Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director

Encik Zainal Iskandar bin Ismail, a Malaysian, male, aged 50, was appointed to the Board on 12 July 2024.

With over 20 years of experience across multiple sectors—including property, oil and gas, port and logistics, hotel and tourism, renewable energy, palm oil and biofuels, IT, and telecommunications—he brings a robust background in corporate development, governance, financial restructuring, and business turnaround. His expertise spans corporate finance and private equity investing, having successfully evaluated, structured, raised financing for, and exited numerous investments. He has also served on various boards, contributing to strategic growth and stability. Additionally, he holds a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License (CMSRL) under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007 (CMSA).

He is currently the CEO and Executive Director of Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust, Managing Partner of Heureka Capital Partners, Chairman of PKEINPK Properties Sdn Bhd, and a Board Member of Perbadanan Ekonomi Islam Perak, the investment arm of Majlis Agama Islam dan ‘Adat Melayu Perak. His previous roles include Group CEO and Executive Director of Perak Corporation Berhad, a publicly listed company on Bursa Malaysia, where he led corporate and debt restructuring initiatives that returned the Practice Note 17 company to profitability in 2022 after six consecutive years of losses, placing it on a stronger financial footing. He also chaired the Executive Committee and served as Director of Lumut Port.

Earlier, he was the Chief Operating Officer of another public company and a Supervisory Board Member of an oil and gas company in Central Asia. From 2001 to 2016, he was part of a Malaysia-based private investment group, holding senior roles where he managed direct investments and led several major industrial projects, both domestically and internationally. His career began with the RENONG-United Engineers (Malaysia) Group, where he gained invaluable corporate development experience through projects such as the Time dotCom Berhad IPO and the corporate and debt restructuring of RENONG-UEM Group.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Senior General Manager, Finance

Mr. Lim was appointed as the Senior General Manager of Finance of the REIT Manager on 1 March 2022. He holds membership with the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, and a Certificate of Investor Relations from the United Kingdom. He is also a holder of the Capital Market Services Representative’s License (CMSRL) issued by Securities Commission under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007.

Mr. Lim has more than 28 years of extensive experience in Accounting, Corporate Taxation, Financial Reporting, Treasury and Corporate Finance in public listed entities. He began his career in Deloitte Kassim Chan, an international public auditing firm, where he undertook various audit assignments for multinational companies, financial institutions, insurance companies and small & medium enterprises.

In his previous attachments with public listed entities, he was responsible for ensuring financial statement integrity and controllership. He also advised the listed entity’s group leadership on numerous project-financing arrangements, structured corporate debts, merger and acquisition activities. Among his other successful assignments was implementing a RM2.5 billion Asset-Backed Securitisation Programme and the initial public listing of a telecommunication subsidiary on the Main Market of Bursa Securities. He was one of the key management personnel that spearheaded the subsidiaries’ diversification programme from e-commerce to energy & semiconductors.

Chief Operating Officer

Sabrina is responsible for developing the business and profile of the REIT. With a focus on identifying new business opportunities, Sabrina conducts due diligence and analysis for potential investments within the REIT. Her role extends to monitoring market trends, undertaking comprehensive market research, and performing portfolio analyses to support the strategy department. Sabrina’s insights and recommendations play a crucial role in advising senior management on business development opportunities, encompassing acquisitions, divestments, and asset enhancement strategies.

Sabrina oversees the development and execution of corporate strategies, strategic planning processes, and strategic performance management. Her goal is to align these initiatives with the REIT’s growth objectives, fortifying its core strengths to maintain a competitive advantage. This involves formulating strategies, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, and leading cross- functional teams to implement business- wide operational strategies for medium- and long-term improvement.

Beyond strategy, Sabrina has enhanced investor relations and public relations at Hektar REIT. She communicates the company’s strategy, providing stakeholders with accurate updates. Her scope encompasses building and nurturing relationships with partners, analysts, trustees, unitholders, brokers, and investors.

Sabrina’s tenure at Hektar REIT extends back to 2010, where she initially played a key role in leasing and marketing strategies. Over the years, she has progressed through various departments at the Property Manager for Hektar REIT. Her contributions extend to the conceptualization and planning of retail projects, including the relaunch, revamping, and expansion exercises of several malls under the portfolio, including Central Square and Kulim Central. Currently, she is leading the planning of Asset Enhancement Initiatives and repositioning of the assets under the portfolio, in particular, at Subang Parade.

