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  Board of Directors

 
     
 

TUNKU DATO' YAACOB KHYRA
Chairman
Tunku Dato’ Yaacob Khyra was appointed to the Board as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 November 2021 and was subsequently redesignated as Chairman on 9 February 2023.

Tunku Dato’ Yaacob graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Economics and Accounting from City University, London. An accountant by training, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Tunku Dato’ Yaacob started his career as an Auditor with Price Waterhouse in London from 1982 to 1985 and subsequently, employed by the same firm in Kuala Lumpur from 1986 to 1987. Tunku Dato’ Yaacob joined Malaysian Assurance Alliance Berhad (now known as Zurich Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad) in 1987 until October 2006.

Currently, Tunku Dato’ Yaacob is the Executive Chairman of MAA Group Berhad, Melewar Industrial Group Berhad and Mycron Steel Berhad. He is a Board Member of Melewar Group Berhad, Khyra Legacy Berhad, Yayasan Khyra, MAA Bancwell Trustee Berhad, Ithmaar Holding B.S.C. (listed in Bahrain), Ithmaar Bank B.S.C. (Closed), Altech Chemicals Limited (listed in Australia), Chase Perdana Sdn Bhd and several private limited companies.

Tunku Dato’ Yaacob is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Yayasan Amal Maaedicare and The Budimas Charitable Foundation.

RAVINDRASINGHAM A/L BALASINGHAM
Group Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director
Mr Ravindrasingham Balasingham was appointed to the Board as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 December 2021 and was subsequently redesignated as Group Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director on 8 November 2022.

He started his career in public practice in the UK, before joining Ernst and Young Chartered Accountants, Malaysia. He then joined Kinta Kellas PLC. Following which he joined the Corporate Finance division of RHB Investment Bank Bhd. Thereafter, he took on the role of Vice-President in Melewar Group.

He returned to investment banking with Bank Labouchere NV, London (an investment banking arm of Aegon NV) as the Head of Finance, a role he retained after a takeover by Dexia Banking Group. Subsequently, following an MBO exercise, he led the formation of a pan-European stockbroking operation, as the Group Finance Director and Controller.

After this spell in investment banking, he returned to industry to turn around underperforming companies, most notably as the Group CEO of Malaysian Merchant Marine Bhd.

He then went on to lead the restructuring and IPO of Eversendai Bhd, and subsequently has been involved in various consultancies and interim roles.

He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Finance and Accounting from University of Salford, Manchester (UK) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has also completed the SFA Registered Persons examinations by the Securities Institute (UK).

He is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies..

YEE HONG HO
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Yee Hong Ho was appointed to the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 15 March 2023. He began his career with Kassim Chan & Co (now known as Deloitte) in 1994 and later joined KPMG in 2005 before he left as Audit Director in 2012.

He has over 18 years of experience in providing audit and business advisory services to clients in a wide range of industries. His portfolio of clients included major public listed companies and local subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating in various industries, including banking and financial services, manufacturing and trading, construction contracts, engineering, consultancy services, logistic and transportation, oil and gas, hospitality and other service industries.

His experience also includes financial due diligence reviews for the acquisition of business entity, reporting accountants for purposes of IPO, review of profit forecasts in connection with rights issue exercises. Currently holds various directorships within the RFY Group of Companies involved at Group level matters across the spectrum of group business activities, such as Finance, Corporate Affairs, Risk Management, People Management and Regulatory Compliance functions of the Group.

He is a Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a Member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

STEVE HO SOO WOON
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Ho Soo Woon (“Steve Ho”) was re-appointed to the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director on 3 November 2023.

Mr Steve Ho graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Banking & Finance) from the National University of Singapore on a Singapore Government’s scholarship in 1985.

Mr Steve Ho is the founder and Managing Director of Tesoro Capital Sdn Bhd a corporate consultancy outfit which specializes in initial public offerings, secondary capital and debt fund raisings, reverse takeovers, mergers and acquisition exercises.

Mr Steve Ho has over 36 years of experience in the corporate, commercial, financial and operational matters spanning across various business sectors including banking, manufacturing, real estate, healthcare, oil & gas and mining.

Mr Steve Ho started his career as a bank executive in 1985 with the Arab Malaysian Banking Group. Subsequently in 1987 he was recruited by the Hong Leong Banking Group as one of their pioneer team members in the Corporate Division to spearhead the Bank’s new strategic focus to grow its small & medium enterprises loan portfolio In Malaysia.

Mr Steve Ho left in 1992 to set up Quantum Corporation Sdn Bhd, a Corporate Finance consultancy outfit as a co-founding partner. During his 26 years as Managing Director of Quantum Corporation, he was instrumental in the successful listing of numerous corporate clients on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange as well as numerous M&A exercises Involving PLCs and private entitles.

