Behind Vanilla Crepe, one of Malaysia’s well-known dessert brands, is an entrepreneur whose career extends well beyond crepe cakes. Nelson Liew, the chief executive and co-founder of Vanilla Mille Crepe, has built a reputation as a serial venture builder, and his brand’s recent recognition at the Shanghai International Prestige Business Awards adds to a long record of achievement.
Liew founded Vanilla Crepe in 2014, and under his leadership, it grew into a nationwide chain with more than 20 outlets, eventually being recognized by the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest mille crepe chain in the country. That growth is the centerpiece of his entrepreneurial story, but it is far from the whole of it. Liew is described as having extensive experience in the franchising industry and as the founder of several other ventures over the years, spanning a range of consumer businesses. That breadth marks him as a builder of businesses rather than the operator of a single one.
His approach to leadership is a recurring theme in descriptions of him. Colleagues and profiles point to a charismatic, people-focused style, an emphasis on positivity and resilience, and a belief in continuous learning and in developing the people around him. Liew has spoken about staying positive in the face of challenges, a mindset that was tested when the pandemic disrupted a business with many of its outlets in shopping malls. Rather than retreat, his team overhauled its strategy, leaning into delivery, new retail formats, and creative marketing to keep the brand moving.
That willingness to adapt has been a defining trait. During the pandemic, Vanilla Crepe pursued brand crossovers with a range of local and international partners, expanded its delivery and kiosk formats, and introduced themed products, including festive crepe creations that found audiences beyond Malaysia’s borders. These moves reflect an entrepreneur who treats obstacles as prompts for reinvention rather than reasons to stall, and they helped the brand continue growing through a difficult period for the food and beverage industry.
Recognition has followed. Liew has been named among the 100 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs, and his brand has earned a Best Brands Award from BrandLaureate, among other honors. The recent Emerging Magnificent Business 2026 Award at the Shanghai International Prestige Business Awards, a business-recognition program organized by ShangHai Business Media in Malaysia, adds to that record and reflects the continued momentum of the brand he leads. More about the company is available at vanillacrepe.com.
What connects these achievements is a consistent philosophy. Liew is often associated with the value of humility alongside ambition, a combination that shows up in how he describes building his business step by step rather than chasing shortcuts. His brand’s signature product, a mille crepe cake assembled from many delicate layers, has become something of a metaphor for that approach, the idea that something impressive is built gradually, one careful layer at a time.
His ambitions remain expansive. Vanilla Crepe has articulated a goal of becoming a leading crepe cake brand not only in Malaysia but eventually across Asia, and Liew’s track record as a serial entrepreneur suggests a leader inclined to keep expanding rather than settle. External recognition, such as the SHIPBA honor, supports that ambition by raising the profile of both the brand and the entrepreneur behind it.
For aspiring business builders, Liew’s story offers a familiar but instructive arc. It begins with a single idea, a French-inspired dessert built for Malaysian tastes, and grows through persistence, adaptation, and a willingness to keep starting new things. The awards and records are the visible markers, but the underlying story is one of an entrepreneur who kept building through good conditions and difficult ones alike. The recent recognition at SHIPBA 2026 is, in that sense, less a destination than another milestone in a career that shows little sign of slowing.