Sabrina holds a Diploma in Fashion and Retail Design and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (BA, Hons) in Retail Management from LimKokWing University. She subsequently completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Management from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. A Registered Property Manager, governed by The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents, and Property Managers (BOVEAP), Malaysia.

General Manager, Legal

Martin provides support in the areas of legal and secretarial compliance in relation to the portfolio of Hektar REIT. He has more than 16 years of experience with the group. Since joining Hektar REIT in 2008, Martin was involved in assets acquisition for Hektar REIT valued at approximately RM 402 million and in the growth of Hektar REIT’s Asset Under Management from an initial RM 512 million to approximately RM1.2 billion to date.

Martin also has considerable knowledge and experience in strata management matters and in the incorporation of joint management bodies & management corporations. He has appeared before Strata Management Tribunals in relation to legal disputes concerning strata buildings.

Martin graduated from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and holds a Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) from the Legal Qualifying Board, Malaysia. He was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2002. Martin is also a Registered Property Manager, a profession governed by The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVEAP), Malaysia and a holder of the Capital Markets Services Representative’s License (CMSRL) issued by the Securities Commission of Malaysia under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007.

In terms of professional accolade, Martin was selected as a finalist for the In-House Lawyer of the Year Award for the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Malaysia Law Awards 2022 while the In-House Legal team led by Martin was also selected as a finalist for the Malaysia In-House Team of the Year Category at the same Awards. More recently in November 2023, Martin was also shortlisted for the In-House Counsel of the Year Award for the In-House Community’s (IHC) Counsels of the Year Awards 2023 while the In-House Legal team led by Martin was also shortlisted for the In-House Industry Awards (Property, Infrastructure & Logistics) Category at the same Awards.

General Manager, Governance & Compliance Officer

Eunice has 20 years of experience in legal, regulatory compliance and corporate governance across both private and public listed companies in local and multi-national corporations (MNCs). Her expertise spans industries including real estate, investment, fund management and manufacturing. She began her career as a corporate lawyer, specializing in conveyancing, contract negotiations and corporate transactions before transitioning into in house leadership and senior management roles. Her legal background provided a strong foundation for regulatory oversight, corporate governance, implementation of compliance frameworks and regulatory risk management.

Eunice holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Tasmania, Australia and was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2002. Additionally, she is a Chartered Secretary under The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA) and a Chartered Governance Professional (CGP) granted by The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI), UK.

She currently serves as General Manager, Governance and Compliance Officer at Hektar REIT, where she oversees compliance frameworks, ensuring regulatory adherence and strengthening corporate governance best practices. As the designated Compliance Officer under the Capital Market Services License (CMSL) granted to REIT Managers for Hektar REIT, Eunice is responsible for ensuring the organisation’s compliance with capital market regulations and governance requirements. To further enhance her expertise in compliance, she is currently pursuing the licensing modules of the Securities Commission of Malaysia.

Senior Manager, Business Strategy

Fahmi joined Hektar REIT in June 2023 and was primarily tasked to spearhead the REIT’s portfolio diversification strategy. In his role as the Senior Manager of Business Strategy, Fahmi provides support in the area of strategic planning for Hektar REIT where he oversees the formulation and implementation of the REIT’s strategic initiatives to deliver competitive and sustainable returns to the Unitholders. His key responsibilities include active portfolio management, developing and managing Hektar REIT’s Annual Operating Plan and Corporate Balanced Scorecard, as well as providing support to Finance on fund raising exercises.

Fahmi has more than 10 years’ experience in the areas of strategic planning, business development, and portfolio and operations management. Prior to joining Hektar REIT, Fahmi was with Iskandar Investment Berhad where he acquired considerable knowledge in corporate restructuring, property development and land matters. Fahmi graduated from London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Actuarial Science.

Manager, Risk and Assurance

Aida brings a wealth of expertise to her role as Manager of Risk and Assurance at Hektar REIT, having joined the organization in March 2023. With a 20 years background in internal audit, corporate performance monitoring and reporting, and risk management, Aida plays a crucial role in supporting the ARMC and the Board, ensuring the establishment of effective governance, risk management, and internal control systems within Hektar REIT ensuring the organization operates at the highest level of integrity and efficiency.

