By AZREEN HANI / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

SAPURA Energy Bhd appointed Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) president and group CEO Abdul Jalil Abdul Rasheed (picture) as its non- independent and non-ED effective Jan 1, 2020.

Abdul Rashid succeeded Datin Paduka Kartini Abdul Manaf, who stepped down on Dec 31, 2019, after serving the board since April 24, 2019.

Sapura Energy is one of PNB’s key strategic companies, in which PNB and its associated funds collectively own a 40% stake.

Abdul Jalil was appointed to his current role at PNB on Oct 1, 2019. Prior to that, he had been the CEO of the south Asian operations of US-based fund management company Invesco Ltd in Singapore.

He holds a degree in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The 37-year-old corporate leader started his career as a graduate trainee at Aberdeen Standard Investments in London, rising through the ranks to become investment manager and head of equities, before eventually became CEO of Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur prior to joining Invesco in 2013.

“Abdul Jalil’s appointment will add to the diversity of skills on the board of Sapura Energy. We welcome Abdul Jalil to his new role and look forward to him bringing his skills and experiences to enhance the board’s deliberations,” Sapura Energy chairman Datuk Hamzah Bakar said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We would also like to express our appreciation to Kartini for being an extremely supportive member of the board. It has been a privilege for us to work with her,” he added. Meanwhile, Sapura Energy president and group CEO Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin said Abdul Jalil’s appointment will bring “deep capital markets knowledge” and a vision to set the firm for a better future.

“He brings deep capital markets knowledge, a varied set of competencies and understanding of various industries from managing large international funds, and a passion to envision a bright future for Sapura Energy,” Shahril said in the same media statement.

“My management team and I have been actively engaging with Abdul Jalil and his team, and we value their support and input tremendously,” he said.

Shahril also expressed his gratitude towards Kartini for her “invaluable guidance” to the firm’s management.