Welcome to the Malaysia Chapter
About 30% Club Malaysia
The 30% Club is a global business-led campaign founded in the UK to advocate for gender parity in boardrooms and senior leadership.
Launched by the Prime Minister in May 2015, the Malaysian Chapter works to catalyse real transformation in Corporate Malaysia through a culture of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).
The 30% Club Malaysia’s primary focus has been to facilitate at least 30% women representation on the boards of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, and also welcomes non-listed entities and global multinational companies to join as a Corporate Advocate.
Our aim
To support the achievement of a minimum of 30% Gender Balance at all senior decision-making tables across Malaysia, including Boards and c-Suite.
30% Club through its activities aims to activate the Chairs and CEOs to be visible in adopting diversity and inclusion best practices in their organisations; engage the wider stakeholders with market influence to champion the diversity agenda within their ecosystem and enable the development of a sustainable pipeline of future women leaders for boards and senior positions.
Activate
Activate senior leaders
The Activate pillar aims to support the 30% Club’s objective by building an ecosystem of corporations to accelerate the adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with a specific focus on gender. To this end, we will engage with Chairs and CEOs and support their organisations’ DEI ambitions towards achieving gender parity.
Influence
Influence those with power to drive change
The Influence pillar serves as a bridge between the Investors’ Community and Government groups, regulators, and GLICs. By engaging with key influencers and thought leaders, our primary objective is to create a powerful network of advocates committed to advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion across workplaces and boardrooms.
Enable
Enabling future women leaders
The Enable pillar supports the development of talent pipeline through mentoring, executive education scholarships and board-ready initiatives.
"The 30% representation is seen to be a tipping point in providing women leaders with an influential voice, and for boards to move closer to gender parity. The biggest jump in women on board representation was recorded from 2021 due to Bursa’s Listing Requirements for all PLCs to have at least one woman director by 1 June 2023, supported by the collective action of leaders of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).”
“There is increasing push for DEI efforts to serve Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives. As it evolves, DEI is about winning the battle for talent to future proof organisations for growth and innovation. Numerous studies have shown that companies with more diverse boards tend to outperform and are ahead on achieving their climate action goals. Investors are likewise scrutinising boards for their diversity.”
Chapter progress
Women representation on the top 100 public listed boards from 2015 onwards.
Source: Securities Commission
2015 (%)
14
2016 (%)
16.6
2017 (%)
19.2
2018 (%)
24.4
2019 (%)
26.4
2020 (%)
25.4
2021 (%)
25.5
2022 (%)
29
2023 (%)
30.6
Members
The 30% Club Malaysia members comprise partners, public listed companies, multinational companies, regulators and professional bodies. The list of companies is only updated once a month.
| Company | Member name | Job Title | Chapter membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Islamic Malaysia Sdn Bhd | Datin Joanne Lopez | Non-ED | Malaysia |
| American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce | Siobhan Das | CEO | Malaysia |
| Asia School of Business | Prof Dr Sanjay Sarma | CEO, President & Dean | Malaysia |
| Axiata Digital Advertising Sdn Bhd | Srinivas Gattamneni | CEO | Malaysia |
| Axiata Digital Services Sdn Bhd | Mohd Khairil Abdullah | CEO | Malaysia |
| Axiata Group Bhd | Vivek Sood | Group CEO & MD | Malaysia |
| Ayer Holdings Bhd | Chua Seng Yong | Group CEO | Malaysia |
| Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd | Mohd Muazzam Mohamed | Group CEO | Malaysia |
| Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd | Roni Abdulwahab | Group CEO | Malaysia |
| Berjaya Corporation Bhd | Nerine Tan | CEO | Malaysia |
Advisory council
Anne Abraham
ADVISORY
Chair - LeadWomen
Dato’ Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar
ADVISORY
Director - ICDM
Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah
ADVISORY
Founder& Chairman Sunway Group
Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar
ADVISORY
Chair - ICDM
Steering committee
The 30% Club is run by a Steering Committee that is made up of senior men and women who volunteer their time and skills
Dato’ Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar
Executive Founding Co-Chair 30% Club Malaysia
Director- ICDM & Affin Bank Bhd
Datuk Ami Moris
Chair 30% Club Malaysia
Advisor, Maybank Group
Marzida Mohd Noor
Activate Pillar (MEMBERSHIP & ACTIVATION)
INED - Affin Bank
Frances Po
Activate Pillar (MEMBERSHIP & ACTIVATION)
INED, Sentral REIT Management
Raj Kumar Paramanathan
Enable Pillar (Talent Engagement)
Managing Partner - CnetG Asia
Geetha Kandiah
Enable Pillar (Talent Engagement)
CEO, KASS International
Pauline Ho
Enable Pillar (Board Mentoring)
Partner - PwC Malaysia
Norlela Baharudin
Enable Pillar (Board Mentoring)
ED, Berjaya Corporation & INED, Prokhas
Our work
To increase women’s participation in boards, the 30% Club Malaysia will continue to work alongside our regulators and build an ecosystem of corporations to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion, driving sustainable corporate growth.
