Axiata Group announced president and CEO Izzaddin Idris (pictured) will depart at the end of the month, a day after revealing a loss for the opening quarter, with two executives to take over as interim joint acting chiefs from 1 June.

The Axiata board named group EVP and telecom business CEO Hans Wijayasuria and CFO Vivek Sood as co-heads. Both will retain their current positions.

In a statement, Axiata noted the board does not expect to make additional structural or senior leadership changes in the near term. Idris’ departure “is based on a mutual cessation of his service contract”.

Axiata chairman Shahril Ridza Ridzuan noted Idris took the helm at the height of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) crisis. “He has been instrumental in shaping the group’s strategic response to secure stability and business continuity in the face of daunting and unprecedented challenges across many aspects of our operations.”

The company named Idris as the replacement for president and CEO Jamaludin Ibrahim in January 2020, with the executive holding the post of deputy CEO for a year before assuming full control.

Idris served as a board member since November 2016.