Axiata Group named Dato Izzaddin as the replacement for current president and CEO Jamaludin Ibrahim (pictured) who is due to retire at the end of the year, a move it said secures the succession of its leadership.

Izzadin will take on the role of deputy CEO of the group tomorrow (24 January) to get up to speed with the day-to-day running of the business. Ibrahim, meanwhile, extended his tenure from early March to end-December, “to ensure a smooth and successful leadership transition”, Axiata said in a statement.

Ibrahim is a near 40-year veteran of the telecoms industry, holding his current position for the past 12. He said it had been a privilege, but the time was now right to “pass the mantle of leadership to a strong and dedicated professional”.

The current chief noted Izzadin was no stranger to the company given “the strategic roles he has played to take Axiata to where it is today. We have worked very closely for some years, and I look forward to working together in the year ahead in achieving our ambitious goals with Operational Excellence as the group-wide battle cry”.

Izzaddin, currently a member of Axiata’s board, is redesignated as an executive director.

As a deputy CEO, Izzaddin will be in charge of group functions related to finance, strategy, marketing and corporate affairs, and will run “the increasingly critical areas of cybersecurity, privacy and trust, and ethics and compliance”, the company stated.

He will also run the group’s tower unit edotco and its digital services business Axiata Digital.