LUEN HENG F&B (LHFB) managing director Datuk Kenneth Soh has been bestowed the prestigious Keeper of the Quaich title for his outstanding commitment and dedication to the Scotch whisky industry in Malaysia.
Exclusively nominated by Glasgow-based Whyte & Mackay Ltd, Soh received the medal of honour at a ceremony held at Blair Castle, in Perthshire, Scotland.
With his induction, Soh is one of six Malaysians to receive this distinguished title, and is now part of a select society dedicated to achieving greater appreciation of Scotch whisky.
Only 2,500 men and women from all over the world have received the title, which is given strictly by nomination.
Soh said: “It is my great honour to be named by the Keepers of the Quaich, an exclusive and international society founded by leading Scottish distillers.
“I’m humbled by this award and would like to share this recognition with my customers, business partners and colleagues, who have made LHFB a key independent whisky importer and distributor in the country, with exclusive distribution rights to Scotch whiskies namely Dalmore, Jura, Whyte & Mackay, and Shackleton.”
Born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, Soh was raised in a family who ran a trading business in the 70s.
He began his career with accounting and consulting firms Messrs Deloitte Kassim Chan & Co and Peat Marwick Consulting, dealing in finance for four years.
However, with the aim of expanding his family-run business and with a penchant for trade, Soh took the business to a whole different level by employing an innovative approach.
From a small, family-run wholesale business involved in conventional tobacco and groceries, Soh ultimately transformed it into an established and reputed importer and distributor of beers, wines and spirits in Malaysia.
Today, LHFB distributes to more than 3,500 restaurants, entertainment outlets, retailers and hypermarkets, as well as duty-free operators throughout the country.
