“The Rule of the Jungle”
D Jungle People Sdn Bhd (DJP) is a consulting company that specializes in driving growth in people and organizations. Incorporated in 2000, the company has become a leading talent consultancy, and has developed and implemented a comprehensive range of solutions to help companies achieve peak potential. DJP works with various leading institutions across the private, public, and social sectors to provide bespoke solutions that bring about relevant and sustainable change. While their solutions have evolved to meet ever-changing market needs, their products and solutions always address the fundamentals of mindset and behaviour. To date, DJP has worked with more than 80,000 participants and hundreds of clients spanning many industries, both locally and overseas.
Over the years, DJP has amassed awards including the Global Responsible Business Leadership Award – Human Capital Development Excellence 2017, the Gold winner for Best Teambuilding Training Provider, HR Vendor Awards 2015, the Gold winner for Best in CSR, and the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2015.
DJP strives to make a difference to the communities in which it is present, and makes it their mission to build and sustain the community and environment around them. Examples of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are programmes to develop the soft skills in youths from disadvantaged backgrounds, feeding the homeless, and running a learning centre for migrant children.
DJP’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kam Lup Yong (John Kam), has worked extensively with organizations from both the private and public sector, locally and globally. As CEO, Kam oversees all the business units under DJP. He advises and counsels on multiple projects ranging from solutions generation to standard procedures whilst keeping an eye on business continuity.
While the top executive considers a good profit to be an indicator of business success, he believes that making a positive impact on society should be the cornerstone of every business. Thus, elements of CSR are embedded in his business and solutions. Besides that, Kam understands that employees are important to his company and he strives to maintain a good work culture that encourages employees to behave like a family and watch each other’s backs. At the same time, there is a tremendous amount of ownership and commitment among the team members. Growth is seen as an integral part of the organisation and therefore all employees know that this is a company that will push individuals to grow together with it.
While there are many entrepreneurs in the world today, Kam personally credits his resilience, belief in his cause, his willingness to give anything a shot, his willingness to outwork everyone else, an iron-clad discipline, and believing that people are inherently good, as the principles that helped him build his company. The entrepreneur’s parents also taught him the value of hard work and resilience. His brother (co-founder Paul Kam) always emphasised seeing greater possibilities in situations, and his clients taught him business strategies as their businesses grew together.
Kam cautions against starting a business except for the right reasons. These reasons will keep the entrepreneur willing to endure the many challenges that come with starting and owning their own business, and keep them focused on the journey even when it is on the road less travelled. It is also important to recognise that rewards are not a certainty, but tough times most certainly are. The most important thing in starting a business, however, is to sell a good product and to believe in it.
Looking forward ten years in the future, Kam hopes to be conducting coaching conversations on a surfboard in Bali for people who need them.
“ Many businesses lose traction when the founders forget why they started their companies. Kam’s advice about starting a business for the right reasons is one reason for D Jungle People’s continued success and ability to innovate.”
Shanggari Balakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer of MORS Group.
