Few people climb the career ladder from the bottom to the top, and even fewer women achieve this feat in predominantly male-dominated industries. In 1994, Stella Ambrose first joined the organization that later became Sawit Kinabalu, one of the largest palm oil producers in Sabah, as an assistant mill engineer. Since then, she has risen through the ranks to achieve the role of deputy CEO.

“Time has passed by so quickly. I enjoy my work so much that I didn’t realize that it’s already been 30 years,” Ambrose says. “I see reaching this position as a major accomplishment because the organization has never seen engineers climbing the ladder like this; it was considered impossible to do so.

“I was the first female engineer to be a mill engineer in Malaysia. When I started, people expected me to leave within two days of joining. And after that, they started saying two weeks, then two months, then two years and so on. Now, nobody talks about me leaving the company.”

Throughout her career, Ambrose continually enhanced her expertise and earned significant credentials, including a first-grade steam engineer certificate of competency and a diploma in palm oil milling technology with top honors. She later went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from the International University of Malaya-Wales in October 2023, just months before being promoted to Deputy CEO in April 2024.

“In every position I’ve been in, I’ve always been ready for the next step. When I first became an assistant engineer, I was ready for the position of manager,” Ambrose says.

“I like to look ahead and think about what I would do to fix the big challenges even though it’s not my responsibility. Now, after 30 years of being in the same company, I know the organization and its culture so well that nothing feels like rocket science to me.”

In collaboration with

Harcos Engineering

Boosting palm oil production with efficient, sustainable tilting sterilizer. Boosting palm oil production with efficient, sustainable tilting sterilizer.

Reflecting on her journey and the challenges she faced along the way, Ambrose is committed to increasing the participation of women in the palm oil industry and Sawit Kinabalu.

“I think a lot more has to be done to encourage more women to participate in the industry,” she says. “While lots of companies have been making progress, it’s not necessarily about the culture of an organization; sometimes, it can be women themselves that feel this whole thing is so intimidating.

“There must be more talk about how we give them more support. I want to inspire people, especially female engineers, and tell them that anything is possible if you put your heart into it.”

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“Working with Stella Ambrose, Deputy CEO, and her amazing team at Sawit Kinabalu has been a collaborative journey focused on environmental responsibility and operational efficiency. We support their palm oil mills in meeting effluent discharge standards while also ensuring clean water access for plantation workers. Their commitment to sustainability makes them a valued long-term partner.” – Dennis Ling Pick Wuong, Director, Bufflow Engineering

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In recognition of her long-term support of women in the industry, Ambrose was awarded the Successful Women Leadership Award 2025 by Mediatama Management in February 2025.

“This recognition is not merely an individual accolade,” Ambrose shared on LinkedIn.

“It symbolizes the collective accomplishments of countless women who have paved the way for future generations. This award serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring all women to embrace their passions and pursue success relentlessly.

“Let us celebrate not only our achievements but also the power of unity. Together, we can dismantle barriers and create a world where women are empowered to lead in every sphere.”

New horizons

One of the main challenges affecting palm oil production today is the growing pressure to practice sustainability. For example, Malaysia has implemented the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification Scheme, which sets stringent sustainability standards for palm oil production.

Similarly, Malaysia has committed to complying with the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which aims to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. As a result, Sawit Kinabalu is restricted from expanding its agricultural area or increasing its number of mills, forcing Ambrose to look for new opportunities to improve productivity and create value.

“One of my key priorities is looking at ways to turn waste into wealth. I believe that if we want to go in this direction, the industry players need to collaborate more, and that’s not necessarily easy,” she says.

“We have only seven mills and due to the limited amount of waste we produce, it’s not enough for a new industry to be created. To help this initiative make economic sense, I need to work with other partners.”

Sawit Kinabalu is already making progress in this direction with the creation of its subsidiary Kunak Lipids, which will produce and supply tocotrienols by using palm oil refinery waste, making it the only Malaysian company solely dedicated to producing tocotrienols.

In June 2024, Kunak Lupids signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai-based Boce Trade Service Company to produce palm oil refinery by-products to meet the Chinese market demand, with production expected to commence in the first quarter of 2025.

Another major initiative in the works is the creation of the Green Technology Park in Sabah, an integrated pulp and paper mill designed for sustainable paper production. Made possible through a memorandum of understanding between Sawit Kinabalu subsidiary Sawit Palm Oil Industrial Cluster and Nextgreen Global signed in June 2024, once constructed, the park will include a feed mill, a fertilizer plant, light industries, wetlands, residential and commercial areas for workers, as well as an education and research hub.

