Chew Gek Khim has been running Straits Trading since 2008, after her family's investment company, Tecity Group, took control following a highly public bidding war. Since then, she's taken the tin legacy smelting business founded in 1887, and transformed it to focus more on becoming a major player in real estate and hospitality. It sits across the water from the popular tourist destination, Penang Island. "I'm optimistic it's a game changer for Penang because this whole area, which was at one time looked at as the poorer cousin of Penang Island, is now coming up," Chew said. Learn more about Chew Gek Khim's leadership style, and how she used it to transform one of Singapore's oldest companies into a real estate powerhouse in the video above.

---

Persons: Chew, Khim, she's, Christine Tan Organizations: Tecity, CNBC's, UNESCO, Gek Locations: Asia, Straits City, Malaysian, Penang