Ji Min Loh had no shortage of mentors in his life. After his family migrated from Malaysia, his father pursued studies in mechanical engineering at night while working full-time and tending to his family’s needs. His mother enjoys a career as an accountant, his older brother, a doctorate in dentistry, and his older sister, as an executive in finance. Suffice it to say, a predisposition toward professional growth was embedded in him at an early age.
Ji’s early years and introduction to Wayne Perry
Beginning his career in the semiconductor industry as a high school freshman, Ji later transitioned into the fast-paced field of finance. Without a formal accounting background, he often felt he was reviewing and providing financial statements without a full appreciation of the numbers behind them.
At the urging of a trusted mentor, he went back to pursue studies in accounting at UC Irvine. With a new appreciation for its theory and practice, he joined his mentor’s accounting firm. There he supported a number of clients, including Wayne Perry. In 2016, Ji joined Wayne Perry as controller, overseeing all things accounting and financial for Wayne Perry and its sister organization, FASTECH.
“I was impressed by the company culture. It was the perfect blend of large company structure and solidity and mid-size company camaraderie and warmth. There was plenty of room for personal and professional growth, and I felt I could draw on my experience of being mentored throughout my life to help others advance on their career paths.”
Earlier this year, Ji was promoted to Associate Vice President. “My work here fulfills my passion for seeing projects come full circle. I’m involved in the development of projects from a financial perspective and even get to watch timelapse videos of fueling facilities being built, and I also get to create the financial reports and analytics behind all our projects.”
Mentorship as an accelerator to organizational development
In addition to overseeing the financial side of the business and working to add efficiencies for improved decision-making, Ji is also focused on rolling out best practices for teaching, motivating, and inspiring team members to be successful. “Cross training and team building are key to our ability to remain a customer-centric company and best serve the needs of our clients.”
Also high on his priority list is recruiting and maintaining skilled industry professionals throughout the organization. “My mentor taught me to hire people who are smarter than me and to serve as a role model to them. Every team member has something positive and valuable to contribute. It’s the responsibility of those who lead to harvest those attributes for the betterment of the employee, the company, and its clients.”
Outside of work, Ji enjoys spending time with friends and family, fixing things, camping, and off-roading. He is deeply grateful to his wife, Crystal, for her unwavering support and encouragement throughout his career journey.
