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Board of Directors
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin bin Syed Mohamed Tahir has been appointed as the Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman of DNeX, effective 1 January 2025
He has served as the Company’s Executive Chairman since 9 December 2022. Before that, he served as Group Managing Director of DNeX and its subsidiaries, effective 1 October 2020.
In addition, he is the Chairman of SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a strategic investment of DNeX in collaboration with the Beijing Integrated Circuit Advanced Manufacturing and High-End Equipment Equity Investment Fund Center (Limited Partnership), commonly known as the CGP Fund.
He has also served as the Chairman of Ping Petroleum Limited, a subsidiary of the Company.
He previously served as Vice President of Downstream Marketing at Petroliam Nasional Berhad (“PETRONAS”) and as Managing Director of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad. He began his career in 1987 as a Project Engineer at PETRONAS Gas Sdn. Bhd. In 1992, he joined PETRONAS as a Senior Executive in the company’s Corporate Planning and International Business Development unit.
In 1995, he joined HICOM Holdings Berhad, where he assumed various senior positions. In 1999, he moved to PERODUA, taking on the role of Senior General Manager. He was appointed Executive Director of PERODUA Auto Corporation Sdn. Bhd. in 2002 and later promoted to Deputy Managing Director of PERODUA in October 2005.
He subsequently held key positions in well-established corporations, including serving as Group Managing Director of Proton Holdings Berhad and as an Independent Non-Executive Director for both RHB Bank Berhad and RHB Islamic Bank Berhad. In July 2018, he was appointed Chairman of the Board at Universiti Teknologi MARA, a position he held until January 2021. He also served as Chairman of Scanwolf Corporation Berhad until 31 December 2023.
Currently, he is the Chairman of the PAA Digital Trade Alliance. The first global digital trade alliance that aims to promote and provide secure, trusted, reliable and value-adding IT infrastructure and facilities for efficient global trade and logistics. In addition, he serves as Chairman of Perbadanan Wakaf Selangor and is a board member of the Selangor Islamic University (UIS).
He sits on the board of Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd and its subsidiaries, which include Cahya Mata Oiltools Sdn. Bhd., Oiltools International Sdn. Bhd., Cahya Mata Cement Sdn. Bhd., and Scomi Oiltools (RUS) LLC.
With extensive experience in transforming organisations and leading large enterprises, he is frequently invited to give talks and lectures on transformational leadership. He also provides advice to both the government and the private sector in Malaysia. Additionally, he is active in community work through several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that assist victims of natural disasters.
Paul Baltensperger serves as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of Ping Petroleum UK Plc and Executive Vice President of Business Development of Ping Petroleum Limited.
With over 35 years of experience in various leadership roles, he has demonstrated expertise in managing independent oil and gas exploration and production (“E&P”) operations across Malaysia, the Gulf of Mexico, North Africa, and South America.
He has a distinguished track record of creating value through mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) and asset operations in the oil and gas industry globally. As a co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of Ping Petroleum Limited, he successfully managed the company’s business activities in Malaysia and the offshore United Kingdom.
His career includes significant roles such as Asset and New Ventures Manager for Newfield Exploration and Apache Corporation in Malaysia and Egypt. He has held the positions of Exploration Manager in Egypt and Algeria for Apache and Oryx Energy, respectively.
He holds Master of Science in Geology from University of Texas, United States of America and Bachelor of Science in Geophysics/Geology from New Mexico State University.
With over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, he specialises in reservoir engineering, production engineering, and project management.
He has held key positions such as Head of Planning, Commercial and Risk Management, and Asset Manager at Newfield Exploration in the UK and Malaysia.
He also previously served as the CEO of Ping Petroleum UK.
Muhammad Saifullah is responsible for driving growth across the Group by establishing strategic partnerships and ventures, setting overall corporate strategy, administering the Group’s international expansion and overseeing the Group’s technology focused investments through DNeX’s Innovation Fund.
He has over 14 years of experience in the financial services sector, specialising in capital markets and investment banking, and his last position prior to joining DNeX on October 2020, was with Corporate Finance Department of MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Berhad. He also served in the Corporate Finance Division of AmInvestment Bank Berhad and Corporate Banking Department of Malayan Banking Berhad.
In addition, he has experience in the fast-moving consumer goods and logistics industry, through his stint with Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s wholly owned investee company, Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Berhad, where he served in the Business Development division. He was also Securities Commissions’ Capital Markets Services Representative’s Licence holder during his stint in Investment Banking.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting and Management from University of Nottingham.
Datuk Johar bin Che Mat has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry. He began his career in 1976 when he joined Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank).
Throughout his time at Maybank, he held several key positions, including Regional Manager for Selangor/Negeri Sembilan from 1993 to 1995, General Manager of the Commercial Banking Division from 1996 to 2000, Senior General Manager of the Corporate Banking and Enterprise Banking Division from 2000 to 2002; and Senior Executive Vice President of Retail Financial Services from 2002 to 2006.
Following these roles, Datuk Johar bin Che Mat was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Maybank Group, a position he held until his retirement in 2010. In addition to his banking career, he previously served as Chairman of MNRB Holdings Berhad, an investment holding company and Malaysian Reinsurance Berhad, which operates in the reinsurance business.
He was a Board Member of various organisations, including MBSB Bank Berhad, Bank Pertanian Malaysia Berhad, Amanah Raya Group, Proton Holdings Berhad, and several other public companies.
Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Takaful Ikhlas General Berhad and Takaful Ikhlas Family Berhad, where he oversees the Takaful business.
He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Economics from University Malaya, Malaysia.