SWOT Season 4 Strengthens Women Leaders for Sarawak

November 28, 2025

Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Joins Distinguished Panel at Sarawak Women of Tomorrow 2025

KUCHING, 26 November 2025 – The Sarawak Women of Tomorrow (SWOT) Season 4 programme, held from 23 to 26 November 2025, brought together leaders, industry experts, and emerging talents for a four-day exploration of future-ready leadership in Sarawak’s digital-green transformation era. As part of this flagship initiative to strengthen women’s leadership capacity across the state, the programme featured keynote sessions, workshops, exclusive conversations, and mentorship activities.

Within this wider leadership platform, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive Officer Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor joined the programme on 24 November 2025, contributing her perspectives during the panel session titled “Leading with Purpose: Authentic Leadership in Complex Times.”

From the left: Arinah Najwa Ahmad Said of Grab Malaysia, Datu Dr. Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan (Special Administrative Officer, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak), Datuk Zunaidah Idris (Founder and Vice Chairman of Women Leadership Foundation), Datin Rosmarie Wong Lu Yi (Founder of Ranee Artisan Gallery) and Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor (CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board) during the Sarawak Women of Tomorrow panelist session group photo.

Her participation follows her recent recognition as one of Malaysia’s Top 30 Women of Excellence 2025, a testament to her leadership in elevating Sarawak’s tourism landscape. Sharzede’s national recognition, presented at W Hotel Kuala Lumpur on 12 November 2025, honours her work in positioning Sarawak as a global tourism destination grounded in sustainability, creativity, and inclusivity. This year’s Awards, themed “Excellence as a Spectrum, Not a Summit”, celebrated leaders and changemakers who drive impact through purpose and innovation.

Her leadership has strengthened strategic partnerships, elevated Sarawak’s international visibility, and advanced Responsible Tourism principles—further affirming her standing as one of Malaysia’s notable voices shaping the nation’s tourism industry.

“Leadership is ultimately about people listening to their realities, understanding their needs, and ensuring that growth never compromises dignity, culture, or community wellbeing. In tourism, purpose becomes our compass as we preserve Sarawak’s identity while creating meaningful opportunities for our communities,” said Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board.

During the panel session, she drew from experiences across rural communities, national platforms, and crisis-era tourism recovery to highlight the importance of authenticity and clarity in leadership.

The event continues with mentoring session where panelist participate and share their insights personally with participants of Sarawak Women Of Tomorrow, Season 4.

Held at Pullman Kuching, the session also featured Datu Dr. Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan and Datin Rosmarie Wong Lu Yi, and was moderated by Arinah Najwa Ahmad Said of Grab Malaysia.

SWOT 2025, themed “Future-Ready Leadership: Navigating Sarawak’s Digital-Green Transformation”, continues the Women Leadership Foundation’s mission to nurture women leaders who can adapt, innovate, and contribute to Sarawak’s long-term social and economic progress. Since 2022, the programme has empowered 129 women leaders from more than 40 organisations, building a growing community of resilient, ethical, and purpose-driven talent across sectors.

Key themes explored during the session included women’s empowerment, inclusive tourism development, crisis leadership, and values-based decision-making. STB’s participation underscored insights drawn from community engagement, Responsible Tourism, and Sarawak’s CANFF pillars – Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, and Festivals. STB remains committed to advancing women’s leadership development and strengthening community-driven impact within Sarawak’s tourism ecosystem.