Captain at the helm

MAS board appoints Capt Izham Ismail as Peter Bellew’s successor.

PETALING JAYA: Home grown talent Capt Izham Ismail has been appointed Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) and Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) executive director and group chief executive officer (GCEO) designate with immediate effect.

He will assume the role of GCEO on Dec 1 after the departure of outgoing GCEO Peter Bellew.

Izham was chosen by the MAS board after consultation and approval of Khazanah Nasional Bhd chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Khazanah said in a statement.

Khazanah is the major shareholder of MAS.

In a separate statement, MAS said a board executive committee will be in place for up to six months to ensure a smooth transition.

It will be led by MAS chairman Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof and directors, Tan Sri Krishnan Tan, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Isa and Sheranjiv Sammanthan.

The appointment of Izham was in line with the succession plan that has been put in place at the airline, MAS said.

Izham, who is currently the chief operating officer, started his career with the airline 38 years ago, beginning as a pilot in 1979.

As COO, he led the restructuring of the engineering division for more efficient and leaner operations, and was also responsible for the airline’s fuel savings initiative, MAS said.

Izham said he was “extremely honoured to be entrusted with the position”.