New MAS appointments lay strong foundation for success, says PM

The appointments by Khazanah Nasional Bhd in the restructured Malaysia Airlines Systems Bhd (MAS) today are part of efforts to lay strong foundations for the future success of the national carrier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak said.

"It is imperative that we have the best available talent with the expertise and experience to help drive the progress of the restructuring effort further forward, lead the airline to profitability, and groom a Malaysian successor to assume the leadership of the airline in the future," Najib said in a statement today.

The appointments, announced today, were deliberated on and resolved at the meeting of the Khazanah Board of Directors chaired by Najib yesterday.

The prime minister said the Government is committed to seeing through the complete overhaul of MAS to its successful conclusion.

Khazanah appointed Christoph R. Mueller as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-designate of Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS NewCo), effective Jan 1 next year. Mueller, who is currently CEO of Aer Lingus Plc, the national airline of Ireland, will also be nominated to the Board of MAS as Non-Executive Director.

The government's strategic investment fund also nominated Datuk Seri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly to the MAS Board as Non-Executive Director.

Khazanah Managing Director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar said the Khazanah Board in its deliberations took into consideration the critical nature of the MAS restructuring, which requires the best aviation management expertise, and in particular, those with a strong track record of turning around national flag carriers.

"An extensive global search was undertaken that covered both international and local Malaysian talent," Azman said.

He said Mueller is the best candidate and has two equally important tasks: to lead the turnaround of our national carrier and to build a local succession.

Meanwhile, Azman said Shazalli’s appointment to the MAS Board will also bring extensive experience and expertise in many areas, including marketing, branding and corporate turnarounds.