Hear from Robbie, a Sunway Business School alumnus and Jeffrey Cheah ACE Scholar, as he shares his journey from corporate strategy to founding his own health and wellness venture, JOINT18.

I chose Business Studies at Sunway Business School because I wanted to understand how businesses really work, not just in theory, but in the real world, where decisions have consequences, execution matters, and growth is never accidental. I was not looking for a narrow path or a fixed career outcome. Receiving the Jeffrey Cheah ACE Scholarship made that opportunity even more meaningful because it reminded me from the very beginning that being given a platform is one thing, but making something of it is entirely your responsibility.

What Sunway University gave me was more than academic knowledge. It gave me a way of thinking. The programme taught me how to break down complex problems, make structured decisions, and communicate ideas in ways that move people and projects forward. Those lessons became more meaningful at every stage of my career. At L'Oréal, I learned discipline and the importance of execution. At Shopee, I learned how to operate at speed and scale. At Ant International, I deepened my understanding of performance marketing, lead generation, and what sustainable commercial growth truly requires.

As I progressed through these roles, I began to recognise a clear pattern. Strong businesses are not built on good ideas alone. They are built on clear positioning, consistency, operational discipline, and a purpose that people genuinely believe in. This changed the way I thought about my own future. Over time, I realised that I did not just want to contribute to other companies and help them grow. I wanted to build something from the ground up that reflected my own standards, values, and sense of purpose.

That decision led to JOINT18.

JOINT18 was built on a simple belief. People should not have to wait until pain becomes serious before taking care of their physical health. We wanted to create a brand that makes movement, recovery, and long-term health simpler, more trustworthy, and more relevant to everyday life. We were not interested in building another supplement brand driven by noise or hype. Instead, we wanted to create something credible, practical, and meaningful, a brand with a genuine mission.

Today, as the Co-Founder and Director of JOINT18, I am involved in building the company every day, from strategy and brand messaging to content, operations, and gaining a deeper understanding of our customers. That has been one of the biggest shifts in my journey. Working in large organisations teaches you how to operate within systems that already exist. Building your own company teaches you how to create those systems yourself, often while solving problems in real time. It requires a different level of ownership, patience, and resilience, but it is also what makes the journey so rewarding.

What I am most proud of is not simply that we started a company, but that we are building one around a mission that truly matters. JOINT18 is about helping people move better, recover better, and take care of their health before problems become more serious. It is about building trust in a category where trust matters deeply. Above all, it is about inspiring people to take better care of their health.

Looking back, Sunway Business School played a significant role in shaping my mindset. It gave me the confidence to think independently, the discipline to keep improving, and the belief that building something meaningful is always worth the uncertainty that comes with it. My journey at Sunway Business School was not just the beginning of my career. It was where I built the foundation of my entrepreneurial journey, developed the courage to create something meaningful, and embraced the aspiration of leaving the world a better place than I found it.

Edited by
Dr Arumugam Muthusamy
Sunway Business School
Email: @email