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“Perunding AME is very grateful to be associated with Sawit Kinabalu Group for almost 30 years providing our service in oil palm related processing facilities. With Stella Ambrose as Deputy CEO of the Group, who has a very strong engineering experience, we are even more excited. Her ideas and aspirations are creating more value-added facilities for the Group.” – Abd Aziz Jidon, Director (Principal Partner), Perunding AME

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Sawit Kinabalu is also diversifying into property development through its subsidiary SKG Property. According to the SKG Property website, the company describes its creation as a natural progression for Sawit Kinabalu as it seeks to create value from its vacant land, which is not suitable for palm oil planting. It also describes the key features of its development projects, such as its locations, which aim to be an anchor for the Sabah state government to bring more development to the surrounding community.

One of SKG Property’s notable projects is the six-hectare commercial development in the district of Semporna, Sabah, which it describes as offering the modern amenities and convenience of a city while maintaining the grace and serenity of a district atmosphere.

As of February 2025, the project is under construction but, once complete, it will feature a three-story shop office with 84 units, a 14-story commercial building with 488 units, a three-story retail and leisure mall with elevated parking, supermarket, petrol station and a one-and-a-half story detached showroom/office.

“At the moment our property development activities are still in their infancy stage, but this is an area I want to be a little more aggressive in over the next two-to-three years,” Ambrose reveals.

“This is a very different business to palm oil production, so I need the ability to shift perspectives. You have to wear many different hats in this business.”

These new initiatives represent major changes for Sawit Kinabalu, requiring significant changes across the organization, says Ambrose.

“My main focus is on our people. I need to get more people who believe in the ideas I have for moving this company forward; this includes changing our culture. We cannot just do things like business as usual. We have to be more creative and more daring to try new ideas,” she adds.

“One thing about Sawit Kinabalu is that we don’t really scout for external talent. Almost 100 percent of our management and staff, excluding laborers, are local Sabahan people. It’s something that the state is very proud of. We like to train people from within the organization so they can eventually step up to new challenges.

“We are seldom the leader in new things. Instead, we like to look at other organizations and become a smart follower. We do things once they have been tested. Maybe it has not reached its maturity stage yet, but at the point where it’s about to mature, then we go in and become a trailblazer.”

Strategic partnerships

As a large, diversified organization, Sawit Kinabalu depends on long-term strategic partnerships across a wide range of functions, partnerships that Ambrose pays close attention to.

“I think in any partnership, the most important thing is communication. The way you communicate with various parties has to be different, you can’t assume everybody’s the same. You also need to have a win–win mindset,” she says.

“You cannot be like, you win, the other party loses. You should also always be looking for opportunities to synergize. After all, one plus one does not necessarily equal two. I always try to leverage my strengths, their strengths, see how we can connect and what we can do better together as partners.”

This is shown by Ambrose’s leadership of the company’s supplier engagement workshop, whose 2024 themes included understanding the latest sustainability requirements, industry commitments, risk mitigation and reporting tools, all to foster greater collaboration between suppliers and the Sawit Kinabalu Group. This is especially important given the Sabah state government’s push for all palm oil production in the state to be 100 percent certified sustainable by the end of 2025.

“When it comes to construction and real estate, I find that having a joint venture with a more experienced developer makes the job much easier, but of course, also I get third-party advice,” she says.

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“Joint ventures can be very good on paper, but if you don’t have experience, it can also be a trap, so I engage with lawyers and other experts from across the industry. Through this approach, we’re able to move from just taking baby steps to making small leaps.”

Thanks to Sawit Kinabalu’s longevity and success, the organization has received numerous awards, including the World Sustainability Leadership Excellence Award in 2023 and the Nation’s Pride in Agriculture Palm Oil Award in 2024.

As the company continues to diversify its portfolio and look for new partnership opportunities, Sawit Kinabalu is well-positioned for growth while navigating the contemporary challenges of the palm oil industry.

“Now I’ve reached this position, I enjoy seeing how my work has influenced where the company is going up to now,” Ambrose says.

“Looking ahead, my focus is shaping the future of the organization, mentoring new joiners and helping make the career path for women easier.”

In collaboration with

Harcos Engineering

Boosting palm oil production with efficient, sustainable tilting sterilizer. Boosting palm oil production with efficient, sustainable tilting sterilizer. Read More