KUALA LUMPUR: The departure of Malaysia Aviation Group's (MAG) two key executives – chief executive officer of airlines Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi and group chief branding and customer experience Lau Yin May - is believed to be part of an organisational restructuring.
Business Times learnt that the organisational restructuring, which started in September 2024, is part of MAG's effort to streamline its businesses.
Part of the restructuring involves the extension of MAG group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail's contract for another two years.
He was initially due to retire last year after his contract expired.
Coincidentally, MAG's former group chairman Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, who was appointed to the role in July 2020, also stepped down from his four-year position in September 2024.
Currently, there is no successor named to take over Wan Zulkiflee's role although talks in the industry has been rife that MAG's current non-executive director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid would be assuming the group chairman role.
It is not clear if the restructuring involves MAG moving into 2025 and onwards without Ahmad Luqman and Yin May but industry sources said they had tendered their resignations.
Ahmad Luqman is believed to be moving on to another opportunity – "an offer that can't be refused" said sources in the local aviation scene - after his tenure at MAG ends at the end of this month.
Izham would temporarily assume Ahmad Luqman's role from February while MAG group chief strategy and transformation officer Bryan Foong would look over Yin May's portfolio.
"Captain (Izham) will assume the role temporarily until a replacement is found. He will have to find two executive positions to fill," sources told Business Times, adding that no new names had come up to replace the two key executives.
Yin May, who is always seen at MAG events cheerfully greeting the media and attendees, did not attend the recent unveiling of its new aircraft, the Airbus A330neo.
It was learnt that she was on leave and was travelling during the event.
She was appointed to her current position in Jan 1, 2023.
Prior to that she was responsible for the group's marketing, customer experience and loyalty programme as the chief marketing and customer experience officer since April 2019.
Business Times has contacted MAG for a comment on the departure of its two senior executives. As at press time, no statement has been released yet.
News of Ahmad Luqman's departure shook those outside MAG as he is seen as the successor to helm the group after the 63-year-old Izham retires.
However, industry sources said his departure does not mean that he could not return as the aviation group's head honcho.
"We'll see (on Ahmad Luqman taking over Izham's role after he retires). As you know, nothing is definite in this corporate world," the sources said.
Ahmad Luqman started his career with Malaysia Airlines over two decades ago as a management trainee and rose through the ranks as CEO of airlines in January 2023.
He was also Malaysia Airlines Bhd group chief operations officer since February 2018. Prior to that, he was appointed as the CEO of MAB Kargo Sdn Bhd in 2015.