KUALA LUMPUR: Axiata Group Bhd has appointed Hans Wijayasuria and Vivek Sood as interim joint acting group chief executive officers effective June 1, 2022, as Datuk Izzaddin Idris steps down.

       The telco said in a statement Izzaddin will step down from his position as president and group chief executive officer effective May 31.

       His stepping down is based on a mutual cessation of his service contract between him and Axiata.

       Hans is currently Axiata’s telecommunications business and group executive vice-president and Vivek is the group chief financial officer.

       They will retain their current positions and portfolios. The board does not expect to make additional structural or senior leadership changes in the near term.

       “The board thanks Izzaddin for his wisdom, leadership and contributions in steering the group over the past two years. He took the helm on Jan 1, 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, after serving as deputy group CEO since January 2020.

       “He has been instrumental in shaping the group’s strategic response to secure stability and business continuity in the face of daunting and unprecedented challenges across many aspects of our operations,” said chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan.

       “Having served as a member of Axiata’s board since November 2016, he was steadfast in translating the Axiata 5.0 Vision into execution.

       “He rallied the team, building on Axiata’s modern, agile and digital culture to deliver several significant milestones that have placed the group on a solid trajectory to capture new growth areas for a sustainable future,” he added.