Syed Yasir Arafat To Step Down As Ekuinas CEO On March 31

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 March (Bernama) -- Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) chief executive officer (CEO), Datuk Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir will be stepping down from his post on March 31, 2025, after a 15-year tenure with the firm.

In a statement today, the government-linked private equity company said Aliff Omar Mohamad Omar, who is currently its senior investment director, will assume the role of acting CEO, effective April 1.

Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said Syed Yasir Arafat, being one of the pioneer members of Ekuinas, will leave a lasting legacy of vision and leadership.

“His commitment to building future leaders has been instrumental in preparing Aliff Omar for this transition. The board has every confidence in Aliff’s ability to steer Ekuinas into its next phase of growth while representing the core values of the firm,” he said.

Since taking the helm in 2016, Syed Yasir Arafat has played a pivotal role in transforming Ekuinas into a leading private equity firm, managing RM4.0 billion in funds under management and deploying RM5.6 billion in economic capital across 28 companies.

He also led the creation of Dana Asas, a Bumiputera-focused private equity fund and introduced private credit as a new investment asset class.

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Meanwhile, Aliff Omar, who joined Ekuinas in 2017, has rapidly risen through the ranks and has been a key member of the leadership team, working closely with Syed Yasir Arafat on strategy and value creation.

With over 16 years of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, he has also led numerous high-impact transactions across Malaysia and Southeast Asia, added Ekuinas.

-- BERNAMA