Before joining Hektar REIT, Aida gained extensive experience at Maybank Berhad’s internal audit department, initially as an internal auditor for Retail Financial Services and later as part of the audit secretariat team for Operations & Quality Unit, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board and regulator. She then joined Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX), where she accumulated 12 years of experience. Aida held significant positions at DNeX, spearheading corporate performance reporting initiatives and serving as the Head of Risk and Compliance Management. Her contributions included developing robust risk management frameworks and governance policies. Aida’s commitment to operational efficiency and risk mitigation continued in her later role as DNeX’s internal auditor, supporting the Group’s Audit Committee in discharging their duties on governance, risk, and internal control functions.

Aida graduated from MARA University of Technology with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours).

Chief Executive Officer

Aldela is the Chief Executive Officer of Hektar Property Services Sdn Bhd. She graduated from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) majoring in Quantity Surveying.

Aldela has more than 30 years of experience in areas such as Facilities Management, Cost Optimisation, Contracts & Procurement and as a Quantity Surveyor.

Aldela began her career as a Quantity Surveyor in 1992 with Percon Corporation, a subsidiary of PNB. Thereafter, she joined Yeoh Tiong Lay (YTL) Corporation as Senior Contracts Executive, where she was involved in the Papua New Guinea Defense Force housing project worth USD50 Million. Subsequently, from 1996- 2006, she joined Basar & Harun Sdn (BHS) as a Senior Consultant. In 2006, she joined Ahmad Zaki Resources Berhad (AZRB). Her last position was General Manager, Contracts before she moved to 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in 2011 as Vice President, Procurement for the Bandar Malaysia project. In 2012, she was the Chief Operating Officer with Global Globe (M) Sdn Bhd, where she headed the construction of the Industrial Building System (IBS). In 2013 she joined Sapura Resources Berhad (SRB) as the Head of Cost, Contracts & Procurement. She managed the facilities of office buildings, aircraft hangars, and ground handling of private jets. She was part of the Management Team of a joint venture with KLCC Holdings to construct Permata Sapura, a 55-storey office tower with an exhibition hall and a retail mall.

She then left to join Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) in 2015 as General Manager, Contracts. In 2018, she joined Sapura Subsea Services Sdn Bhd (SSS), a subsidiary of Sapura Energy Berhad, as Head of Project Control and Services for diving works.

Head of Operations

Abdul Haffis is the Head of Operations, reporting directly to the CEO. He brings well over 30 years of experience in facilities management, healthcare facilities, manufacturing, and production facilities.

Prior to joining the company, Abdul Haffis served as Head of Operations and Facilities Management at a reputable GLC organisation since 2020. In that role, he was responsible for managing operations across 23 major sites nationwide, including bank branches, retail outlets, government and private properties.

Abdul Haffis holds a degree in Bachelor of Science (Aeronautical Engineering) from Wichita State University, Kansas, USA.

Senior Manager, Group Leasing

Carmen Lim is a seasoned leasing professional with extensive experience in retail planning, tenancy mix strategy, and mall openings. As the Head of Group Leasing at Hektar Property Services Sdn Bhd, she oversees the leasing management for six shopping centres, driving strategic direction and supporting centre leasing teams in securing key tenants and optimizing tenancy performance.

Before joining Hektar Property Services, Carmen was the Head of Leasing at Gamuda Land under the Commercial Real Estate Business Unit. She played a pivotal role in successfully launching Quayside Mall during the challenging Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In addition, she was actively involved in retail planning and led leasing activities for multiple retail and mixed-use developments within Gamuda Land’s portfolio.

Carmen’s expertise in launching large scale regional malls is well-established. She was a pioneer team member in opening both MyTOWN Shopping Centre (under Boustead Ikano Sdn Bhd) and Central i-City (under Central Pattana Group, Thailand’s leading shopping mall developer). Earlier in her career, she began her leasing journey at Mid Valley Megamall, where she gained hands on experience in leasing fundamentals and retail reconfiguration projects. One of her key contributions was the Mid Vallery Megamall Third Floor South Reconfiguration, which included the expansion of GSC Cinema and relocation of tenants.

With a strong network of retailers and deep insights into the retail landscape, Carmen brings a wealth of knowledge in tenancy mix planning, lease negotiations, and retail strategy development. She holds a First-Class Honours Bachelor’sDegree in Business Administration (Marketing Management) from Multimedia University.

