As Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) celebrates its 20th anniversary, three leaders who helped shape its journey came together to reflect on the decisions, risks, relationships and people behind two decades of business events in Sarawak.
Jill Henry, Mike Cannon and Amelia Roziman each led BESarawak at a different stage of its development. Their paths were different, their leadership styles evolved with the organisation, and each left a distinct mark.
Yet, as the conversation unfolded, one thing became clear.
None of them saw the story as their own.
It was a story of one generation building on the work of another, with people, trust and a shared belief in Sarawak at the heart of it all.
It Started With a Bigger Vision
Before BESarawak became an established name in the international business events industry, it began with a simple but ambitious idea.
As Sarawak prepared for the development of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), the Sarawak Government recognised that having a world class venue alone would not be enough. Sarawak needed an organisation dedicated to bringing international business events to the state and competing for opportunities on the global stage.
That became the purpose of BESarawak, formerly known as the Sarawak Convention Bureau.
Stepping Into Leadership
Although each inherited a different organisation, one experience connected them all.
None felt completely prepared.
Jill Henry (2006 to 2012)
When Jill Henry joined in 2006, the bureau was still in its earliest days, with just nine people and no established playbook for winning international business events for Sarawak.
She never expected to become the person leading it.
“I was the leader who was never meant to be a leader.”
But perhaps that was exactly what BESarawak needed at the time.
Jill’s approach was driven by curiosity, trust and a willingness to try. She encouraged her team to step beyond their roles, take risks and learn through experience.
Her philosophy was simple.
“My role in life is to help everyone else become great. Sometimes that means being willing to break the rules, take the risk and do it now. We can apologise later.”
For Jill, leadership was not about having every answer. It was about creating the space for others to experiment, grow and discover what was possible.
That mindset helped lay the foundation.
Jill Henry (2006 to 2012)
Building a Foundation from Nothing
When Jill took the helm, BESarawak existed more as an ambitious idea than an established organisation. With only nine people in a small office, there was no proven formula for success and no certainty that Sarawak could compete for international business events.
Looking back, she described herself as “the leader who was never meant to be a leader.”
That pioneering mindset became part of BESarawak’s DNA. She encouraged her team to experiment, take calculated risks and step beyond their job descriptions. Some of the bureau’s earliest breakthroughs happened simply because someone was willing to try something that had never been done before.
For Jill, leadership was never about having every answer. It was about giving people enough trust and freedom to find their own.
Her philosophy was refreshingly simple.
“Not scared to break the rule to get that. Do it now. We’ll apologise later.”
Mike Cannon (2012 to 2017)
When Mike Cannon took over in 2012, he inherited an organisation with a strong foundation already in place.
His task was not to start again, but to build further.
Coming from Australia, Mike quickly learned that leading in Sarawak required more than bringing in familiar approaches. It meant listening first, understanding the local culture and building trust.
During his tenure, BESarawak strengthened its government relationships, expanded international partnerships and positioned Sarawak more firmly on the global business events map.
His guiding principle was straightforward.
“We will find a way, or we will make one.”
But when Mike looked back on his time at BESarawak, it was not the strategies or partnerships that stood out most.
It was the team.
“The leadership is never about one person. The team is everything. Without the team, what is leadership?”
For Mike, the strength of BESarawak was always its people. The organisation could evolve, strategies could change and circumstances could shift, but a strong team could continue moving forward.
The foundation Jill built had become something stronger.
Mike Cannon (2012 to 2017)
Strengthening the Foundation
When Mike arrived, he found an organisation with a strong platform already in place. Rather than rebuilding it, he focused on strengthening government relationships, expanding international partnerships and positioning BESarawak for the next phase of growth.
The transition also meant learning how to lead within Sarawak’s unique culture. Instead of bringing familiar approaches from Australia, he chose to listen first, earn trust and lead collaboratively.
One moment still stays with him.
“I smelt the air and thought, I’m coming home.”
His leadership was guided by another simple principle.
“We will find a way, or we will make one.”
It became more than a motto. It was the mindset that helped him navigate uncertainty, and one he credits to the remarkable team around him.
Amelia Roziman
Chief Operating Officer (2017–2020) | Chief Executive Officer (2020–2026)
Amelia Roziman’s journey was different again.
She did not arrive as an outsider. She grew with BESarawak.
Joining as a sales coordinator, she moved through the organisation, learning under Jill, developing during Mike’s tenure and eventually becoming its third CEO. Her journey gave her a perspective few others could have had. She had experienced BESarawak from almost every level.
For Amelia, Jill and Mike’s influence went beyond management. They encouraged her to step outside her job description, explore new ideas and take risks. That freedom to grow eventually shaped her own approach to leadership.
