Minor reshuffling at UEM Group

Changes in senior management to meet group’s ambitious targets

PETALING JAYA: A minor reshuffle of senior management at UEM Group Bhd is taking place but this could signal the beginning of more changes to come since group managing director Datuk Izzaddin Idris has ambitious targets for the group to achieve RM3bil net profit in five years time.
Suhaimi Halim, who is the current MD of Opus Group Bhd, will now head a new company that will undertake the asset management business.
He will be MD of the new company. Opus is currently into asset development and asset management.
It is learnt that Opus International (M) Bhd chief operating officer Muhinder Singh has been re-designated to UEM Group country head for India.
Datuk Izzaddin Idris wants the group to strengthen its position abroad especially in the Middle East, Brunei, Indonesia and India.
This would mark the group’s return into the Indian market since it left a few years ago. According to Izzaddin, things have changed for UEM Group in India as “the non-performance contractor status has been removed now and we are in a good position to bid for projects under the National Highway Authority of India.”
It has been reported earlier that UEM Group was now free to pursue projects in India after being blacklisted earlier as a non-performing contractor in the country.
Izzaddin wants the group to strengthen its position abroad especially in the Middle East, Brunei, Indonesia and India.
Chief operating officer of PLUS Expressways Bhd Nik Airina Nik Jaffar will succeed Suhaimi as MD of Opus. Propel Bhd MD Tajul Azwa Bani Hashim will in turn succeed Nik Airina at PLUS.
“The change is necessary to revitalise the group. The contracts of some senior team members are also up for renewal, so some shuffling will do the group good,” said a source.
Those in the know claim that this is just the first phase of management reshuffling within the UEM Group and that more is expected as the right people will be needed to achieve the group’s ambitious targets.
UEM Group now has a leaner business focus in four core areas – expressways, township and property development, engineering and construction, and assets and facility management.
(By B.K. Sidhu)
(Published in The Star on Aug 24, 2010)