Company director and former envoy Soo Kok Leng sits on the boards of 15 companies, but his "office" is a dark blue Mercedes-Benz.

Mr Soo, 67, has shunned many of the trappings of corporate life since he retired from full-time work at 50. But his schedule remains packed and he relies heavily on his trusty Merc to get him from one appointment to the next.