Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee is widely known as one of Malaysia’s most respected corporate leaders, with a remarkable track record spanning the energy, aviation, automotive, and FMCG sectors. Formerly the President and CEO of Petronas and the Chairman of Malaysia Airlines and the Malaysian Aviation Group, he made history as the first Asian appointed to ExxonMobil’s board. Today, he continues to serve the nation and corporate Malaysia in key leadership roles as the Chairman of DRB-Hicom, Gas Malaysia, and Nestlé Malaysia.
At People Psyence®, however, he is fondly known by a different title—The Accidental Psyentist®, a name he sportingly gave himself. He describes his association with People Psyence® as a happy ‘accident,’ and brings his wealth of experience and strategic insight to guide the organisation’s growth in culture, talent development, and leadership.
Despite a long list of achievements—so extensive it spans two full pages!—Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee remains a figure of humility and authenticity. He was conferred the Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) in 2017 and was recognised internationally as one of the 100 Global Brand Guardians by Brand Finance for two consecutive years. As the first engineer to helm Petronas, he led the organisation through one of the most challenging periods in the oil and gas industry, driving transformational change that enabled resilience, sustainability, and Petronas’s international expansion in recent years.
Beyond the boardroom, Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee has also served the education and public sectors with distinction. He was the Pro Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, an Adjunct Professor and Industry Advisory Board Member at the Islamic University of Malaysia, and a Trustee of the Razak School of Government. He also contributed as a member of the Advisory Council at Institut Pentadbiran Awam and as Chairman of the Malaysian National Trust Fund.
Despite his towering corporate presence, Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee is known for his introspective nature. A true introvert, he leads with quiet confidence, principle, and purpose. He is a curious and thoughtful traveller who has explored over 40 countries and flown with more than 28 different airlines—always in pursuit of authentic, local experiences rather than ticking off tourist attractions. He is also an avid Formula 1 enthusiast, with in-depth knowledge of the sport’s teams, drivers, and technical intricacies.
His journey with People Psyence® began serendipitously in 2016 through a conversation with Datuk Danel. After retiring in 2019, he was drawn to the organisation’s mission and saw it as an opportunity to invest his time meaningfully. Deeply Passionate about organisational culture, talent development and digitalisation in the workplace, People Psyence® and its offerings resonated with him. He sees a lot of potential for People Psyence® and hopes to guide the organisation in realising its potential to grow in leaps and bounds.