DATUK SERI (DR) SYED HUSSIAN ALJUNID
GROUP CHAIRMAN
  • First appointment as Group Chairman-designate on 13 June 2019
  • Appointment as Group Chairman on 1 July 2019
  • Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian brings with him over 30-years of professional experience in the insurance and technology sectors, as well as an in-depth understanding of emerging technologies and expertise in corporate transformation.

He began his career with The American Malaysian Insurance Sdn Bhd in 1982. In 1986, he was promoted as the Penang Branch Manager. In 1989, he was promoted as the company’s Senior Regional Manager covering Penang, Perlis, Kedah, and Perak.

Within the Media Prima Group, he sits on the Board of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad, Synchrosound Studio Sdn Bhd, Big Tree Outdoor Sdn Bhd, Media Prima Digital Sdn Bhd, REV Media Group Sdn Bhd, Media Prima Omnia Sdn Bhd, WOWSHOP Sdn Bhd, Print Towers Sdn Bhd and The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad.

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian was formerly a Director of Tanjung Offshore Berhad, AWC Berhad, Efficient E-Solutions Berhad, and Amanah Raya Reit Berhad. He was the Group Chairman – Malaysia Operations for Western Digital. He had served as Director of all its subsidiaries including Western Digital Media (Penang), SanDisk Batu Kawan (Penang), Western Digital Substrate Johor and Kuching. He held key positions within Western Digital such as the Director of Asian Operations Support in 2000, as Senior Director in 2011 and subsequently as Group Chairman. He is a Director of Finisar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (now known as II – VI), one of the biggest global multinational companies in Perak employing close to 4000 employees. Both WDC and II – VI are listed on the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASDAQ) US.

Over the years, Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian’s contribution to helping Malaysian students get access to quality education has been widely acknowledged by the country’s leading varsities. Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed was appointed to the Board of University Malaysia Sarawak, an appointment supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Sarawak based university. He is also the CEO@ Faculty for Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Polytechnic and Chairman of the institution’s Industry Advisory Board since 2018.

At Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTem), he is an Adjunct Professor and the CEO@Faculty for the institution. His many contributions to UTeM was recognised in 2019 when he received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering Technology. Other roles in education include as the Advisor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Entrepreneurship Programme and Chairman of the WD-Ministry of Higher Education Campus Connect Program.

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian holds a Diploma in Insurance from the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS), in Tokyo, Japan, in 1988 and a Certificate in Insurance from Institut Teknologi MARA in 1982. He attended a Government Entrepreneurial Program at ASIA BUNKA Kaikan Tokyo in 1985. He also attended a Management Program course at Re GMBH in Cologne, Germany, in 1991.