I’ve been following him since 2003—reading articles and reports that truly opened my eyes to his journey. Before he got into turnaround projects, he was working at Shell in London.
His boss even asked him to come back to Malaysia to save Shell’s operations there.
Fast-forward about ten years: after he turned Shell from a loss into a profitable business, the government called him in to help turnaround Malaysia Airlines (MAS)—and that’s where the rest of his incredible story begins.
In our chats, we had long, in-depth discussions. He shared how he implements his “Big Results Fast” approach.
Today, DS Idris Jala is not only the Chairman of Pemandu Associates, but he also lectures twice a year at Harvard University in a program attended exclusively by ministers from around the world.
Imagine that—a one-week class at Harvard with ministers from different countries, all part of a program sponsored by the likes of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to help boost the knowledge of global leaders.
His success isn’t just a local phenomenon. He’s led turnaround projects not only in Malaysia but also in other countries, proving time and again that his approach works.
Let me tell you a bit more about him:
Who is Idris Jala?
Dato’ Seri Idris Jala is a household name in the world of transformation and turnaround. His knack for implementing sustainable economic and social reforms has earned him international acclaim—even Bloomberg named him one of the Top 10 Most Influential Policy Makers in the World in 2014.
He was the driving force behind Malaysia’s National Transformation Programme (NTP), which bagged the Best Public Sector Reforms Programme award at the Global Good Governance (3G) Awards in 2015 and 2016. Under his leadership, PEMANDU was also recognized as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Government Agencies in the World by NESTA (UK) and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Nowadays, he’s in high demand worldwide, helping governments transform their systems.
Beyond that, he’s the Founder and Executive Chairman of The Global Transformation Forum (GTF)—a global platform for leaders to share their experiences and best practices in transformation.
He’s also an Expert Resource Speaker at the Harvard Health Leaders’ Ministerial Forum, a Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Oxford Blavatnik School of Government, and has even served on advisory panels for both the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Bank.
Before joining the government, he was known as the savior of Malaysia Airlines (MAS). In just three years as CEO, he turned a financially troubled airline around by fixing operational inefficiencies.
And prior to that, he spent 23 years at Shell, where he held senior roles such as Vice President, Shell Retail International, and Vice President Business Development Consultancy in the UK. He also led turnaround projects in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
For his massive contributions, Idris Jala has received numerous honors from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and various state governments in Malaysia—even the Italian government awarded him the First Order. On the academic front, he’s a proud graduate of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Development Studies and Management and also holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from Warwick University.
I still remember the moment I met him—there was an aura of deep experience and wisdom about him.
During our conversation, he casually told one of his staff, “We have a relationship.” When the staff looked puzzled and asked, “How come?” he smiled and replied, “Both of us are from USM (Universiri Sains Malaysia) .” It was one of those moments that reminded me how small the world can be.
Now, we’re in the process of collaborating on several projects, God willing. I really hope we get the chance to work together and that I can continue to learn from his vast experience.
For a deeper dive into his turnaround story, here’s a link to an interview with McKinsey about his work at Malaysia Airlines; McKinsey Interview with the CEO of Malaysia Airlines
