Eric Leong - EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020

Eric Leong, Managing Director and co-founder of Mlion Corporation and winner of EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 — Industrial Solutions, is on a mission to reinvigorate the steel industry by breaking away from a one-size-fits-all approach.

- Anton D. Javier

Before he found success in the steel industry, Eric Leong’s journey as an entrepreneur started on two wheels — literally.

The 35-year-old Managing Director and co-founder of Mlion Corporation Pte Ltd, a foundation steel solution provider, is an avid cyclist and spotted an opportunity in the underserved BMX bicycle market a few years ago.

“I started my first business while still at university. Being a cyclist myself, I found that there were very few shops servicing riders in Singapore, and much of the gear and merchandise was overpriced,” Leong shares. “Together with a fellow rider, we contacted brands across Europe and the US, and imported them into Singapore.”