For most CEOs, clarity comes during boardroom strategy sessions. For Malcolm Wood, it comes while plummeting 1,000 meters through the French Alps before hopping on a call by 9 a.m.
The adrenaline-fueled entrepreneur behind Mott 32, a luxury Chinese dining brand, balances his time between launching restaurants around the world and speed-flying over snow-draped ridgelines. His life is a blend of high-stakes business and high-altitude living—and he credits both for his sharp decision-making.
As seen in Millionaire MNL, Wood’s path wasn’t scripted. But his obsession with risk, planning, and global scale has turned Mott 32 into one of Asia’s most respected luxury restaurant exports.
From student party promoter to global hospitality mogul
Born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mother and English father, Wood grew up bouncing between countries. By the time he entered university, he had already lived in eight. In his first year at the University of Bristol, he teamed up with future business partner Matt Reid to launch an events company that hosted parties for up to 5,000 people.
That early success planted the seeds for Wood’s hospitality mindset. “We learned how to map the team, the resources, and the vision—and execute,” Reid said.
After earning a master’s in finance, Wood moved to Hong Kong, where he and Reid co-founded Maximal Concepts, a lifestyle and hospitality group. After multiple failed concepts, the breakthrough came in 2014 with Mott 32—a fine-dining Cantonese restaurant named after New York’s first Chinese grocery store.
Bridging East and West in a velvet-draped dining room
From its flagship location in the basement of a historic bank in Hong Kong, Mott 32 quickly gained attention for its dramatic interiors and modernized dim sum. Think applewood-roasted Peking duck, pork and truffle dumplings, and cocktails that look as good as they taste.
But it wasn’t just the food. The brand redefined what Chinese luxury dining could look like—bridging the aesthetic of Western fine dining with the soul of Cantonese cooking.
“There was nothing like it at the time,” said Hong Kong food critic Gloria Chung. “It helped shift the perception that Chinese cuisine couldn’t be premium.”
Mott 32 now operates in nine cities, with upcoming launches in London, Melbourne, and Los Angeles. In 2018, it debuted in Las Vegas, offering dishes ranging from $13 spring rolls to $598 braised abalone.
An empire backed by adventure—and strategy
Wood doesn’t just run a restaurant group. He lives like a man building one. Based between Hong Kong and the French Alps, he structures his schedule around both family and extreme sports.
“Adventure teaches you flow-state discipline,” he said. “When you’re speed-flying, you’re making real-time decisions with no margin for error. That translates to business.”
His ventures now include The Aubrey, a Tokyo-inspired izakaya inside the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, which was ranked #10 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2024.
In 2023, Dubai-based Sunset Hospitality Group acquired a majority stake in Maximal Concepts. Wood says the move is a growth accelerator—with plans to join Sunset’s future IPO.
A business rooted in Asia—and proudly so
While global luxury restaurant brands like Nobu and Hakkasan began in the West, Mott 32 was built in Asia, by Asian founders.
“We’re proud that Mott 32 was born in Hong Kong,” Wood said. “It’s one of the few luxury dining brands from Asia to reach this kind of global scale.”
Hong Kong’s efficiency, legal structure, and low corporate taxes make it an ideal base, Wood says. And with his mother still living there, it remains a personal anchor, too.
Hard lessons and long views
Like many in hospitality, Wood faced turbulence during COVID-19 and the Hong Kong protests, shutting down multiple venues and navigating crisis after crisis.
“You trust everyone until they burn you. Then you learn,” he said. “I wouldn’t be who I am without those losses.”
His best advice? “Have a thick skin. Don’t worry what others think. The right partner adds value—the wrong one drags you down.”
Today, Wood runs a 700-person organization while raising three kids with his wife Sandra. His solution? Ruthless planning. “I spend 20% of every week organizing the rest,” he said. “Without that, everything gets reactive.”
On Sundays at 5 a.m., he maps out his week—ensuring time for business, family, and the next adventure.
Source: Business Insider
