PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) has announced the appointment of Datuk Sazali Hamzah as its new Chairman, effective today.
Datuk Sazali, 60, takes the helm of the national oil company’s domestic marketing arm following a distinguished career within the PETRONAS Group spanning over three decades. His appointment as a Non-Independent and Non-Executive Director was officially approved by the Board during its meeting on Friday.
Datuk Sazali currently serves as the Executive Vice President of PETRONAS and Chief Executive Officer of Downstream Business. In this capacity, he oversees the group’s global refining, marketing, and trading activities, making him uniquely qualified to lead PDB as it navigates a shifting energy landscape.
Key Milestones in His Career includes: PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG): Served as Managing Director and CEO from 2014 to 2021, overseeing a period of significant growth for the chemicals giant. Previously held the role of MD/CEO at PETRONAS Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn Bhd and served as Senior General Manager of Group Technology Solutions and Head of Project Management and Delivery.
A chemical engineer by training, Datuk Sazali earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Lamar University in Texas, USA, in 1989. His deep technical knowledge of refinery and petrochemical operations has been a cornerstone of his rise through the senior management ranks of PETRONAS
The appointment of the Head of Downstream as Chairman of PDB signals a move toward tighter strategic alignment between PDB’s retail operations and PETRONAS’s broader downstream production and technology wings.
As the retail leader in Malaysia’s fuel and non-fuel market (through its Kedai Mesra brand), PDB is currently focused on expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiatives—areas that fall directly under Datuk Sazali’s broader portfolio at the parent company level.
Datuk Sazali also currently holds a directorship in PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad. PDB confirmed in its filing to Bursa Malaysia that he has no family relationships with other directors or major shareholders, nor any conflict of interest with the company.
