Client experiences
What firms say about working with us
A selection of testimonials and engagement stories from finance directors, founders, and procurement leads across Malaysia.
← Back to home6+
Years in practice
80+
Engagements delivered
4.8
Average client rating
94%
Delivered on schedule
What clients say
Selected testimonials
Lim Kah Wai
Finance Director, Klang Valley
"We had been putting off this conversation for two years because every firm we spoke to wanted to sell us a large annual programme. Otrelo was the first that said: here is what an initial engagement actually costs, here is what it produces, here is what it does not do. We went ahead with the ESG Direction Engagement and found the materiality mapping session genuinely useful — it clarified what our German buyer was actually asking about."
March 2025 · ESG Direction Engagement
Nurul Izzah Bahari
Founder, Shah Alam
"I had one specific question — whether we should attempt to produce a GRI-aligned report at our current scale — and the Sustainability Note gave me a clear, reasoned answer in writing within three weeks. It was exactly what I needed before presenting options to the board. The follow-up call helped me work through two questions I had after reading it."
April 2025 · Sustainability Note
Razif Ahmad
Procurement Lead, Penang
"The supply chain review was thorough. What I appreciated was that the team raised a concern about one of our tier-two suppliers before the final report — not as a surprise in the document, but in a conversation where we could think about it together. The board summary was also genuinely useful; it was written for people who do not spend their days in this area."
February 2025 · Supply Chain Review
Siew Ting Mah
Managing Director, Johor Bahru
"Our Dutch partner had sent us a lengthy questionnaire about environmental practices. We did not know how to approach it without either overstating what we do or creating commitments we could not keep. The Sustainability Note gave us a clear way to frame our response — and we were comfortable with what we sent back."
March 2025 · Sustainability Note
Ahmad Hairul Anwar
CEO, Selangor
"The engagement was delivered on time. The working sessions were kept short and to the point, which suited how we operate. The one thing I would mention is that there was a short wait before they could start — but they told me that upfront, and it was worth it. The materiality map was well-constructed and we have since used it in two buyer conversations."
January 2025 · ESG Direction Engagement
Patricia Yong
Operations Director, Kuala Lumpur
"I was initially uncertain whether the Supply Chain Review would surface anything we did not already know. It did — not in an alarming way, but in a way that gave us a clearer picture of what a buyer audit might find, and where we were prepared. The written review was well-organised and the board summary was something I could share directly with our chairman."
April 2025 · Supply Chain Review
Engagement stories
How engagements have played out
These engagement summaries are shared with the client's permission. Names and identifying details have been adjusted.
Case study · ESG Direction Engagement
A Selangor manufacturer preparing for its first buyer conversation about environmental practices
The situation
A mid-sized plastics manufacturer in Shah Alam had received a questionnaire from a UK buyer asking about its environmental management, energy use, and waste practices. The firm had no prior sustainability documentation and was unsure how to respond without creating commitments it could not keep.
What we did
We ran the ESG Direction Engagement over thirteen weeks — beginning with a materiality mapping session that identified energy use and packaging waste as the most material topics for this firm's buyer context. We built a starting register and drafted a stakeholder narrative the client could share with its UK buyer as a first, honest account of where the firm stood.
What followed
The client shared the narrative with the UK buyer, who responded positively. The buyer noted that it appreciated the honesty about what was not yet measured, and did not press for immediate improvements. The firm is now in the second year of building toward a more complete picture, using the starting register as its foundation.
"What we needed was a document we could stand behind — not one that said everything was fine, but one that explained honestly where we are and what we are looking at. That is what the engagement produced."
— Finance Director, Shah Alam
Case study · Supply Chain Review
A Penang distributor asked by its European principal to demonstrate supply chain due diligence
The situation
A distribution firm in Penang was asked by its German principal to show evidence of supply chain due diligence, particularly around labour practices at its packaging suppliers. The firm had six primary suppliers and an uncertain picture of their labour conditions.
What we did
We conducted desk research on all six suppliers and site visits to three where desk findings raised questions. One supplier had a payroll gap that warranted attention. We documented the findings in a written review, ranked concerns by severity, and met with the procurement lead to discuss the implications before finalising the report.
What followed
The client raised the payroll gap with the supplier directly and received a satisfactory explanation. The written review and board summary were shared with the German principal, who confirmed they met its due diligence requirements for the current year. The firm has since commissioned a second review of an expanded supplier list.
"The fact that they raised the payroll issue in a conversation before putting it in the report gave us a chance to understand it properly. The final review was balanced — it said what it found, but it also said what we had done about it."
— Procurement Lead, Penang
Case study · Sustainability Note
A founder weighing whether to adopt a formal reporting framework before approaching investors
The situation
A founder preparing for a Series A round had been advised by one investor that GRI reporting would strengthen the firm's credentials with impact-focused funds. She wanted an independent view on whether this was realistic for a firm of her size, before investing time and money in the process.
What we did
We wrote a Sustainability Note responding to the specific question: whether GRI Standards reporting was suitable for this firm at this stage, given its size, sector, and the nature of the investor audience. The note laid out the requirements involved, what it would realistically cost, and what alternatives might achieve similar credibility at lower burden.
What followed
The founder decided not to pursue GRI reporting at this stage, and instead used the alternative the note described — a structured ESG data summary aligned to her investors' own framework. She shared the note with her board as context for the decision. The investor who had originally suggested GRI was satisfied with the reasoning.
"I needed someone to tell me honestly whether this was worth doing. The note was direct about the costs and realistic about the benefits. It is exactly what I needed to make a considered decision."
— Founder, Kuala Lumpur
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