AT first glance Deborah Melissa Bottreau looks like any one of expatriates who have made Malaysia their base of operations for their businesses. But if you say something in Bahasa Malaysia, don’t be surprised if she answers you back in Bahasa.
Bottreau might not be local but she has lived here almost all of her life, was educated here, got her first job here and founded her first company here. A keen businesswoman, she has also been active in the entrepreneurship community.
Bottreau was also president of the Malaysian Association of Asean Young Entrepreneurs (Maaye) from 2015 to 2018 and is currently the president of the Global Entrepreneurship Movement Association (Gema).
YOUR LOOKS ARE VERY EXOTIC. WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?
My mother is Argentinian and my late father was French. But I’m a permanent resident of this country and all my education has been here in Malaysia. As a kid, I studied in international schools here and for university, I went to a local private university where I studied Graphic Design and Multimedia.
HOW DID YOUR FAMILY END UP IN MALAYSIA?
We moved to Malaysia, from Singapore, when I was 3. My mother was a jockey and back then there were more turf clubs here than in Singapore.
HAVING LIVED IN MALAYSIA ALMOST ALL OF YOUR LIFE, DO YOU FEEL VERY MALAYSIAN?
All my friends here say I’m Malaysian and maybe even more local than some. I understand all the cultures here pretty well and I speak Malay, so I’m not your typical Mat Salleh!
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST JOBS?
My first job was in graphic design. After that I worked in a few IT companies before I got headhunted by Zalora to head up their production team, which was in charge of photo shoots and editing as well as content development. I headed a team of about 40 people. When things were running smoothly, I requested the company to transfer me to another company in their group as I wanted more challenges. They transferred me to Mexico, where I became regional head of production for their e-commerce outfit there, which was something like Lazada.
HOW DID YOU FIND MEXICO?
I thoroughly enjoyed living in Mexico City and travelling to the other offices in nearby countries as well. But I had to come back to Malaysia when a dear friend was diagnosed with cancer. I couldn't have lived with myself should anything have happened to him while I was away in Mexico. I ended up returning for good and starting Sienna DMB, a boutique creative agency.
WHAT’S “SIENNA” AND WHAT’S “DMB”?
I wanted to pick a name based on a colour. Sienna is a red earth colour. DMB officially stands for “Design, Marketing and Branding” but it also happens to be my initials!
ALL YOUR STAFF ARE WOMEN. IS THAT BY DESIGN?
No, it wasn't intentional. I’ve interviewed many men but so far none were suitable for Sienna’s corporate culture. It doesn’t matter though. I’m quite happy to have an all-women team.
IS BEING A NON-ASIAN AN ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO DOING BUSINESS HERE?
It’s more of a disadvantage but because I’m quite local and speak the language it helps a lot. After a while, the clients will realise that I’m not just some expat posted here for a short stint but someone who actually grew up here, is familiar with the local culture, and knows the ins and outs of how things are done around here.
YOU’RE A PARTNER IN CATALIIZE. WHAT’S THAT ABOUT?
Cataliize is what I’d call a venture catalyst. Originally an Australian company, it now has representation in over 24 countries. I was nominated to be their partner for Malaysia. What we do is help source for companies that want to go global and help make it happen.
YOU’VE BEEN QUITE ACTIVE IN THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCENE. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT MAAYE AND GEMA?
When I was president of the Malaysian Association of Asean Young Entrepreneurs, we hosted monthly talks on different topics and we organised the first Asean Young Entrepreneurs Carnival at Menara Matrade in 2016.
Global Entrepreneurship Movement Association is an NGO which focuses more on technology and market access for entrepreneurs. We have our own magazine and online radio called eFM. You must check it out as we have great shows, and you can also subscribe to eFM on Spotify and listen to our podcasts.
ARE THERE OTHER BUSINESSES YOU’D LIKE TO START?
Yes, there are several. In the next few months we’ll be starting to import beef from Argentina to Malaysia and, hopefully, to the rest of the region as well. The company is called Carne d' Campo. I’m also working on an online course that will allow me to reach more aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide. There are a few other things I’m working on but they’re still at the planning stages.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
I love horses. I obviously got this from my mother. Argentinians love their horses and they are basically part of our daily lives. I play polo for fun and I love the adrenaline rush you get from it. Playing a sport which is not based just on your own athletic abilities but that of your horse takes a lot more preparation and thinking than you might imagine. It’s very challenging.
Prior to taking up polo, I was a competitive rider in show-jumping and also competed in dressage. I started polo a few years ago because my dearest horse had to be put down and that really took a toll on me. I had quit riding but my mother kept pestering me to get back to it. She said she didn’t care what sport it was as long as I was back to riding horses. So polo it was. I currently have three polo ponies and their names are Bubbles, Carita Blanca and Juguete.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF SETTLING DOWN HERE?
I’m not sure yet but for now my opportunities are here and I will maximise that. If my career takes me elsewhere, so be it but I’d say there’s a high chance I'd end up here as it’s basically home for me.