The Board of Directors of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) and Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) names as Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO).
Captain Izham currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer. His appointment is in line withe the 12-point MAS Recovery Plan (MRP), which provides for the development and succession of Malaysian leadership talent.
A Board Executive Committee will be in place for up to 6 months to facilitate the transition. Led by Chairman Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof, the committee will include Board members Tan Sri Krishnan Tan Boon Seng, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Isa and Mr. Sheranjiv Sammanthan.
Captain Izham will assume the role of GCEO on 1 December 2017, succeeding Peter Bellew who is currently on administrative leave.
As COO, he was responsible for the operations division, which includes flight and airport operations as well as engineering. 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. Prior to becoming COO in 2016, he served as CEO of MASwings, Malaysia Airlines’ sister company in Sabah and Sarawak.
Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof, Chairman of MAB, said, “On behalf of the Malaysia Airlines group, I am extremely pleased to welcome Captain Izham to this new role. Captain Izham is a key member of the MH family and brings with him 38 years of experience in the aviation industry. He has a valuable breadth of understanding that spans airline operations and business management. I am proud that he is our own internal home grown talent and I am confident that he will be able to take the airline further forward and ensure the turnaround plan is met.”
Captain Izham started his career with Malaysia Airlines as a pilot in 1979. He broke world aviation records when he flew Malaysia Airlines’ first B777-200 eastward from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur and back. The flight set new world records for longest flight and fastest round-the-world flight by a commercial airliner, with a total flight time of 41 hours 59 minutes over a distance of 23,310 miles.