The 30% Club Malaysia will continue to activate the movement for Chairs/CEO to encourage and be seen to place women on boards, leadership positions and be an active participant of the 30% Club.
We will work to engage influencers to continuously demonstrate that women on boards and in leadership is good for business.
We will also enable the talent pipeline of candidates to seize opportunities that will place them in leadership/board positions
30% Club works with some amazing partner groups that help champion meaningful, sustainable change in the gender balance of boards and leadership.
MAIN AIMS
The Activate Pillar aims to support the 30% Club’s objective by building an ecosystem of corporations to accelerate the adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with a specific focus on gender. To this end, we will engage with Chairs and CEOs and support their organisations’ DEI ambitions towards achieving gender parity.
Activate will collaborate with corporations and leverage on readily available resources from the members, partners and advocates. We will provide platforms for corporations to network with peers across industries and share knowledge and best practices to advance the DEI agenda.
Activate will encourage interested corporations to become active proponents and endeavour to create avenues for participating organisations to be visible in leading the campaign to improve women’s economic participation and leadership in the Malaysian workforce.
CONTACT
For more information get in touch with Marzida Mohd Noor at marzida.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com or Frances Po at frances.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com
MAIN AIMS
The Influence pillar serves as a bridge between the Investors’ Community and Government groups, regulators, and GLICs. By engaging with key influencers and thought leaders, our primary objective is to create a powerful network of advocates committed to advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion across workplaces and boardrooms. These efforts are aligned with the overarching goals of the 30% Club Malaysia.
We actively collaborate with prominent entities such as the Securities Commission, Bursa Malaysia, Institutional Investors Council Malaysia (IIC), and Government Linked Investment Companies (GLICs). Through various platforms such as interviews, moderated panel discussions, and dialogue sessions, to initiate meaningful conversations on matters related to diversity, equality, and inclusion. Our aim is to foster a culture that embraces these values across the breadth of the capital markets.
Ultimately, our efforts aim to strengthen corporate governance practices across the markets, fostering a more inclusive and forward-looking business environment.
CONTACT
For more information get in touch with at ahila.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com
MAIN AIMS
The board mentoring scheme aims to accelerate the appointment of more women into board positions as well as enhancing diversity and inclusion in public-listed companies (PLCs).
The scheme, which was launched in 2017, brings together experienced board directors as mentors and aspiring board-ready women under an umbrella with a focus on professional and personal development.
The scheme helps to develop a broader pipeline of board-ready women candidates to be considered for board positions as well as raise their visibility and enhance their profiles among PLCs. Besides gaining clarity, building courage and confidence, participating in this scheme will lead to enhanced leadership capabilities to succeed in a diverse environment in their current workplace.
Through the mentors’ involvement in this scheme, it is our aim that mentors will advocate more gender-diverse boardrooms.
Since its inception, more than 80 experienced board members have supported the board mentoring scheme and, many women candidates have become board directors at both listed and non listed companies.
How it works
The scheme runs for nine months.
To be part of this scheme, the candidate needs to be assessed as board ready by LeadWomen or The Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM). Then, the mentee will be assigned to a mentor, who is a board member.
During this period, the mentee needs to initiate at least three meetings with their respective mentors with each meeting lasting between one to two hours. The respective mentors will share experience and provide guidance to the selected mentees in key areas that are necessary to succeed in board positions. Where the opportunity arise, the mentors may introduce the mentees to others board members with the aim of expanding the mentees’ network.
The mentees also benefit from networking amongst themselves, share knowledge and learn from each other during the 9 month journey. At the conclusion of the 9 months, feedbacks are gathered from both the mentors and mentees to further improve the scheme.
