KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PDB) has appointed Azrul Osman Rani as its new managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), effective January 1 next year.

Currently, Azrul is the head of commercial development and JV Formation at Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (PRPC) with a second role as CEO of PRPC Utilities and Facilities.

"Azrul began his career at PDB’s retail business before making his mark as a trader at Malaysian International Trading Corporation Sdn Bhd (MITCO), marketing various petrochemical products for the Indonesian market.

"He demonstrated strong leadership skills that led him to become one of the youngest country managers appointed to lead various units within MITCO and other divisions within Petronas Group,” it said in a statement today.

Azrul, a Petronas scholar, will take over from Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed M Tahir, who was first appointed as Petronas vice president of marketing, downstream business in July 2017, and subsequently as MD and CEO in June 2018.

Commenting on the appointment, Syed Zainal hopes Azrul with over 23 years of experience in the oil and gas business, could take PDB to the next level of growth.

"Azrul has had an illustrative career in Petronas in the marketing and commercial segment, ranging from trading activities, mergers and acquisitions, as well as negotiations that will complement the dynamics of the business,” he said. — Bernama