Idris Jala

Yang Berbahagia Dato' Sri Idris Jala PJN SSAP PGBK
Idris Jala at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in 2012.
Ministerial roles
2009–2015	Minister in Prime Minister Department
Faction represented in Dewan Negara
2009–2015	Independent
Personal details
Born	Idris Jala (1958-08-21) 21 August 1958 (age 66) Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia
Citizenship	Malaysian
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Pang Ngan Yue
Children	2
Alma mater	Universiti Sains Malaysia Warwick University
Website	idrisjala.my

Dato' Sri Idris Jala (born 21 August 1958) is a Malaysian technocrat. He served as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and as the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) from 2009 till 2015, the unit tasked with spearheading Malaysia's transition towards high income status by 2020. He was also a Senator in the Dewan Negara from 2009 till 2015. At present, he is the President and CEO of PEMANDU Associates, a global consultancy firm focused on public sector transformation and business turnaround.[1]

Background and career

Idris is a transformation guru in turning around companies' performance through his Big Fast Results method and transformational strategies that are innovative, rigorous and relevant to today's demands. He has continuously delivered sustainable socioeconomic reforms which, in 2014, saw Bloomberg place him among the top 10 most influential policy makers in the world.

Idris is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of The Global Transformation Forum (GTF), the world's singular platform for influential, global leaders to engage and share experiences and best practices on how to drive transformation.

Prior to his government stint, Idris used to work for Shell. In 2005, the Malaysian government elected him as CEO of Malaysia Airlines due to massive losses of the company.[2] In February 2006, he announced the airline's business turnaround plan from a 9-month loss of US$400 million in 2005 to achieving a record profit of US$260 million in 2007.[3] He served until August 2009 after successfully turning around MAS and was awarded the CAPA Airline Turnaround of the Year (2006).[2] He was also voted as a Governor on the Board of IATA (International Air Transport Association) in 2006.

Before Malaysia Airlines, he spent 23 years at Shell, rising up the ranks to hold senior positions including Vice President, Shell Retail International and Vice President Business Development Consultancy, based in UK. He was appointed the CEO of Shell Middle Distillates (SMDS) Bintulu and Shell Sri Lanka. Both companies saw successful business turnarounds under his leadership.

Idris Jala is a Kelabit from Sarawak and is a Christian.[4] He is one of the few non-Malay non-Muslims to have been appointed to head a GLC.[5]

Cabinet minister

September 2009, Idris Jala was sworn in as a minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Idris was appointed minister without portfolio in the Prime Minister's Department and chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu). As CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), the unit monitoring the implementation of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) initiative, he assisted and reported to Koh Tsu Koon, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department who is responsible for national unity and performance management.[6] Idris Jala was the first Orang Ulu to be appointed a federal minister.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

•  Malaysia :
  • Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (2007)[7]
•  Pahang :
  • Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2007)[8]
•  Sarawak :
  • Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (PGBK) – Datuk (2007)

References

1. "About Us – PEMANDU Associates". pemandu.org. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
2. "Executive Profile Idris Jala". Bloomberg Business. 19 September 2015.
3. Alex Dichter; Fredrik Lind; Seelan Singham (November 2008). "Turning around a struggling airline: An interview with the CEO of Malaysia Airlines". McKinsey & Company.
4. "The Journey Continues". IdrisJala.My. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
5. "Asia Sentinel - In Malaysia, Signs of Government Reform". Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
6. "Idris Jala sworn in as minister". Archived from the original on 5 September 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
7. "Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's birthday honours list". The Star Online. 2 June 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
8. "Sultan of Pahang's 77th birthday honours list". The Star Online. 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2021.