perspective. Survival in the business world can be mean. Embrace yourselves!!!

Leadership style: Open to all kinds of ideas and willing to listen. But most importantly, knowing when to relax and when I need to be firm! Love to delegate things and be on top of things - chasing for updates on things that has been delegated to make sure things are done accordingly and on schedule.

A very bad habit of thinking positive: Thinks two steps ahead but thinks of negative things three steps ahead. (Due to the nature of my job, this has been drilled into my mind for the past six years.)

Strengths and weaknesses: Multi-tasking, taking the approach of being on top of things and a very hands-on person. I'm good at foreseeing things, cooking up great ideas and am a master of planning and execution. I hate doing sales, period.

About myself: It says all about me above. An easygoing kind of person but when it comes to work, I’m a workaholic and when I want to do something, I make sure it is done and give in a 101 per cent effort. If I don’t like it, I’ll do it for the sake of doing but still giving it 99 per cent effort. A perfectionist and very fussy and particular when it comes to quality checks. Can easily get along with anyone in a natural manner.

The Firm: Season 2 contestant profile: Joo Lee

Name: Toh Joo Lee
Age: 22
Star sign: Aquarius
Occupation: ACCA Student
Team: Team Asset

Reason for joining The Firm: Every year I set out to do something fantastic to bank in on the invaluable experience that awaits. Year 2007 was the Miss Malaysia Pageant and I decided that Year 2008 has to be something that reflects a certain degree of intelligence. Thus The Firm! FYI, the submission of my entry was also at the eleventh hour! Entry via e-mail was sent just before the clock struck 12 on the closing date.

Being a contestant on The Firm: Season 2 provides a platform for networking and to learn more about myself. I want people to openly or secretly (which I will eventually watch it on TV) trash me out so I can improve myself. Of course I also learned to differentiate between sincere statements and plain accusations. Being assigned to various task challenged my capabilities and adaptability to the situations presented. Being a contestant on The Firm: Season 2 also helped to worsen my dark circles and promoted acne breakouts.

Leadership style: Participative and no nonsense. I believe that actions speak louder than words so no lengthy preaching sessions for me. Once plans are finalised, I tolerate no bullshit from slackers. On the quiet side, as I think and brainstorm without blabbering away. Loses cool only when in extreme situations.

Strengths and weaknesses: Daring, wild, has a high level of tolerance and is able to create a fun working environment for all. I hate myself for empathizing too much.

About myself: An extrovert by nature, I get along with people well but my hobbies somehow reflects the personality of an introvert. Namely, reading and swimming. Very enthusiastic and keen on living life to the fullest as my life's experiences has taught me that life is a fragile thing. I have a long time affair with chocolates - and calories are never a concern for me. Best companion for buffets. Weird fetishes includes watching glass windows being cleaned and sleeping in moving cars. Allergic to negative people.

The Firm: Season 2 corporate profile: Terence

Name: Terence Lee
Age: 32
Star sign: Gemini
Occupation: HR Consultant
Team: Team Asset

Reason for joining The Firm: Can't sing well. Can't dance well. At least have some decency and brain power left to challenge myself in front of the camera. And secretly learning the trades of producing a great show. No, it's not about popularity - I just like people watching me do my thing.

The experience of being a contestant on The Firm is priceless. Took the opportunity to do some experiments on leadership and team synergy. Met some pretty interesting personalities and characters. Made some friends along the way.

Leadership style: A champion in seeking talent. Shines only in needful situations. A listening leader most of the time. Not afraid to question the status quo - and to seek new knowledge. There's always a time to work, and a time for play.

Strengths and weaknesses: Trustworthy and reliable. Passion fuels my performance, so can its absence hinders my desires to proceed. Did I mention, a perfectionist and a sarcastic joker somewhere?

About myself: I'm a thinker in life. A communicator in the bigger life. Selects my friends, but never ignores acquaintances. Strong will to live, and to love. Dislikes insincerity and dependent people. Always there to lend a hand in whatever way possible. Forgives and forgets.

The Firm: Season 2 corporate profile: Masami

Name: Masami Mustaza
Age: 24
Star sign:Aquarius
Occupation: Journalist
Team: Team Equity

Reason for joining The Firm: Call this silly, but one of the reasons was to fulfill a checklist of mine titled 'Things to Do Before I Turn 25'. Basically, I'm the kind of person who upon getting an idea will spontaneously act on it. I've always wondered what it'd be like to be on a reality show and have even attended an audition for 8TV's Please Give Me a Job so when the opportunity to join The Firm: Season 2 came about, I just leapt at it.

Being a contestant on The Firm: Season 2 is a way for me to prove to myself (and everybody who knows me) that I can change. I used to be a very insecure person in my schooling days and after many disappointing episodes in my life, I decided that I want to take charge and become the 'me' that I want to be. Hopefully, The Firm: Season 2 will make 'me', not break 'me'.

Leadership style: Identify each subordinates strengths and capitalise on them. Delegate, wherever possible. When subordinates start causing trouble, morph into the Hitler lady and out comes the iron fist.

