KUALA LUMPUR: Axiata Group Bhd (Axiata) chief executive officer of telecommunications business and group executive director, Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, will step down from the company on January 15, 2025, following his acceptance of an invitation to become the chief advisor to the Sri Lankan President on digital economy. During the interim period, Wijayasuriya will continue his responsibilities at Axiata, executing a transition programme while participating in the Sri Lankan government’s digital transformation initiatives on an advisory and non-executive basis.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Axiata announced that any further changes would be communicated at an appropriate time. Wijayasuriya currently oversees the pan-region telecommunications operations of Axiata across Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia. He has also been a board member of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the governing body of the global mobile industry. In 2024, Wijayasuriya received the GS
MA Chairman’s Award, the highest recognition by GSMA, for his contributions to the global mobile industry.
Axiata chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan commented on Wijayasuriya’s pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of Axiata over his 30-year tenure with the group and its predecessor, Telekom Malaysia. He also highlighted Wijayasuriya’s integral role in cultivating talent within the organisation. Group chief executive officer and managing director Vivek Sood emphasized the value Wijayasuriya’s extensive expertise in telecommunications, technology transformation, and digitisation would bring to Sri Lanka. Sood noted that Wijayasuriya’s appointment underscores Axiata’s commitment to fostering exceptional leaders who drive change within and beyond the industry, and acknowledged his instrumental role in advancing Axiata’s Telco-TechCo agenda and enhancing its portfolio to deliver long-term value to shareholders.
