Former PLUS chief Azman likely to head DNB

PETALING JAYA: Former PLUS Malaysia Bhd chief Datuk Azman Ismail is expected to be appointed as the next chief executive officer (CEO) of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

A source told StarBiz that the Finance Ministry is likely to announce the appointment this week.

The CEO position at DNB has been vacant since March this year, after former CEO Augustus Ralph Marshall’s contract was not extended.

DNB was set up by the Finance Ministry as a special-purpose vehicle to drive the development of 5G infrastructure in Malaysia.

Last month, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said DNB’s new CEO would be announced once the share subscription agreements (SSAs) between DNB and mobile network operators (MNOs) are finalised.

The SSAs, which are necessary for the MNOs to take up equity in DNB, are expected to be signed by mid-October, according to Fahmi.

The appointment of Azman as DNB’s chief comes as the 5G network provider is inching closer to the 80% 5G coverage target, following which the second network provider will be set up.

Azman led PLUS, the country’s largest highway concessionaire, for six years from January 2017 till December 2022.

Prior to serving PLUS, Azman has had a 30-year career at Shell where he was the managing director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and general manager of retail business, overseeing Shell’s petroleum retailing in Malaysia and Brunei.