CONTACT
For more information get in touch with Shireen Iqbal at shireen.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com. Do attention the email to Pauline and Norlela.
MAIN AIMS
The Enable Pillar aims to enable organisations to build a culture of DEI, which will foster inclusion and empowerment of future women leaders, in line with our mission to boost the number of women in board seats and executive leadership of companies all over the world. The role of the Talent Engagement team is to engage with corporate members and create programs that aim to build inclusive workplaces, create growth opportunities and remove barriers for career progression and help in building female executive pipelines.
The Talent Engagement team works with professional bodies to identify female members who aspire to be board members and take them through an awareness program on board careers, responsibilities and qualification procedures.
The Talent Engagement team will be working closely with CEOs, HR Leaders, Universities, Women Empowerment groups, and Professional Associations.
CONTACT
For more information get in touch with Raj Kumar Paramanathan at rajk.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com and Geetha Kandiah at geetha.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com
MAIN AIMS
Communications & Marketing
The Communications & Marketing team aims to elevate the visibility and influence of the 30% Club through media and speaking engagements as well as on social media.
CONTACT
For more information and to invite our experts to speak, please get in touch with comms@30percentclubmalaysia.com
For updates, follow us at 30% Club Malaysia’s LinkedIn.
The latest press releases and media coverage about 30% Club Malaysia.
For media enquiries, contact comms@30percentclubmalaysia.com
30% Club Malaysia Press Releases
2016
2019
2020
2021
- 30% Club Malaysia Appoints Ami Moris as Chairman
- Championing Inclusion and Diversity Heineken Malaysia Joins 30% Club
2023
We are in the News!
MAIN AIMS
The Secretariat is the point of contact for all queries relating to the 30% Club Malaysia as well as the primary liaison for other 30% Club chapters. The responsibilities include facilitating and administering the objectives and activities of the three pillars (ACTIVATE, INFLUENCE and ENABLE ) of the 30% Club Malaysia.
CONTACT
For more information get in touch with Mazlina at mazlina.30percentclubmalaysia@gmail.com
What is the 30% Club and its mission?
The 30% Club is a global business-led campaign founded in the UK to advocate for gender parity in boardrooms and senior leadership.
Launched by the Prime Minister in May 2015, the Malaysian Chapter works to catalyse real transformation in Corporate Malaysia through a culture of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).
The 30% Club Malaysia’s primary focus has been to facilitate at least 30% women representation on the boards of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, and also welcomes non-listed entities and global multinational companies to join as a Corporate Advocate.
Why 30%?
A milestone, not an end goal, 30% is seen to be a sizeable enough representation and voice to influence change, and signals a tipping point towards gender balance. To make this a reality, we advocate for collective efforts to link DEI to business outcomes, and with that, to embed DEI in policies, processes and practices across the organisation, be it for managing talent and vendors.
How do you align meritocracy and diversity goals to ensure there are no tokenistic appointments?
Women are receiving higher education and entering the workforce in record numbers and are major consumers in their own right. Yet at senior levels in organisations, women representation tends to drop, often due to the difficulties in juggling family and career responsibilities, unconscious bias against women, and the “old-boys” club.
Organisations that are serious about attracting and retaining top talent must identify and address visible and invisible hurdles to advancement.
Studies show that companies with more diverse boards and leadership tend to outperform. They are also further ahead in achieving their climate action goals.
Diverse teams are less likely to be blindsided by risks. Members in inclusive teams feel valued and psychologically safe, and are therefore more productive. Equity is about promoting equitable opportunities for all employees regardless of their gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background.
In order to benefit from DEI, organisations could start with the following:
- Understand their business case for DEI and changes.
- Collect data to understand where and why diversity is lacking, and the implications.
- Engage staff on their understanding about DEI, and what changes they would like to see to promote a more inclusive and productive workplace.
How does the 30% Club help achieve gender parity in Corporate Malaysia?
To achieve our milestones, the 30% Club works with Strategic Partners such as the Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia, and through three key strategic pillars:
- Activate corporate advocates to influence their internal and external ecosystems.
- Influence stakeholders such as the regulators to facilitate policies that promote DEI.
- Enable a pipeline of board-ready women through various initiatives such as masterclasses; the 30% Club Board Mentoring Scheme in collaboration with PwC Malaysia; and a Board Ready Women program with Deloitte Malaysia.
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