DYNAMIC, determined, spirited and charismatic - these are helpful character traits for any entrepreneur, especially when you are the daughter of a well-known property tycoon.
The eldest of Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew's five children, Dian has lived with high expectations since young. Her father, managing director of Country Heights Holdings Bhd, is an industry veteran.
So when Dian decided to form her own property development company in 2005 targetting a niche, fashionable yet eco-conscious market segment, it set tongues wagging as to whether she could really make it on her own.
With five partners, Dian founded Clearwater Development Sdn Bhd, which was inspired by a saying she found in an old bookstore: "Shrug off the constraints you have allowed others to place on you." It's a sign of Dian's desire to come into her own, famous father or not.
But seriously, has being the daughter of a well-known property developer a blessing or a hindrance?
"Well, look at the number of times you've mentioned my father throughout our interview," says Dian, 27, with a wry smile when we meet at the show house at the Bluwater Estate in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
"My father and I have very different working and management styles. Clearwater is a boutique developer. I need to be driven by passion for what I'm working on instead of having to attend endless meetings with board members. I like to keep our projects niche and spend time on fine details."
Blue skies and green grass
Dian's first success was with Clearwater Residence, a boutique luxury condominium in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. In late 2008, she unveiled the young company's most ambitious project, the Bluwater Estate in Seri Kembangan in the south of Kuala Lumpur, neighbouring the Mines Resort and the high-end gated community of Gita Bayu, which has helped to raise the profile of the local area.
Spread across 98ha centring on a 20.4ha former tin mining lake, Bluwater Estate is a precisely planned environmentally friendly township. The low density, gated neighbourhood of contemporary villas and condominiums will be set amidst abundant nature. It offers what's considered an urban rarity - a green luxury lifestyle of nature, space and fresh air.
"Our inspiration behind the Bluwater Estate came from the Pale Blue Dot philosophies of Carl Sagan, renowned American scientist and author," Dian explains excitedly.
"Viewed from afar, the earth is a mere pale blue dot against the vastness of space. It implied to Sagan that all we had was this planet and we would have nowhere else to go if we did not take care of it.
"We wanted to develop homes that are sustainable and encourage conscious living among the community. These are homes that could help preserve the planet for future generations yet provide a haven."
Although still in its infancy, the landscape is taking shape along the deepwater lake with expansive green fields everywhere. Kuala Lumpur seems to be another world away although the snarling traffic of Seri Kembangan is just around the corner. The gross development value of the land is up to RM3bil.
"This kind of area is hard to find in KL nowadays where you can live beside a lake and enjoy a sense of space and freedom," says Dian. "Living close to nature is a luxury in the city. This may be an old area but it's also up and coming and it's evolving fast."
Bluwater Estate's green concept is not just a marketing gimmick. Dian worked with Clearwater Group partner, award winning Singapore-based architect Sim Boon Yang of Eco-ID Architects and Design Consultancy who is behind acclaimed resorts such as The Sarojin Phang Nga Bay, Conrad Koh Samui, W Retreat & Spa Maldives and Naumi Hotel Singapore.
A management system called Blue Dot Solutions ensures that each unit is environmentally friendly. That is through the implementation of various features, including Monier solar roofs and solar water heating; water filtration systems, low carbon footprint building materials, built-in home recycling centre, rainwater recycling, and energy efficient windows.
Once completed, Bluwater Estate will have a 0.4ha residents' clubhouse designed to comply with the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) green building certification system.
"Blue Dot Solutions is not just a unique selling point to boost sales, but a system that truly helps a home owner to save up to RM3,000 annually," explains Dian.
"We implemented practical solutions, for example a master switch is built in by the front door, as we often forget to turn off a fan or a light and remember it just as we're stepping out the front door."
"As part of what's been termed as Generation Y, I feel that the green aspect in our lifestyle is now a norm. It's actually crucial for our survival. I feel this all the more after I became a mother. I keep wondering what sort of future my two children will have? I know it sounds like a cliché but I've only begun to realise that we never own the Earth, we are merely passing it on to our next generation."
Even before she graduated with a degree in marketing and communications from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Dian was already overseeing her father's property investments in New South Wales and Queensland as an executive director of Country Heights Australia Pte Ltd.
Upon returning home she was the special assistant to her father's group of companies which is listed on the Bursa Malaysia. A portfolio of property and hotel management projects further provided her with invaluable experience.
But then, Dian was already tagging along on her father's business trips when she was eight or nine. So at a very tender age, she was exposed to much older people.
"I learnt a lot from my father," she says.
"My siblings and I were raised in a traditional Chinese family that emphasised Confucian values like filial piety and humility. My dad would constantly drill into me the qualities of honesty and trustworthiness when dealing in business.
"I am blessed to have got off on a good start in life where all my needs were provided for. But the rest of the journey is up to me. My father's shoes are big to fill. The trait my dad and I share is stubbornness. I have always been fiercely independent and rebellious. I am very decisive; you won't ever have to wait for me to settle any matter.
"My mother was very nurturing and in my eyes, she was the perfect wife, the kind who fulfils her role as a woman, wife and mother effortlessly!"
It was while holidaying in Bangkok that Dian met Singaporean architect Sim Boon Yang who had designed one of her favourite hotels, The Metropolitan Bangkok.
They started discussing her idea of developing exclusive boutique residences in Malaysia instead of mega projects. And then she discovered the piece of land in Damansara Heights that would later become her maiden project.
In 2004, the Clearwater Group was formed, which is independent from her father's Country Heights Holdings. Dian holds the controlling stake and her partners are professionals from the architectural, design, development, financial and hotel industries, including Sim.
Determined to learn all that she can about the industry, Dian took up a two-month summer course on sustainable design at New York's Pratt Institute.
"It was an awesome experience, especially meeting people with different perspectives," she says.
"My design style is simplistic, clean and serene, which is reflected in the show houses' interiors. There are criticisms that people are just jumping on the green bandwagon. But I'd like to think that the more people are aware of environmental issues the better it is. It's the first step towards wanting to do something about our problems."
When Dian was 20, she met Jared Lim, who was at her father's office to negotiate a business deal, not knowing they'd eventually settle down together a few years later. The couple have two children, little Jedi, three, and Jora, 10 months old.
Asked why she chose to become a young mum at 24, Dian's eyes light up at the mention of her children.
"I have always known that I wanted children so I may as well have them when I'm young and have the energy to keep up with them," she says. "And I am so glad we made that choice! I cannot describe the joy of having my children welcoming me home at the end of each day. A balanced life is crucial to me.
"I have always lived in my father's shadow. I hope at the end of the day, my work will speak for itself. I want to succeed on my own terms. And I always want to be passionate and positive about life. My mantra is not to wait for the storm to pass but learn to dance in the rain."
For more information on Bluwater Estate visit www.bluwater.com.my.