Mr Steve Ho currently serves on the Boards of several public and private companies where he advises on their corporate strategies and financing. He was previously the commercial director of Atrium Reit (a real estate investment trust listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) In 2018 and AHB Holdings Bhd (a furniture manufacturer listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange) in 2020.

Mr Steve Ho is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies.

THULASY SUPPIAH
Independent Non-Executive Director
Ms Thulasy was appointed to the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 15 March 2023. She holds an LL.B (Hons) degree from the University of London, U.K. She was admitted as a Barrister-at-Law (Lincoln’s Inn) in 2013 and to the Malaysian Bar in 2014. She currently manages her own practice, an all-service firm, and leads the litigation department.

Prior to embarking on a career in law, Ms. Thulasy Suppiah was a Solutions Consultant for Oracle Corporation known for its software application for business and the Oracle database software until 2012. As part of her role, she specialised in human capital management systems and collaborated with partners both within Singapore and across other South-East Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. A computer engineering graduate, she was awarded a B.Eng (Computer Engineering) by the National University of Singapore in 2007.

Ms. Thulasy Suppiah was the Chairperson of the Gender Equality & Diversity Committee (GEDC) and continues to serve as a member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee. She was formerly involved with the Association of Women Lawyers as an Exco member. More recently, she annotated the LexisNexis Annotated Statutes of Malaysia: Mental Health Act 2001.

She is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies.

DATUK UWE AHRENS
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
Datuk Uwe Ahrens was appointed to the Board as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 21 October 2021.

Datuk Ahrens holds Masters in both Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany.

Upon graduation, Datuk Ahrens joined the international engineering and industrial plant supplier, KOCH Transporttechnik GmbH in Germany, now belonging to FLSmidth Group, where Datuk Ahrens held a senior management position for 12 years.

Datuk Ahrens joined Melewar Group in 2002 and has since held senior management positions including Group Chief Technical Officer and was a Director of Melewar Industrial Group Berhad from 2012 - 2017. Datuk Ahrens is Managing Director of MIE Tech Sdn Bhd.

Datuk Ahrens is CEO & Director of Altech Advanced Materials AG listed in Germany and the Alternate Non-Executive Director to Tunku Dato’ Yaacob Khyra in Altech Chemicals Limited, listed in Australia.

He is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies.

JAMES BELTRAN
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr James Beltran was appointed to the Board as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 December 2021.

Mr James holds a Bachelor of Laws awarded by University of West London, United Kingdom and completed his Certificate of Legal Practice from the University of Malaya. He is a qualified lawyer by profession. He is also a Certified Financial Planner and a founder member of the Financial Planners Association of Malaysia.

He is a Board Member of Langkawi Yacht City Berhad and an Independent Board Director of DFNN Inc, a public listed technology company in the Philippines and had served as Chairman of its Risk Committee. He is also currently holds various directorships within the Melewar Group of Companies involved at Group level matters across the spectrum of groups business activities.

He is a former Independent Board Member at Solidarity Group Holdings, a Bahrain Headquartered Insurance Group with multiple listed operational financial institutional entities across the Middle East and was Chairman of the group Audit Committee for 8 years. He was also a former Independent Board Member of Arshiya International, an Indian Public listed logistics and integrated supply chain company operating across India. In addition, he is also a former Group Head of MAA International responsible for oversight of Insurance operations in Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand for MAA Group.

He currently sits as an advisor to two sustainability focused organisations namely The Lost Food Project and Thought For Food SEA.

He is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies.

DATO' INDERA NARESH MOHAN
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
Dato’ Indera Naresh Mohan was appointed to the Board as a Non-Independent Non- Executive Director on 1 December 2021.

Dato’ Indera Naresh started his career in the family business representing textile mills in Europe for South East Asian markets in year 1986. In 1994, Dato’ Indera Naresh formed a partnership to create a diversified trading company called Glorient Trading Sdn Bhd and the group was sold in 2001.

Dato’ Indera Naresh currently holds the position of Group Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality 360 Sdn Bhd.

Dato’ Indera Naresh is a member of Malaysian Association of Hotels, Malaysia India Business Council and SKAL International Kuala Lumpur - Club 179. Dato’ Indera Naresh is also an Advisor to Pahang Tourism for Visit Pahang Year 2017, Vice-Chancelier of Chaine Des Rotisseurs and EXCO member of Kuala Lumpur Tourism Association. Dato’ Indera Naresh is also panel member of Perunding Wilayah Incorporated.

Dato’ Indera Naresh currently sits on the Board of Yayasan Tunku Naquiyuddin and Board of Governors of Budimas Education Charity Fund.

Dato’ Indera Naresh is not a Director of any other public or public listed companies.