New Straits Times, Life & Times

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Ong describes her years at OE as the best learning experience

Sterling efforts

OE Fine Jewellery general manager Ong Li Dong shares the same values as her employer, writes MEERA MURUGESAN

It’s no surprise that Ong Li Dong, as general manager of OE Fine Jewellery Sdn Bhd, the retail arm of OE Design, is wearing jewellery her company is famous for, but few if anyone in the same position can show it off to such good effect.

Being surrounded daily by such beautiful jewellery is every woman’s dream and Ong is no exception. Draw her into a conversation about fine jewellery and she’s only too happy to share her passion for the business.

She describes OE as one of the most exciting places to work in and views her 20 years with the company as the best learning experience she’s had.

Kuala Lumpur-born Ong joined OE one year after she graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia. She had come across an advertisement placed by the company in a newspaper.

She was “thrown into the deep end and expected to swim and survive" in herr initial years.

“It was all about getting the job done. I had to accept and handle whatever came my way but my upbringing had prepared me for the tough transition into the working world,” says Ong.

Coming from a big family, Ong is the sixth of nine children and her parents have instilled self-discipline in them at an early age.

Her father owned a fleet of lorries that was used to transport construction materials. Her mother is a housewife.

Since her father worked long hours and was usually out of the house by 6am and only returned home late, her mother was the “decision maker, cook, doctor and everything else in between”.

Her father, a man who had not had much opportunities for education, was determined that his children didn’t waste the chances given to them. Every day, from 7pm to 8.30pm, Ong and her siblings were expected to hit the books.

It was a routine that was religiously followed, with no excuses accepted.
This early initiation into self-discipline and hard work helped Ong withstand the challenges of the working world and she learned much in the process.

OE Design, established in Penang in 1974 by the late Erich Oeding-Erdel whose family has been in the jewellery business in Germany since 1906, is a company whose core values she shares, says Ong.

“Integrity and honesty are key values in this company and those were the same ones I have been raised to hold dear and that’s why there is satisfaction and a good feeling about what I do.”

Ong explains that when customers buy a piece of jewellery from OE, they are not only getting a beautiful, unique piece, but have peace of mind in knowing that they are buying from a company that is truly knowledgeable about it.

OE's in-house team of designers creates collections that are produced and exported to stores in 39 countries in Europe, US, Japan, the Middle East and Australasia.

In 1997, the company set up its retail arm and under Ong's leadership, it began to expand. It recently opened its new flagship showroom at Suria KLCC with a new look. There are also showrooms in Gurney Plaza and Bayan Lepas in Penang.

Known for its innovative and award-winning designs in gold, platinum, pearls, diamonds and precious stones, among the company’s most popular pieces are those in the C-Natasha range, one of its in-house brands.

The striking C-Natasha diamond pendant, for example, is a must-have for every woman and can be cleverly used to transform an ordinary strand of pearls into a glamorous necklace.

OE's finely crafted, elegant and trendy charm bracelets and gold and diamond rings also make memorable gifts for every occasion.

Ong says when she started working at the company, she saved the money from her first salary to buy her first piece of OE jewellery, a Natasha pendant that she was so taken with. “It’s beautiful, timeless and of high quality. Few things come in that combination.”