Axiata details major organizational revamp

Malaysia’s Axiata group has announced a major organizational and management shake-up across its group of companies, with the reshuffling or appointment of multiple new top executives.

The company has embarked on a transformation as part of its strategy of executing its succession plan and strengthening its ability to manage an entity that has grown to more than twice its size since its inception.

As part of the restructuring, Axiata has established a new unit to oversee its Southeast Asia operations. The current CEO of domestic mobile subsidiary Celcom Axiata, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, has been selected to take responsibility for all Southeast Asia operations.

Axiata recently set up a similar unit to manage the operator’s South Asia operations and appointed Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, currently CEO of Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, as regional CEO for South Asia.

Celcom itself will meanwhile undertake an organizational refresh which will involve the establishment of a new executive committee, including the appointment of six new key senior positions.

Axiata Group CEO and Celcom chairman Jamaludin Ibrahim will chair this committee.

Former Robi Axiata CEO Michael Kuehner will meanwhile become the new CEO of Celcom starting in September.

He will be assisted by two new deputy CEOs – Azwan Khan Osman Khan and Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, who have been promoted from within the group.

Celcom has also appointed a neew CFO – Jennifer Wong – a new chief human capital officer (CHCO) – Azmi Ujang – and a new chief transformation and digital officer – Azmi Ujang.

Finally, Axiata Group has also named the planned successor for Wijayasuriya. Supun Weerasinghe will take over as Dialog’s CEO at the start of next year.  Weerasinghe is currently CEO of Robi Axiata, and will himself be replaced in this role by Robi COO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed.