SHAH ALAM - SD Guthrie Berhad has announced that its Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha, will step down from his role effective Dec 3, after more than six years of service.
He will remain with the company as Advisor to the Board of Directors until his planned retirement on June 30, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
The company confirmed that Helmy will officially conclude his term as Group Managing Director at the end of 2025 and begin his advisory role on Jan 1, 2026.
His successor, Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, who currently serves as Deputy Group Managing Director, will assume the position of Group Managing Director on the same date.
Guthrie’s Chairman Tan Sri Dr Nik Norzrul Thani Nik Hassan Thani commended Helmy’s leadership throughout his tenure, highlighting his ability to steer the Group through some of its most challenging periods.
“We want to thank Helmy for his sterling service as Group Managing Director of Guthrie over the last six-and-a-half years. He led the Group through some challenging times but is leaving on a high note with both operational and financial performance moving in the right trajectory,” he said in a statement.
Norzrul also emphasised that Guthrie’s strong succession planning was key to ensuring a seamless and planned transition between the outgoing and incoming Group Managing Directors.
Appointed on July 1, 2019, Helmy succeeded Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh as the head of the then Sime Darby Plantation Berhad.
His leadership period coincided with major industry and global disruptions including the 2019 slump in crude palm oil (CPO) prices, the Covid-19 pandemic, United States (US) import bans and labour shortages caused by border closures.
In response, Helmy, together with Haris, implemented a strategy to increase downstream contributions to reduce dependency on volatile commodity prices. This shift became a cornerstone of Guthrie’s business resilience.
In 2024, Helmy spearheaded Guthrie’s rebranding and diversification efforts, which introduced two new business verticals; Renewable Energy and Industrial Development.
These initiatives were part of a broader effort to reposition the Group as a diversified, future-focused enterprise.
Helmy is also remembered for his proactive crisis management philosophy. In 2020, during the pandemic’s height, he urged his colleagues to “never waste a good crisis,” launching the Infinity Taskforce; a modernisation program to mechanize and automate plantation operations.
As a result, Guthrie’s land-to-man ratio improved significantly, from 10.5 ha:1 pre-Covid to 13.5 ha:1, reducing its workforce by approximately 6,000 workers while improving efficiency. The taskforce remains active to this day.
The Next Chapter Under Haris
Incoming Group Managing Director Haris, brings over three decades of experience in the global oils and fats industry, having held leadership roles across Malaysia, Europe and Asia.
He began his career with Cargill Malaysia in 1995, before moving to Nestle in Malaysia, London and Singapore, where he established the Commodity Procurement Centre for Asia, Oceania and Africa. In 2010, he joined Unilever, setting up its global commodity risk management unit for oils and fats.
Haris joined Sime Darby Berhad in 2014 as Head of Global Trading and Marketing. After the Group’s demerger in 2017, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Downstream division and later led its rebranding to Sime Darby Oils (SDO) in 2019, serving as its first Managing Director.
Under his leadership, SDO’s profits nearly doubled within three years.
Promoted to Group Chief Operating Officer in January 2024, he expanded his oversight to include Guthrie’s Upstream operations, working hands-on across Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
He was then named Deputy Group Managing Director on Sept 1, in preparation for the leadership transition.
In addition to his corporate roles, Haris currently serves as Chairman of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and the Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia (Poram) and is a Board of Trustees member of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
Norzrul also expressed confidence in the leadership transition.
“We are confident that Haris will take the Group to new heights as he leads the management team to implement the Board-approved enterprise strategy.
“We are also grateful that Helmy is continuing to serve as Advisor to the Board for the first six months of 2026, lending his years of experience to Guthrie.
“On behalf of the Board and the Guthrie family, I wish Helmy the very best for the future and thank him for his untiring service and dedication to the Group. And I congratulate Haris on his appointment as our new Group Managing Director,” he said.