KUALA LUMPUR (July 10): CelcomDigi Bhd (KL:CDB) has appointed former MISC Bhd (KL:MISC) chief executive officer Datuk Yee Yang Chien as its new independent and non executive director.
In separate Bursa Malaysia filings on Friday (July 10), the telecommunications group also appointed Dr Farid Mohamed Sani as a non-independent and non-executive director, following Vivek Sood's resignation from the same position. All boardroom changes took effect on Friday.
Vivek, 62, stepped down from CelcomDigi's board after retiring as group chief executive officer and managing director of Axiata Group Bhd (KL:AXIATA) on June 1, 2026, following more than three years at the helm after being appointed to lead the telecommunications group in March 2023. He was succeeded by Nik Rizal Kamil Nik Ibrahim Kamil.
The new board members
Yee, 58, began his career in external and internal audit before moving into equity research and investment banking. He later spent close to two decades at MISC and retired as MISC's president and group CEO in September 2022 after nearly eight years at the helm.
During his tenure, he led the group's strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and divestments, corporate bond issuances, an initial public offering and the incubation of technology and digital start-ups.
He is also a non-independent non-executive director at Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK).
Farid, 50, is currently head of digitalisation at Khazanah Nasional Bhd, having rejoined the sovereign wealth fund in December 2018 after serving as chief strategy officer of UEM Group Bhd. Prior to that, Farid was at Khazanah between 2004 and 2011, and at Telekom Malaysia Bhd (KL:TM) from 2012 to 2017.
Farid, who is also a non-independent non-executive director of Axiata, will be its representative to CelcomDigi, in which Axiata holds a 33.1% stake. He will abstain from deliberating and voting on transactions between Axiata and CelcomDigi.
At the time of writing, CelcomDigi's share price was up seven sen or 2.4% at RM2.99, giving the company a market capitalisation of RM35.08 billion. Over the past one year, the stock has fallen 22%.