Strengths and weaknesses: Creativity and intuition are my greatest strengths while paranoia and self-doubt plagues me.

About myself: Usually, people perceive me to be a reserved person at first impression. Later on they will realise that beneath the somewhat stoic exterior is a class clown waiting for the right time to escape and drive everybody's minds nuts! While I believe myself to be honest and full of spontaneity, I have a habit of unintentionally hurting people with my sharp tongue and careless opinions.

The Firm: Season 2 corporate profile: C.A.

Name: C.A.
Age: 30
Star sign: Scorpio
Occupation: Marketing Director
Team: Team Equity

Reason for joining The Firm: I came with the intention to learn how successful people run their companies - basically to learn from the corporate leaders.

Leadership style: Situational leadership - no one knows everything thus the most experienced person for a particular industry should play a more pro-active role in the related task.

Skills: Reasoning and logic. I came up with the concept called 'MALT', an acronym for open my 'Mind to Analytical and Logical Thinking'. Is talking a skill? Negotiation skills?

Strengths and weaknesses: I get along with people easily, maintain an optimistic attitude and can be resourceful. When it comes to arguments, I can be quite the long winded speaker in addition to having a stubborn streak and a temper.

About myself: I get along with NICE people easily pretty much - I just don't get along with people who are not nice because I am a firm believer and practitioner of the GOLDEN RULE: Do unto others as you would others unto you! Some of my favourite quotes are: 'Knowledge knows no boundaries', 'Learn, unlearn and re-learn', 'Continuous self-improvement', 'The only constant in life is change', 'Questions are eternal, answer changes' and 'MALT'.

The premier date draws near...

The anticipation mounts as the premier date for The Firm: Season 2 draws near. While we're still in the midst of generating content for this blog, do entertain yourself by watching a 'video summary' of last season's The Firm.

The brilliant editing done by the folks at Popiah Pictures is actually quite comparable to Donald Trump's The Apprentice and with a funky background music playing while you watch, the video will surely rouse your spirits and make you beg for more drama! (And we have so much of that in The Firm: Season 2. Cerekarama? Puh-lease.)

Welcome to The Firm: Season 2

YOU may - or may not - have heard about The Firm: Season 2 - but that doesn't matter. What matters is that YOU are going to watch it on ntv7 when it starts premiering on August 2, 2008, because you do not want to miss the action and drama (oh, the drama!) that comes part and parcel with Malaysia's hit English reality TV show.

But first thing's first. What is The Firm?

According to Wikipedia: The Firm is Malaysia's first corporate reality television programme produced by Popiah Pictures and ntv7. Hosted by Peter Pek and Chan Boon Yong, the show is directed by award-winning director Ng Ping Ho of Kopitiam fame. In The Firm, a group of professionals compete in an elimination-style competition to find the next corporate high-flyer. The winner gets attractive prizes as well as a one-year contract with Tune Money, Asia's first 'no-frills' online financial service founded by Dato' Tony Fernandes (founder of budget airline, AirAsia). In addition to Pek and Chan, the other judge on the show is Tengku Zafrul Aziz, making it the only television show in Malaysia to have three millionaire judges.

The show attempts to separate the weak from the strong, the under-achievers from the over-achievers and the followers from the leaders. Each week, candidates compete in a series of tasks dealing with different disciplines in business that is imperative to the success of a corporate high-flier. Amongst others, these include branding, promotions, positioning and catering to target markets. The catch phrase used in the show is "You're terminated".

So anyway, since the first season was an incredible hit, The Firm makes a comeback with a second season - this time with 14 individuals vying for the top spot in this corporate game. With 13 episodes in the running, there's bound to be a lot of cat-fights, bitching, back-stabbing - but oh, let's not forget the good values like friendship, loyalty and honesty - when it comes to bumping the competition off the career ladder.

In the meantime, let's get acquainted with the contestants of The Firm: Season 2.


Back row: C.A., Terence, Yuen Wai, Ridzuan, Boon Yew, Chris and Kien You.
Front row: Jennifer, Joo Lee, Masami, Salasiah, Ain and Dian.

Did we mention that there were 14 contestants? Yes, we did. There's only 13 people though, if you noticed - that's because contestant No. 14 Anoop is MIA. Anyway, this was taken on July 23, 2008 - this was when The Firm 2 was 'unveiled' to the media during a press conference at C. Club, Pavilion KL.

There's a lot of things to be said about The Firm: Season 2 - and each and every one of its contestants - but all will be revealed in due time, as you take the time to watch how the corporate journey unfolds for this group episode by episode.

In the meantime, do keep an eye out for updates on this blog as we will be providing you with contestant profiles, trivia, photos as well as blog entries by the contestants themselves so you can catch all the dirt that went on behind the scenes - and in the hearts of our future corporate leaders in the making - which will not be available on the actual show. Stay tuned.

The Firm: Season 2 premiers on ntv7 on August 2, 2008 at 8.30pm.