Her tenure marked BESarawak’s move into its Legacy Impact era, expanding the bureau’s role beyond securing business events to creating lasting value for communities. But perhaps her biggest leadership lesson was learning that she did not have to carry the organisation alone.
Leadership, for Amelia, became about empowering others to take ownership, grow and become leaders themselves.
Her message to the next generation remains simple:
“Don’t try to become the next Jill.
Don’t try to become the next Mike.
Don’t try to become the next
Amelia. Be your own version.”
It is advice that reflects her own journey.
She did not become CEO by becoming a version of the leaders before her. She built on what they taught her, found her own voice and continued the journey in her own way.
Amelia Roziman (2020 to 2026)
From Foundation to Lasting Legacy
For Amelia, BESarawak was never simply a workplace. It was home. Having grown from sales coordinator to CEO, she experienced the organisation from almost every angle.
Jill and Mike’s mentorship extended far beyond management. They encouraged her to step beyond her job description, whether creating Sarawak’s first Meeting Planner’s Guide, travelling overseas to learn from other destinations or challenging conventional thinking that later earned international recognition.
More importantly, they gave her the confidence to take risks. That freedom to innovate became an important part of BESarawak’s evolution into its Legacy Impact era.
Her biggest shift as a leader came when she stopped believing she had to carry the organisation alone. Instead, she saw her greatest responsibility as creating opportunities for others to become leaders themselves.
That philosophy shaped Legacy Impact, expanding BESarawak’s role beyond attracting business events to creating lasting value for communities.
Her message to future leaders remains straightforward.
“Keep building. Keep evolving. If the industry changes, have the courage to change with it.”
The Decisions That Changed Everything
Every CEO remembers one decision that changed the way they led.
For Jill, it was giving people permission to experiment. She trusted her team to learn through experience, even when the outcome was uncertain.
For Mike, it was holding onto the belief that there was always another way forward.
“We will find a way, or we will make one.”
For Amelia, it meant asking people to believe in Legacy Impact long before its results became visible. Changing mindsets across the industry was never immediate. It demanded persistence, difficult conversations and confidence in a long term vision. Looking back, she sees that journey as proof that meaningful transformation rarely happens overnight.
The Culture They Built
When the three leaders were asked what they remembered most, none pointed to an award, a major headline or a single milestone.
They talked about people.
For Jill, one of her proudest achievements was seeing former team members go on to become business owners, innovators and leaders themselves.
For Mike, it was the strength of the team that remained most memorable.
For Amelia, it was the friendships.
Over the years, colleagues became friends, friends became family, and working relationships grew into connections that lasted well beyond job titles. That sense of belonging was not incidental. It became part of the culture they helped create.
BESarawak’s legacy was built not only through strategies and business wins, but through trust, friendship and people growing together.
Passing the Baton
As the conversation turned towards the future, the question became less about what they had achieved and more about what comes next.
Jill‘s advice was rooted in curiosity. Protect the bureau’s reputation, but do not become trapped by past success. The next breakthrough, she believes, could come from anyone.
Mike emphasised fairness, integrity and the importance of never stopping learning.
Amelia offered perhaps the most personal reminder of all.
“Be yourself.
Build strong teams.
Keep growing.
And have the courage to change when the industry changes.”
It is a fitting message for an organisation that has itself continued to evolve.
The Journey Isn’t Finished
Even after two decades, none of the leaders spoke as though the work was complete.
Jill still hopes to see business events become part of the performance agenda across government linked organisations.
Mike believes Sarawak has an opportunity to bring tourism, business events, trade, investment and education together under a stronger destination proposition.
Amelia, meanwhile, leaves the next chapter to those who follow.
“The challenges ahead aren’t my time anymore. They’re yours.”
There is a quiet significance in that statement.
Leadership is knowing when to step forward. It is also knowing when to let others take the baton.
The Legacy Lives On
Looking back, the three journeys form a natural progression.
Jill Henry built the foundation.
Mike Cannon strengthened the structure and relationships.
Amelia Roziman transformed that foundation into a movement centred on legacy impact.
But the legacy does not belong to any one CEO.
It lives in the people they mentored, the relationships they built and the culture they helped shape.
And today, that legacy continues under a new generation of leadership.
As the conversation came to a close, current BESarawak CEO Jason Tan offered a reflection that brought the evening into perspective.
His words captured the heart of the conversation.
BESarawak’s story has never been about one CEO replacing another.
It has been about each generation giving the next a stronger foundation to build on.
Twenty years have brought BESarawak this far. Now, the next generation is building the intelligence, partnerships and capabilities that will take Sarawak’s business events industry into its next era.
The story is still being written. And the next chapter has already begun.
