Board Of Directors

YBHG. DATO' HAJI KAMIL KHALID ARIFF (CHAIRMAN)
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
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YBhg. Dato’ Haji Kamil Khalid Ariff, aged 69, is a Malaysian citizen and was appointed as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Company on 22 February 2023.

Dato’ Khalid graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management from Syracuse University in New York. He also holds a Diploma in Public Administration from ITM and an MBA in International Business from Central Michigan University, United States of America (“USA”).

Dato’ Khalid is currently the Chairman of Liberty Insurance Berhad, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, Public Islamic Bank Berhad and Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad. He also sits on the Board of several private companies.

Throughout his renowned career spanning over 44 years, Dato’ Khalid served in numerous Management and Board positions in several large corporate entities which among others include, The New Straits Times, Mahkota Technologies Sdn Bhd, Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, and Idris Hydraulic Bhd. He was also a founder Director of the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market, which he, as part of a Government Steering Committee, helped set up in the mid-1980s.

DATO’ SULAIMAN BIN MOHD TAHIR
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
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Dato’ Sulaiman Bin Mohd Tahir, a Malaysian, aged 59, was appointed as a Director on
1 November 2016. He is a Member of the Nomination and Remuneration of Committee of Directors and Investment Committee of Directors of the Company.

He holds a Bachelor of Business in Accountancy from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) in Australia.  He has a wealth of experience backed by more than three decades of managing and spearheading growth in the Malaysian banking industry.

He is the Group Chief Executive Officer of AMMB Holdings Berhad (“AMMB”) and Chief Executive Officer of AmBank (M) Berhad (“AmBank”), the commercial banking arm of AmBank Group, positions he has held since November 2015.

Prior to joining AmBank Group, he has held many prominent positions at one of the largest banks in Malaysia before his appointment as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of the Bank.

He also sits on the Board of several other subsidiaries of AMMB, namely AmGeneral Holdings Berhad, AmMetLife Insurance Berhad, AmMetLife Takaful Berhad and AMAB Holdings Sdn Bhd. He is also a Board member of Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO).

SAIME DEFNE TURKES
Non-Independent Executive Director
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Ms Saime Defne Turkes, aged 47, a Turkish, was appointed as a Director and a Member of Investment Committee of Directors of the Company on 28 July 2022.

She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management from Bogazici University, Turkey.

She is the President and Chief Operating Officer, Global Retail Markets of East Region Liberty Insurance Pte Ltd overseeing Malaysia, China, India and Asia Market countries (comprising Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong). She has been in this role since January 2022.

She joined Liberty Mutual in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer of Liberty Sigorta (Turkey), then ascended to Turkish Market President. She has also held roles as Malaysia Market President and Asia Market President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Singapore. In her role in Malaysia (Liberty Insurance Berhad), she defined a 5-year strategic roadmap, targets and key initiatives to position Liberty as a top five insurer in the Malaysian insurance market.

She is a Director of Liberty Insurance Berhad and several other Liberty’s subsidiary companies.

PHOON SOON KEONG
Independent Non-Executive Director
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Mr. Phoon Soon Keong, a Malaysian, aged 68, was appointed as a Director on 15 August 2017.

He is a qualified Certified Public Accountant, Malaysia (“CPA”) and is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. He started his career with Price Waterhouse [currently known as PricewaterhouseCoopers ("PwC")] as an articled student in 1975 and obtained his CPA qualification in 1979. He left PwC to start his own practice in 1980 and was a partner in P.C Chan & Partners from 1981 to 1986.  He re-joined PwC Audit Practice as a Senior Manager in December 1986 and was Executive Director in the Firm from 1994 to 2010. During his tenure in PwC, he was the Director-in-charge of the Valuation & Strategy Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting Sdn Bhd.

He has extensive experience in audit, business recovery, turnaround management, corporate and debt restructuring, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and share valuations.

He was the Acting Chief Executive Officer of PanGlobal Insurance Berhad from January 2007 to April 2009.  He was appointed as the Appointed Person of Tahan Insurance (Malaysia) Berhad (“Tahan”) by Bank Negara Malaysia (“BNM”) under Section 59(4)(a) of the Insurance Act 1996 to assume control of the whole of Tahan’s property, business and affairs and to carry on the whole of its business and affairs on behalf of BNM from May 2009 to December 2010.

He was a Director of Assisi Palliative Care Berhad from 2015 until his retirement in January 2022. He also served on the Board of Assunta Hospital from 2005 to 2012, was the Chairman of the Assunta Board from June 2011 to December 2012 and was a member of the Board of Governors of Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd from March 2008 to March 2019. He was also a Director of Good Shepherd Services, a charitable organisation, from 2015 to May 2021 and Chairman of AmGeneral Insurance Berhad from August 2017 to February 2023.

He is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of AmMetLife Insurance Berhad.

YBHG. DATO' LIM HEEN PEOK
Independent Non-Executive Director
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YBhg. Dato' Lim Heen Peok, aged 75, is a Malaysian citizen and is an Independent Non­ Executive Director of the Company. He was appointed as a Director on 22 February 2023. He is also the Chairman of the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee, and a member of the Risk Management Committee and Audit Committee.

He obtained his BSc. Mechanical Engineering (First Class Honors) from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom.

He is also the Chairman of Furniweb Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), Unitedstar Corporation Sdn Bhd and director of Liberty Insurance Berhad and Assunta Hospital. He also sits on the Board of Governors of JACTIM Foundation.

ELSIE KOK YIN MEI
Independent Non-Executive Director
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Mdm. Elsie Kok Yin Mei, aged 63, is a Malaysia citizen and is an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company. She was appointed as a Director on 22 February 2023. She is also the Chairman of the Risk Management Committee, and a member of the Remuneration Committee and Nomination Committee.

She obtained her Bachelor of Jurisprudence/LLB from Monash University, Australia.

Madam Elsie is also a director in Malaysian Bulk Carriers Berhad and Liberty Insurance Berhad.

KEONG CHOON KEAT
Independent Non-Executive Director
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Mr. Keong Choon Keat, aged 78, is a Malaysian citizen and is an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company. He was appointed as a Director on 22 February 2023. He is also the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

He obtained his ACA from Institute of Chartered Accountants, England & Wales, United Kingdom, CA from Malaysian Institute of Accountants, Malaysia, MICPA from Malaysian Institute of CPA, Malaysia and FCA from Institute of Chartered Accountants, England & Wales, United Kingdom.

He is also a director of Chin Teck Plantations Berhad, Negri Sembilan Oil Palms Berhad and Liberty Insurance Berhad.