Head of Group Risk (PLC)

The Head of Group Risk will lead the development and implementation of the Group’s enterprise risk management framework, ensuring that key strategic, financial, operational, regulatory and business risks are effectively identified, assessed, monitored and mitigated across the organisation.

Working closely with the Board of Directors, Board Risk Committee, Audit Committee, Group CEO and senior leadership team, the role will provide independent risk oversight and strategic insights to support sustainable business growth, business resilience and corporate governance.

The successful candidate will have strong commercial acumen and a solid understanding of manufacturing operations, supply chain dynamics, financial exposure and the risk landscape of a public listed company.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop, implement and continuously enhance the Group’s enterprise risk management (ERM) framework, policies and procedures in line with recognised risk management standards and best practices.

- Establish a comprehensive Group risk register, risk appetite framework, key risk indicators (KRIs) and risk reporting mechanisms.

- Identify and assess strategic, financial, operational and emerging risks across business units, subsidiaries, manufacturing plants and regional operations.

- Provide independent risk assessments and recommendations to support strategic decisions, business expansion, capital investments and major commercial initiatives.

- Ensure effective risk governance, accountability and escalation processes throughout the organisation.

- Assess and mitigate risks relating to manufacturing operations, production continuity, plant safety, equipment reliability, quality control and operational efficiency.

- Evaluate exposure to supply chain disruptions, raw material price volatility, supplier concentration, logistics challenges and customer dependency.

- Oversee risk assessments relating to production capacity expansion, new plant investments, technology implementation and major capital expenditure.

- Work with Operations, Procurement, Quality, Engineering and HSE teams to strengthen operational controls and business resilience.

- Ensure appropriate business continuity and crisis management plans are established and tested across critical operations.

- Identify and monitor financial risks, including foreign exchange exposure, interest rate fluctuations, liquidity, credit risk and commodity price volatility.

- Assess commercial risks arising from customer contracts, supplier agreements, pricing structures, payment terms and major business commitments.

- Partner with the Group CFO to evaluate financial exposures, strengthen internal controls and improve risk-adjusted business decision-making.

- Review investment proposals, acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic transactions from a risk perspective.

- Monitor key risk exposures that could affect profitability, cash flow, asset values and shareholder value.

- Ensure the Group’s risk management practices align with applicable laws, regulations, Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements and relevant corporate governance expectations.

- Monitor regulatory developments affecting the Group’s manufacturing activities, environmental obligations, workplace safety, trade compliance and other relevant areas.

- Work closely with Legal, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit and Company Secretarial functions to address governance gaps and emerging regulatory risks.

- Support Board and Board Committee reporting, ensuring timely escalation of material risks and appropriate disclosure of significant risk matters.

- Promote a strong risk-aware culture and reinforce accountability at all levels of the organisation.

- Evaluate the effectiveness of key internal controls and risk mitigation measures across the Group.

- Collaborate with Internal Audit to address control weaknesses, audit findings and recurring operational issues while maintaining appropriate independence between risk oversight and assurance activities.

- Monitor remediation plans and ensure corrective actions are implemented within agreed timelines.

- Identify opportunities to strengthen governance, improve process discipline and reduce operational losses or control failures.

- Establish consistent risk assessment methodologies and reporting standards across business units and subsidiaries.

- Lead the development and periodic review of business continuity, crisis management and incident response frameworks.

- Assess emerging risks relating to cybersecurity, digitalisation, automation, geopolitical developments, climate-related exposures and environmental sustainability.

- Conduct scenario analysis and stress testing for significant business risks and potential disruptions.

- Advise senior management on mitigation strategies and contingency plans to protect critical assets, operations and business performance.

- Serve as a trusted adviser to the Group CEO, Board and senior management on enterprise risk matters.

- Present risk assessments, mitigation plans and material risk developments to relevant Board Committees and executive forums.

- Partner with business leaders to embed risk considerations into strategic planning, budgeting, capital allocation and operational decision-making.

- Develop risk management capabilities across the organisation through training, awareness initiatives and management engagement.

- Drive a proactive risk culture that balances effective risk control with commercial opportunities and business growth.

- Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering or a related discipline.

- Professional qualifications such as FRM, CFA, CPA, ACCA, CIA, IRM or equivalent would be an advantage.

- Typically 12–18 years of relevant experience in enterprise risk management, operational risk, corporate governance, internal controls, financial risk or related disciplines, with several years in a senior leadership role.

- Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, engineering, materials, chemicals, electronics or other asset-intensive environment is highly preferred.

- Prior experience within a public listed company or a complex, multi-subsidiary organisation is strongly preferred.

- Strong understanding of enterprise risk frameworks, risk appetite, risk registers, internal controls and Board-level risk reporting.

- Familiarity with Bursa Malaysia requirements, Malaysian corporate governance practices and relevant regulatory obligations.

- Demonstrated ability to assess complex business risks and translate findings into practical, commercially sound mitigation strategies.

- Strong stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to engage the Board, C-suite executives and operational leaders.

- High integrity, sound judgement, analytical capability and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across different functions.