National applied research and development (R&D) centre MIMOS, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and innovation (MOSTI), has announced the appointment of Dr Iskandar Samad as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept15.
Dr Iskandar brings with him a wealth of experience from various industries including telecommunications, digital media and financial services. He has held several leadership roles including CEO of Jewel Digital Ventures Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad; Astro Malaysia Holdings-OTT (over-the-top); and Astro’s Tribe (Hong Kong) Limited. He also held positions as Vice President at OTT-MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) and Vice President of Special Projects at Axiata Berhad.
Most recently, Dr Iskandar ran a private strategic consultancy firm focusing on digital transformation, data analytics and strategy development. The centre of his recent work was on COVID-19 research and analysis covering forecast modelling, social and economic impact analysis, as well as policy evaluation and recommendations. Prior to his involvement in these fields, he began his career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in 2008, serving corporate clients across the Southeast Asia and Australia regions.
Dr Iskandar holds a first-class Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Sciences along with a PhD in Engineering from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Passionate about contributing to the advancement of Malaysia’s national science and technology agenda, Dr Iskandar’s appointment is expected to fortify the centre’s roles in leading industry development including advanced R&D, technology ventures and incubation, and talent development in the fields of ICT, semiconductor and microelectronics.
MIMOS Chairman Shahril Shamsuddin said, “Dr Iskandar’s appointment as President and CEO will add to the diversity of perspectives, knowledge and creativity to the Board. We welcome Dr Iskandar to his new role and look forward to him bringing his varied set of competencies and passion as we envision a bright future ahead for MIMOS.
“We would also like to express our appreciation to Emelia Matrahah who has served as Interim President and CEO from Dec 1, 2018 to Sept 14.”
