Team

The Minds Behind the Mission

A multidisciplinary team of strategists, technologists, and agronomists united by a shared goal: a food-secure and regenerative Malaysia.

Building the Future of Regenerative Agriculture

The Earnest Co. is led by a multidisciplinary leadership team combining deep agricultural experience, financial discipline, entrepreneurial execution, and strategic growth capability.

Together, the team brings hands-on expertise across large-scale plantation management, regenerative farming innovation, consumer brand building, capital markets, corporate governance, and operational scaling.

This integrated leadership structure allows The Earnest Co. to move beyond being a conventional farm operator — towards becoming a regenerative agriculture platform company capable of delivering sustainable production, resilient ecosystems, and scalable commercial outcomes.

Ernest Lee

Chief Executive Officer

Nazrul

Chief Farm Officer

Cheah

Chief Operation Officer

Lawrence

Chief Strategy Officer

Nicholas

Chief Financial Officer

Gideon

Chief Regenerative Farmer

Mizan

Pineapple Specialist

Why This Team Matters

The Earnest Co.’s leadership is built on a deliberate integration of:

This combination positions the company to deploy land, capital, and technology in ways that generate both commercial resilience and environmental regeneration.

Together, the team is building a platform designed not only to produce crops —
but to shape the future of sustainable agriculture in the region.

Ernest Lee

Chief Executive Officer

Ernest is an entrepreneur-operator who has built and scaled businesses across food & beverage, retail, and events before focusing on agriculture. His early ventures include founding seafood and lifestyle businesses as well as co-leading brand initiatives such as Woots Event.

 

At The Earnest Co., Ernest drives execution on the ground — from farm rollout and commercial partnerships to brand positioning and market expansion. His strength lies in translating strategy into action, ensuring that regenerative agriculture is implemented not just as philosophy, but as a scalable operating model.

Nazrul

Chief Farm Officer

With over 20 years of experience in plantation and agricultural project development, Nazrul has held senior operational roles in organisations such as Felda Global Ventures, PPB Group, and Kejora Agro. His expertise spans estate management, crop system optimisation, and agrotourism project execution.

 

At The Earnest Co., Nazrul leads farm strategy, cultivation frameworks, and yield performance. His deep technical knowledge and institutional experience provide the operational backbone required for scaling regenerative plantation systems responsibly.

Cheah

Chief Operations Officer

Cheah brings more than 15 years of experience in accounting, audit, and corporate advisory, having worked with global professional firms including PwC and BDO. His background spans financial governance, internal controls, and consulting across diverse industries.

 

At The Earnest Co., he oversees operational systems, financial discipline, and execution governance — ensuring that the company’s rapid growth is supported by strong processes, compliance standards, and scalable organisational structures.

Lawrence

Chief Strategy Officer

Lawrence leads long-term strategy, capital positioning, partnerships, and ecosystem development for The Earnest Co. He is a licensed financial advisor and certified business strategy coach, advising growth companies across sectors including property development, retail, and renewable energy.

He is also co-founder of La Pané Pizza, a fast-growing sourdough pizza brand in Malaysia, and has supported capital raising initiatives exceeding RM50 million across multiple ventures.

 

At Earnest, Lawrence’s mandate is to architect the company’s evolution— aligning land strategy, funding structures, brand and product development, and government engagement.

Nicholas

Chief Financial Officer

Nicholas is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience across technology ventures, commercial enterprises, and agricultural businesses. He has held senior leadership roles including C-suite and director positions in growth-stage startups such as ParkIt, where he drove financial transformation and strategic planning initiatives.

 

At The Earnest Co., Nicholas leads financial architecture, capital efficiency, and investor reporting standards — ensuring the company maintains strong governance while scaling sustainably.

Gideon

Specialist Leadership

Gideon is recognised as one of Malaysia’s early practitioners in regenerative agriculture system design. As founder of Regenerative Agriculture Malaysia and Mr. Jagung Merah, he has been instrumental in developing model farms aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and advancing certified myorganic crop production.

 

At The Earnest Co., Gideon provides leadership in soil regeneration systems, biodiversity-driven cultivation methods, and long-term ecological productivity frameworks — strengthening the company’s commitment to climate-positive agriculture.

Mizan

Pineapple Cultivation Specialist

Gideon is recognised as one of Malaysia’s early practitioners in regenerative agriculture system design. As founder of Regenerative Agriculture Malaysia and Mr. Jagung Merah, he has been instrumental in developing model farms aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and advancing certified myorganic crop production.

 

At The Earnest Co., Gideon provides leadership in soil regeneration systems, biodiversity-driven cultivation methods, and long-term ecological productivity frameworks — strengthening the company’s commitment to climate-positive agriculture.