K oon Poh Keong is a Malaysian entrepreneur who, along with his brothers, co-founded Press Metal Aluminium Holdings, Southeast Asia's largest integrated aluminum producer. He serves as the group's chief executive officer, providing the strategic vision that has driven its remarkable growth. The brothers started the business in the mid-1980s as a small, local aluminum extrusion company.
Koon demonstrated exceptional foresight by leading Press Metal to move upstream into the more capital-intensive smelting business, a bold move that transformed the company into a regional powerhouse. This vertical integration allowed the company to control its production costs and compete on a global scale. Under his leadership, Press Metal has invested heavily in state-of-the-art, low-cost smelting technology, primarily powered by hydropower in the state of Sarawak, giving it a significant competitive advantage. His journey from a small-scale operator to the head of a major industrial company is a standout success story in Malaysian business.