Dato' Sri Suriani Dato' Ahmad
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director

Dato' Sri Suriani Dato' Ahmad is the current Secretary-General of the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC), a position she assumed in November 2020. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of UDA Holdings Berhad on 2 January 2021. Dato’ Sri Suriani has a solid track record of leadership, having held many prominent positions at various ministries and honing her expertise in diverse areas of governance, international trade, policy-making, negotiation and administration, among others. 

Testament to her calibre and competence, Dato’ Sri Suriani also held Secretary-General positions at the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia from 2019 – 2020 and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2017. She was also the Deputy Secretary-General (Policy & Control) at the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2015 and Deputy Secretary General (Policy) at the Ministry of Defence in 2014.

Giving clarity and direction to organisations she helms would be one of her many strong points. This is evident in the role she undertook as Director of the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) in 2018, and also as Director of the Policy & Multilateral Consultation Division and the Policy Coordination Division & Negotiation of Free Trade Agreements at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in 2008. Dato’ Sri Suriani’s more than 10 years stint at MITI (1996 – 2008) in various senior positions has allowed her to build up a wide repertoire of related skills and experience.

Professional versatility is another laudable quality Dato’ Sri Suriani possesses, as seen in some of the sectors she had ventured into earlier in her career. From 1993 – 1994, she was Editorial Executive at BERNAMA PR, and from 2009 to 2010, she was Manager of the Corporate Planning Division, Proton Holdings (under the Public Sector & Private Sector Cross Fertilisation Programme).

Besides that, she represented Malaysia at the 25th ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators' Council (ATRC) Related Meetings and the 2nd ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Senior Officials Meeting - ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators' Council (ASEAN TELSOM - ATRC) Leaders' Retreat, Bangkok, in 2019. She was also Malaysia’s spokesperson at the Marche International Des Films Et Des Programmes Pour La Tv, La Video, Le Cable Et Le Satellit (MIPCOM) in Cannes 2019.  On top of that, she had been Malaysia’s representative (Working Group on Domestic Regulation as well as on Services) at the World Trade Organisation, and at the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women, United Nations, Geneva.

Dato’ Sri Suriani obtained her Bachelor of Communication from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 1993, and a Master’s degree in Arts, Strategy and Diplomacy from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 2006. In addition to that, she holds a Diploma in Public Management (DPA) from the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), which she received in 1996. Recently, Dato’ Sri Suriani was awarded ‘Profesor Adjung SMMTC - Pusat Pengajian Teknologi Multimedia dan Komunikasi’ from UUM.

With such an illustrious career defining her, Dato’ Sri Suriani’s aptitude and ability in making sound policy decisions, international trade, strategising, consultation, financial and corporate growth management, etc., will be a clear advantage in her role as UDA Holdings Berhad Board Director.

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