ANUAR LEAVES PETRONAS?
Executive vice-president has resigned due to personal reasons, say sources
DATUK Mohd Anuar Taib, widely seen as Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (Petronas) No. 2 after president and group chief executive officer (CEO) Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, is believed to have left the national oil company.
He had left the company due to personal reasons, said people close to the matter.
Anuar is one of Petronas’ four executive vice-presidents and the CEO of upstream operations.
The New Straits Times reached out to Anuar and Petronas yesterday for confirmation and comments
but no response was received as at press time.
On Petronas’ website, as of last night, he was still listed in the group’s executive leadership team.
Anuar was the senior vice-president of upstream business before being appointed as Petronas executive vice-president and CEO for the division in mid-2016, taking over from Datuk Wee Yiaw Hin.
Interestingly, Anuar, who turns 51 this year, had succeeded Wee at Shell when the latter retired in September 2009.
He reportedly joined Shell as a graduate in 1990 and was appointed as a well-site drilling engineer in Miri.
During his 21 years with Shell, he worked at the group’s offices in Miri, Kuala Lumpur and New Orleans in the United States, among others.
Anuar was shortlisted for Petronas’ top post along with Wan Zulkiflee, Petronas chairman Datuk Ahmad Nizam Salleh (then managing director and CEO of Petronas’ 80 per centowned unit Engen Petroleum Ltd in South Africa) and vice-president of corporate strategic planning Datuk Md Arif Mahmood (then senior vice-president for corporate strategy and risk) when Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas stepped down in February 2015.
Back then, it was said Anuar was too young to take over the reins of Petronas, making Wan Zulkiflee the preferred candidate.
This indicated that Anuar could have been the next head of the national oil company when Wan Zulkiflee eventually steps down.