Group Chief Information Officer - KL based

About the Organisation

A large, diversified group with industrial and commercial operations across Asia, operating at significant scale. Technology underpins how the business runs, delivered through an established shared-services model spanning enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and project delivery. The group is investing to modernise and elevate its technology capability across the region.

The Opportunity

This is a transformation leadership role for a seasoned technology executive. You will lead and modernise the group's IT shared services — setting the technology direction, raising capability and service standards, and driving a progressive, cloud-forward agenda (including AI) with strong governance, all while keeping a large, mission-critical estate stable and secure. It is a genuine mandate to reshape the function, with the backing to bring in talent and lift the bar on what the organisation expects from technology. The role is based in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Transformation

• Define and drive the modernisation roadmap for the group's IT shared services, bringing external best-practice benchmarks and translating them into a prioritised plan that delivers measurable business value.
• Champion a progressive, cloud-forward technology direction — including data and AI — balancing innovation with strong governance and cost discipline.

Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Own end-to-end delivery and continuous improvement across enterprise applications (ERP and related), infrastructure, cybersecurity, and project delivery — driving standardisation, service quality, and efficiency at scale.
• Safeguard the stability, security, and resilience of a large, mission-critical estate while modernising legacy systems.

Business Partnership & People

• Act as a true business partner to the operating businesses — prioritising technology investment by business impact and embedding a customer-centric service culture.
• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team, coaching existing managers and selectively bringing in external talent.
• Engage credibly with senior stakeholders and strategic vendors, articulating a vision that partners want to invest in.

Qualifications & Requirements

Must-Have

• Proven leadership of IT shared services for a large, multi-geography enterprise at significant scale.
• A demonstrable track record of IT transformation and modernisation, with exposure to high-performing environments.
• Genuinely business- and customer-centric leadership style, with a record of proactive partnership and value creation.
• Strong command of enterprise platforms (ERP and related), infrastructure, and cybersecurity, with a cloud-forward outlook and a firm grasp of governance.
• Presence and credibility to influence senior executives and strategic vendors; concise, board-ready communication.
• Strong people leadership — building teams, coaching, and attracting talent.
• Professional fluency in English.

Good-to-Have

• Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or asset-intensive businesses.
• Proficiency in a regional Asian language.
• Exposure to multi-cloud environments.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; postgraduate qualification (e.g., MBA) an advantage.

Why This Role

• A senior mandate to shape and modernise the technology backbone of a large, multi-business group.
• Strong leadership backing for transformation, cloud, and AI.
• Significant scale and regional breadth, with real room to make an impact.