Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee bin Wan Ariffin
Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee bin Wan Ariffin
Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee bin Wan Ariffin is a business leader and Chairman of DRB-HICOM Berhad, Gas Malaysia Berhad and Nestle (Malaysia) Berhad. Previously, he was Group Chairman of Malaysia Aviation Group and Malaysia Airlines Berhad, Director of Exxon Mobil Corporation and President and CEO of Petronas.
After building a successful career in business, Wan Zul reflects with good humour on the way he made a huge decision that changed the course of his life, when choosing what to study at the University. “I was on a scholarship. I had an option to do medicine or to do engineering. And my basis was quite simple: engineering was a four-year degree and medicine was six years… I thought six years would be too long to study!”
Now, from his vantage point as an eminent business leader and the former CEO of Malaysia’s only Fortune Global 500 company, Wan Zul can see that his eventual success wasn’t due to the field he chose, or how long he studied, but rather to how he applied himself in his work and an attitude of continual learning.
“Give your best shot. You cannot determine what the outcome is. You never know where your career journey will take you – what the path is – but I think giving the best shot at whatever you do… that’s good enough for me!”
"You never know where your career journey will take you – what the path is – but I think giving the best shot at whatever you do… that’s good enough for me!”
Wan Zul’s own “best shot” has certainly led him to great heights in the business world. His leadership path has not been without its challenges; however, he says it is the most difficult times that have taught him the best lessons. From accepting the CEO role of a multinational energy company during an oil crisis, to the everyday challenges that all business leaders encounter, he has taken each challenge as a chance to grow his skills.
“You learn most during the most challenging times. For me as an engineer, as a leader, I think that’s the best time to learn – when you are in the middle of challenges. We had big challenges in commissioning a gas processing plant many years ago, but when I reflect back, I learnt so much during that time,” he says. “There are also other challenges which they don’t teach you in school – on people management, on communication, on organisational psychology … many, many challenges!”
“You learn most during the most challenging times. For me as an engineer, as a leader, I think that’s the best time to learn – when you are in the middle of challenges.”
In recognition of his exceptional career as an Australian alum in Malaysia, Wan Zul was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Malaysian Australian Alumni Council in December 2024.
Outside of work, Wan Zul likes to set his own, more personal challenges, like climbing Mount Fuji. He continues to be an avid traveller and explores regularly with his wife, Azura, whom he met in Adelaide.
Wan Zul joined Professor Jessica Gallagher and senior leaders in Malaysia, April 2025.