Petaling Jaya, 14 December 2018 - Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SDP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha as Deputy to the Managing Director, effective 1 January 2019.

Following his appointment, Mohamad Helmy, who is currently SDP’s Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, will understudy SDP’s incumbent Managing Director, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh, who is retiring in June 2019. The appointment is part of the Company’s plan to ensure seamless succession at its top leadership subject to performance appraisal and final approval of the Board of Directors. Apart from assisting the Managing Director with the overall running of the Group, Mohamad Helmy will continue to be responsible over the Plantation Upstream business.

“Mohamad Helmy is a key member of our management team and has all the relevant experience and expertise to manage Sime Darby Plantation’s vast integrated business. He has demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to performance, both of which are important qualities for senior management,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh, SDP’s Executive Deputy Chairman & Managing Director.

Mohamad Helmy, 51, has more than 18 years of experience in the plantation industry. He is a Chartered Accountant and began his career as an auditor with Wellers, Accountants, Oxford, United Kingdom. In 1991, he worked in the oil & gas sector in the Shell Group in Malaysia. In 1997, he joined Guthrie Property Holdings Sdn. Bhd. as the Finance and Administration Manager. Within Guthrie, he rose up the ranks quickly and moved into the Plantation sector. In 2006 he was appointed Chief Executive of Highlands & Lowlands Berhad. Mohamad Helmy was also a key member of the Guthrie team that acquired Minamas Plantation in Indonesia in 2001 and later restructured it.

In 2007, after the merger that established the enlarged Sime Darby Group, Mohamad Helmy was appointed Head of Upstream Malaysia in Sime Darby Plantations Sdn Bhd. He also headed the Company’s overseas expansion into Africa. After a brief stint outside the company, Mohamad Helmy returned to SDP in 2016 as Head, Plantation Services and Special Project, before being appointed as Chief Operating Officer, Upstream in 2017.