In an industry often defined by margins, scale and rapid turnover, Leslie Gomez has built his career on a principle that balances ambition with responsibility: growth matters, but it is only sustainable when built on the right people and foundations. This philosophy was recognised at the ESG PLUS Awards 2025, where the Founder and Managing Director of The Olive Tree Group received the ESG Leadership Award for his people-centred approach to business expansion and leadership.
Founded in 2003 with a single outlet, The Olive Tree Group has grown into a hospitality group operating 31 restaurants and venues across Malaysia and the region. Expansion has always been part of the vision — but never at the expense of culture, stability or long-term viability. For Leslie, scale is meaningful only when teams are supported, systems are sound, and leadership remains accountable at every level.
A defining aspect of this approach lies in how Leslie manages a multi-generational workforce. With employees spanning different age groups, working styles and expectations, leadership has required both flexibility and structure. Younger team members contribute agility, innovation and fresh perspectives, while more experienced employees provide operational discipline, mentorship and continuity. Leslie’s role, as he sees it, is to ensure these strengths work in tandem — guided by clear SOPs, shared values and mutual understanding.
Flexibility, in this context, does not mean the absence of standards. Instead, it allows systems to evolve in ways that support people while ensuring consistency in service, governance and performance. “It works both ways,” Leslie has often noted — leadership adapts, teams adapt, and accountability remains constant.
These themes featured prominently during the ESG PLUS Leadership Dialogue, themed “The ESG Balancing Act: Profit, People & Planet in Today’s Economy,” where Leslie participated as a panelist alongside leaders from diverse sectors. Organised in conjunction with The Exchange Asia, the dialogue explored how ESG principles move beyond frameworks into everyday leadership decisions — particularly in people-intensive industries.
During the discussion, Leslie shared insights from navigating industry disruptions, safeguarding livelihoods during uncertain times, and building resilient organisations through trust and communication. His perspective reinforced the idea that ESG leadership is not episodic, but continuous — reflected in how leaders listen, set boundaries, invest in talent and remain consistent in values even as the business scales.
The ESG Leadership Award recognises individuals who embed environmental, social and governance considerations into the core of their business strategy. In Leslie’s case, this has translated into sustained investment in employee welfare, talent development, inclusive leadership practices and disciplined governance — enabling expansion that is both responsible and resilient.
Accepting the award, Leslie emphasised that recognition is never individual. “Any growth we’ve achieved is only possible because of the people behind it — teams who believe in what we’re building and who show up every day with commitment and pride,” he shared.
The ESG PLUS Awards 2025 convened over 300 corporate leaders, policymakers and industry stakeholders from across the region, celebrating those who exemplify Positive Leadership and a deeper understanding of sustainability. Hosted by The Exchange Asia, the platform continues to elevate conversations around responsible growth and long-term impact across Asia’s business landscape.
Leslie Gomez’s journey underscores an important truth in today’s ESG conversation: expansion and ambition are not at odds with responsibility. When growth is anchored by the right people, clear systems and shared values, it becomes not just possible — but sustainable.
