KUALA LUMPUR: British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) announced a planned leadership transition following a successful four-and-a-half-year tenure by its managing director, Nedal Salem.

Nedal will conclude his tenure on August 1, 2026, after leading the organisation through significant regulatory, commercial, and operational milestones.

He will be succeeded by Daniel Hsu, current general manager of the BAT Vietnam cluster, who will assume the role of managing director of BAT Malaysia effective August 1, 2026.

Prior to taking the helm at BAT Malaysia, Nedal built a career spanning more than two decades across nine markets in three continents across the BAT Group, where he held multiple senior roles across diverse functions.

Nedal was instrumental in steering BAT Malaysia through a complex operating environment, which included Malaysia’s first excise hike in over a decade and the implementation of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852).

Under his stewardship, the group strengthened its commercial resilience and operational discipline and reinforced its combustible portfolio.

BAT Malaysia closed its latest fiscal year with its strongest quarterly performance in seven years.

Net profit for Q4 FY25 more than doubled to RM121.2 million, up from RM48.97 million a year earlier.

Revenue rose a robust 45.2% to RM947.98 million from RM653.03 million a year earlier, demonstrating the group’s sustained ability to create value for shareholders.

Nedal strengthened the Group’s leadership across the premium and Value-for-Money combustible segments in his time at BAT Malaysia.

Dunhill celebrated its 60-year legacy while maintaining its position as Malaysia’s leading premium combustibles brand, while Rothmans bolstered competitiveness through enhanced value cues.

Nedal also emphasised the need for policymakers and enforcement agencies to address Malaysia’s longstanding challenge of the tobacco black market.

The latest Nielsen Illicit Cigarette Study indicates that national illicit cigarette incidence has eased to 54.4%, down from 57.3% in 2021, reflecting the need for coordinated enforcement and industry collaboration.

Beyond commercial performance, Nedal placed strong emphasis on building a high-performance organisation and nurturing a strong workplace culture.

BAT Malaysia’s people-centric approach continues to be recognised through multiple awards and accolades, while sustainability remains a guiding principle for the organisation.

He is also passionate about empowering communities in meaningful, practical ways, leading to the launch of Beyond Benih, the group’s flagship community investment programme, which supports B40 communities through sustainable, community-led farm gardens.

BAT Malaysia chairman Datuk Sri Dr Mohd Nizom Sairi thanked Nedal for his leadership and commitment to BAT Malaysia.

“During his tenure, he strengthened the group’s commercial resilience, reinforced our leadership in key segments and played an important role in advancing industry dialogue on the tobacco black market while building a strong and engaged organisation. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.

“The board would also like to welcome Hsu to BAT Malaysia. With his extensive international experience and strong leadership track record, we are confident that he will build on the group’s strong foundations and continue strengthening the business in the years ahead,” he said.

Hsu brings more than two decades of experience spanning general management, brand marketing, sales, mergers and acquisitions, and joint-venture leadership across multiple industries and markets.

Prior to this appointment, he served as Vietnam cluster general manager at BAT Vietnam, a role he has held since 2021.

He previously held leadership roles, including cluster general manager for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as general manager in Cambodia.

During his tenure in the Vietnam cluster, he played a pivotal role in driving growth across Vietnam and Cambodia despite a volatile macroeconomic environment.

His key accomplishments include unlocking joint-venture production capacity through strategic portfolio development and simplifying the operating model in Cambodia, successfully turning around profitability.

Hsu holds a Master’s in Public Policy & Management from the University of Southern California.

 The Sun Malaysia