Established 2000.
Trax Associates is a strategy consulting firm with a brand-driven focus. We forge the alignment of business ambition with market delivery offering companies a sustainable competitive advantage through brand building insights and methods.
“Our method-what markets see, feel and experience …”
Our proprietary Trax Method© proven through years of learning with multinational and national companies in Malaysia enables the holistic evaluation of market challenges and opportunities through a methodical approach in brand-driven strategic planning. Central to the method is the Brand FCD© framework that evaluates form, character and delivery of organisations for brand readiness and potential market strengths.
With the combined experience of senior professionals across strategy, process, communications, knowledge, customer, research and other market-related disciplines to grow and align the building of brands with business strategies, the Trax Associates executive team offers unparalleled expertise and capabilities to support the brand leadership aspirations of national institutions and emerging market companies.
Yasmin Merican
Principal
A pioneer in emerging market brand creation, method and competency enhancement.
As Founder and Principal of Trax Associates, Yasmin’s multi-faceted career has been built on capabilities unique and necessary for successful brand development.
Starting in education as National Director of AFS International/Intercultural Programmes, Yasmin ventured into the communications industry as Account Director of Backer Spielvogal Bates (BSB Malaysia), before pursuing knowledge in business consulting as Partner of Ernst & Young in Malaysia and Ernst & Young Global Client Consulting in the Asia Pacific region.
These work experiences from education to communications and business consulting, have given Yasmin the ability to design brand solutions bridging the work cultures and knowledge divides between the creative and technical disciplines.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the building of brands within the emerging market, her core competency lies in the alignment of business with brand thinking, strategy, knowledge and processes – particularly for those without deep brand capabilities and experiences.
She holds an MBA (distinction) in Strategy and Marketing from the University of Hull, United Kingdom
Edwin Leong
Partner
One of the advertising industry’s most highly respected and awarded creative leaders.
A former Board Member & Deputy Chairman of PTM Thompson Malaysia and Executive Creative Director of JWT Malaysia, Edwin Leong has consistently pushed the boundaries of Malaysian creativity from establishing Kuala Lumpur as the creative centre of excellence and regional hub for Grey Worldwide in 2001, bringing home Malaysia’s first regional Best of Show at ADFEST’08, to winning advertising’s biggest prize, Malaysia’s first and only CANNES Grand Prix.
His focus on media-neutral creative solutions has led to the global recognition and exportability of Malaysian ideas for both multinational and local brands.
A Hall of Famer and member of JWT’s Asia Pacific Creative Council, he has trained offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok, Jakarta, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai and has represented Malaysia on the judging panels of the industry’s most prestigious global and regional advertising festivals.
Sharath Martin
Partner
An experienced business leader in finance, strategy, governance and risk.
A governance and risk management expert, Sharath Martin has extensive knowledge and experience in supporting and raising the quality of business strategy design and execution through robust risk management functions. A chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK), he spent 18 years in audit, business advisory and risk management with Ernst & Young (EY) and held the dual role of Director (Asia Pacific) in Risk Management and ASEAN Risk Management Leader of the global audit and consulting firm. Building on his credentials in finance and risk management, he also headed the strategy and risk management function at Malaysia’s Securities Commission and the risk management function at Sime Darby Plantations. He holds a postgraduate diploma (Distinction) in financial strategy from the University of Oxford.
Kamaruld Salleh
Partner
A thought leader and practitioner in market intelligence and research.
Kamaruld has worked for more than 25 years in the area of research and market intelligence with numerous multinationals and SMEs clients in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific. He first started his career with Survey Research Malaysia, then AC Nielson, NFO and reached the pinnacle of his research career as the Regional Director (Stakeholder Management) of TNS for the ASEAN market.
During this time, he helped big brands stay relevant and small brands establish their footing in markets. He also engaged with marketers throughout their brand building journeys from concept through to segmentation, positioning, communications, pricing and partnered with clients to build consumer-centric knowledge-based organisations to drive operational and customer service excellence.
During his research tenure, he worked with some of the world’s leading blue chip companies with diverse business interests such as Coca-Cola and KFC.
After his extensive research experience in Malaysia and the region, Kamaruld opted for a change in his career to take on the position of Vice President of Corporate Services at JCorp and Chief – Corporate Services of QSR Brands Holdings, overseeing and building corporate capabilities in these organisations.
Zain Deane
Partner
An award winning global content developer.
A content strategist, developer and digital communications expert, Zain Deane built an impressive career first as Director of Marketing and Communications with AIG (American International Group) in New York and later as the Director of Marketing for a global online solution provider (SafePay) in South America. A graduate in international relations from Tufts University, he is also a seasoned journalist, author of six books, and has served as a senior editor with the Miami Herald and on the international news desk as editor and anchor for Dawn News in Pakistan. Zain is the founder of two organisations: Writers Bloc Inc., a copywriting and content strategy firm and Salvo Group, a digital media company in the US. His interest and work today is focused on digital publishing, social media amplification, talent management and monetisation.
Rezal Jaafar
Partner
Expertise in corporate transformation and international human capital development.
Rezal Jaafar joins Trax Associates from Khazanah Nasional Berhad. He has had extensive transformation work experience working with Malaysia’s GLCs (Government Linked Companies).
As Senior Vice President, he served with Khazanah’s Special Project Office to facilitate the GLC Transformation Programme from 2009 to 2016 on the people and human capital agenda, where he supported the implementation of several transformation initiatives such as the Minimum Retirement Age, Minimum Wage, Workforce & Workplace Transformation, Upward Mobility Scheme and Reducing the Income Gap programmes.
He also played a pivotal role on the GLC Innovation Index, GLC Customer Service and Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) for the duration of the GLC Transformation Programme.
Prior to joining Khazanah, Rezal spent 17 years at Shell Malaysia, including four years with Shell International in China with the CNOOC & Shell Petroleum Company Limited (CSCP). He started his career in retail and marketing before building experience and expertise in operational training and leadership development, people/ human capital management, HR shared services and change management. His last position at Shell was as the Regional Change & Communication Manager for Asia Pacific & Middle East.