Her leadership in leasing continues to shape the retail experience across Hektar’s shopping centres, ensuring sustainable growth and vibrant retail environments.

Centre Manager, Subang Parade

Mohamed is the Centre Manager for Subang Parade. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Human Resource Management from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam.

Mohamed has more than 15 years of strong mall and facility management experience. He was previously with Island Plaza in Penang as Mall Operation Manager where he oversees the entire operations of the Plaza especially on leasing, marketing and the operations units.

Prior to that, he was with several other malls such as Plaza Alam Sentral as Senior Manager, KPI Bangi and Giant Sunway Ipoh as Complex Manager. Aside being involve in retail, he was also the Senior Manager, Business Development for a agriculture related company.

Acting Centre Manager, Mahkota Parade

Sahir is currently the Acting Centre Manager. He has been with Mahkota Parade since 2014, joining as Maintenance Manager. He holds a Diploma in Building from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and is currently pursuing further studies at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Property Management.

Sahir has more than 18 years of experience in projects and facilities management and has been involved in the refurbishment of old building structures & services at TM College, upgrading M&E infrastructure for Ibusawat Telekom, landscape refurbishment projects for Jabatan Lanskap Negara & Pusat Sains Negara and has implemented architectural design systems such as Industrialised Building System (IBS) for a few housing development projects for Seri Pajam Development Sdn. Bhd.

His past employment has been mostly in the construction industry which consists of procurement & supply chain management, site & cashflow planning and project management for various government and private sector projects. He has attended PPK’s certification course in Shopping Mall Management (Operations & Maintenance) parts 1 & 2, Fire Warden Training, and Safety & Health Assessment Training and has been appointed as Mahkota Parade’s joint management body (JMB) Secretary to comply with Strata Management Act 2013.

Centre Manager, Wetex Parade & Classic Hotel

Genevieve is the Centre Manager for Wetex Parade since 2015 and before that she was the Finance & Administration Manager from 2008 to 2014. She has more than 14 years of experience in the retail industry and is familiar with the market of northern Johor and Melaka. Prior to joining Hektar, she was an accountant for Takaso Rubber Products Sdn Bhd, a company manufacturing rubber products and responsible for the company’s finance operation. She started her career in tax and audit in the accounting practice of KPMG Tax Services Pte Ltd and Stephen McLaren Consultants Pte Ltd in Singapore from 2001 to 2003, and thereafter worked in the audit division of Intel Technology Asia Pte Ltd in 2004. She graduated from Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting. She is a member of CPA Australia and completed her CPA Program in 2003. She is also a Registered Property Manager, governed by The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVEAP), Malaysia.

Centre Manager, Central Square

Loong is currently in charge of Central Square in Sungai Petani. For the past 14 years, he has been involved in property management, in different areas ranging from commercial, residential, hotel and resorts, as well as the retail industry. His knowledge, experience and expertise in building management have been an added value to the team. Prior to Hektar, Loong worked with Sunway Malls at Sunway Carnival, Penang and previously worked with Ireka Corporation and IGB Corporation. He is also a Registered Property Manager, governed by The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVEAP), Malaysia. Loong is also a member of the Malaysia Shopping Mall Association (PPK). He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Information Technology from the University of Coventry, United Kingdom. He also holds an Advance Diploma in Estate Management from University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.

Centre Manager, Kulim Central

Nadzatul Shima assumed the role of Center Manager for Kulim Central in October 2023, bringing a wealth of expertise and leadership to her position. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a major in Marketing from the prestigious University Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2008, providing a solid academic foundation. With over nine years of hands-on experience in mall operations, Shima previously served as the Mall Manager for GCH Retail (M), overseeing the Northern region, including Penang, Kedah, and Perlis, since 2015. During her tenure, she demonstrated exceptional proficiency in managing shopping centers, fostering positive relationships with various tenants, and navigating the intricacies of government bodies and non- governmental organizations (NGOs).

Shima’s proactive approach to leadership is underscored by her ability to create and maintain positive relationships, a skill that has proven invaluable in the realm of retail management. As the Center Manager for Kulim Central, she continues to leverage her experience and strategic acumen to drive the centre’s success, ensuring a thriving and harmonious environment for tenants and stakeholders alike.