In a rare and candid interview, the eldest daughter of the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin talks about her passion for cafe culture, how she values family ties and the realities of single parenting in the age of social media.
Having just stepped out of a plane from the US a day before our scheduled meeting, Diana Nasimuddin called to inform us that she had caught a bug from her travels and lost her voice. Despite this, she assured our team that she was still game for the photo shoot.
Described by her younger sister Nadia as ‘tough’ and ‘disciplined’, backing out of commitments isn’t an option for the director of Naza Group. “Diana gets things done. That’s the type of person she is,” says Nadia.
The middle child of Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin and Puan Sri Zaleha Ismail, Diana joined the family’s corporate entity by way of the company’s F&B division. Together with Nadia, Diana currently oversees strategy and management of the Naza Group’s fully-owned restaurant brands—Dotty’s and BLVD House.
Why did you choose to go into the F&B business?
My sister and I studied overseas and we had many great memories exploring the café culture abroad. We ventured into F&B because we wanted to share our passion for café culture with Malaysians.
Dotty’s is a fully homegrown dining concept. What was it like setting up the business?
It's definitely no walk in the park. My sister and I were apprehensive at first but we persevered. We took it on as a challenge and gave it all we got. It was the only way to ensure that we get repeat customers, not just one-offs.
