Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar is regarded as one of the most accomplished corporate leaders in Malaysia having successfully led five major organisations in infrastructure development, telecommunications, financial services, investment management and capital markets.

He currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Professor of Practice at INCEIF University, where he contributes his vast leadership experience and expertise in Islamic finance to the academic and professional community.

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid recently completed his five-year tenure as Chairman of Bursa Malaysia on 30 April 2025. He served as Group Chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia’s largest fund management company, from August 2016 to June 2018 following completion of his term as a Senator and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Economic Planning from June 2013 to June 2016.

Prior to his cabinet appointment, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid was the President and CEO of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest public listed company and one of the leading banking groups in Southeast Asia, from May 2008. He was credited with transforming Maybank into a regional banking group and a global leader in Islamic finance. Maybank’s ‘Islamic first’ strategy adopted during his tenure enabled Maybank Islamic to extend its lead as the largest Islamic bank in Malaysia and subsequently emerge as the fifth largest Islamic bank in the world. He was also the Chairman of The Association of Banks in Malaysia.

Prior to joining Maybank, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid was the Group Chief Executive Officer of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) from July 2004 until its demerger with Axiata Group Berhad in April 2008. He was credited with transforming TM into a competitive regional telecommunications company with particular emphasis on mobile communications. TM expanded its mobile communications business into Indonesia and Singapore and strengthened its presence in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Sri Lanka during his tenure as CEO.

He was also formerly the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UEM Group Berhad, his first role as CEO at the age of 37. He successfully led the turnaround of UEM Group, Malaysia’s largest infrastructure development conglomerate (which owned PLUS Expressways), following its takeover by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional in 2001.

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). He has received numerous awards throughout his career. These include Malaysia’s CEO of the Year 2006 award from Business Times/American Express, The Asian Banker’s 2013 Leadership Achievement Award for Malaysia and The Edge Value Creator: Outstanding CEO of Malaysia award 2013. Most recently in April 2025, he received the Saleh Kamel Islamic Economics Award from HRH the Governor of Madinah in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of Islamic banking. He was also awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Economy from Multimedia University, Malaysia (MMU) in 2014, Honorary Doctorate in Economy & Muamalat Administration by the Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM) in 2018 and Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from University Poly Tech Malaysia (UPTM) in 2023.

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid currently serves as the Chairman of Cypark Resources Berhad (Malaysia’s leading renewable energy company) and Senior Independent Director of IOI Corporation Berhad (Malaysia’s leading, globally integrated and sustainable palm oil company), Pro-Chancellor of USIM, Adjunct Professor of UPTM and as the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, UK. He is also a member of Majlis Kebangsaan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam (MKI), Pahang Net Zero Council and the Sarawak Economic Action Council.