Mr Nik Rizal was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Axiata Group Berhad in June 2026, having previously served as Group Chief Financial Officer from January 2024 to May 2026. Prior to joining Axiata, he served as Group Chief Financial Officer at RHB Banking Group from 2021 to 2023.
Mr Nik Rizal was with Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah) from 2011 to 2021, where he held senior investment leadership positions including Executive Director, Investments. In this role, he served as Head of Private Markets for North America, EMEA and India, as well as Head of the Telecommunications, Media & Technology (TMT) sector. Additionally, he also served as Khazanah’s nominee on the Boards of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad and various unlisted companies.
Prior to Khazanah, Mr Nik Rizal had spent ten years with the Royal Dutch Shell group in finance and strategy roles across Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Mr Nik Rizal currently holds directorships in several companies within the Axiata Group, including CelcomDigi Berhad, PT XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, Dialog Axiata PLC, Robi Axiata PLC, EDOTCO Group Sdn Bhd, PT Link Net Tbk, Smart Axiata Co., Ltd, Boost Holdings Sdn Bhd and ADA Data AI Solutions Sdn Bhd.
He has also been appointed to the board of the GSMA, a global industry organisation representing the interests of mobile network operators and companies across the wider digital and mobile ecosystem.
Mr Nik Rizal holds a Master in Finance (MSc) from London Business School and a Bachelor in Science (BSc) in Economics and Accounting from University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) where he also holds a Business Finance Professional (BFP) qualification. He is also a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).
