Board Of Directors' Profile

TAN SRI DATO’ SURIN UPATKOON
Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Age: 74
Nationality: Thai
Gender: Male

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Tan Sri Dato’ Surin Upatkoon was appointed Executive Director of Multi-Purpose Holdings Berhad (now known as Magnum Berhad) (“Magnum”) on 4 August 2000. Subsequently, on 28 August 2002, he was appointed Managing Director of Magnum where he played a major role in formulating the business strategies and direction of Magnum Group and was actively involved in the policy making aspects of the operations of Magnum Group. On 26 June 2013, he relinquished his executive position and was redesignated to Non-Executive Chairman of Magnum. Tan Sri Surin does not sit on any Board Committee of Magnum.

Tan Sri Surin completed his secondary education in Han Chiang High School, Penang in 1970. He began his career with MWE Weaving Mills Sdn. Bhd. in 1971 as a manager and he was appointed as the Managing Director of MWE Spinning Mills Sdn. Bhd. in 1974 where he was in charge of its daily operations. Subsequently, he was appointed the Managing Director of MWE Weaving Mills Sdn. Bhd. and a Director of MWE Holdings Berhad (now known as MWE Holdings Sdn. Bhd.). Tan Sri Surin has vast working experience and has played a key role in the expansion and development of the MWE Group of Companies.

Currently, he also sits on the Board of MPHB Capital Berhad (a public listed company), Magnum 4D Berhad, Davex Holdings Berhad, MWE Golf & Country Club Berhad and several private limited companies in Malaysia and overseas. He is also a Trustee of Chang Ming Thien Foundation.

Tan Sri Surin is the father of Krian Upatkoon, the Executive Director of Magnum.

DATO’ LAWRENCE LIM SWEE LIN
Non-Independent Executive Director

Age: 66
Nationality: Malaysian
Gender: Male

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Dato’ Lawrence Lim Swee Lin was appointed to the Board of Magnum Berhad (“Magnum”) on 28 June 2013 as a Non-Executive Director and was redesignated as Executive Director on 25 February 2014. He is a member of the Group Risk Management Committee of Magnum.

Dato’ Lim started his career with a leading merchant bank in Malaysia where he was principally involved in syndications, debt securitisation and project financing. He was appointed to the Board of MWE Holdings Berhad in August 1989 as Executive Director and was involved in the management and operation of MWE Holdings Berhad Group of Companies until he relinquished the executive position in MWE Holdings Berhad in August 2002. Following the conclusion of a privatisation exercise of MWE Holdings Berhad in October 2018, Dato’ Lim had resigned as a director of MWE Holdings Berhad on 31 October 2018.

On 28 August 2000 and 4 October 2002, Dato’ Lim was appointed to the Boards of Magnum 4D Berhad and Magnum Corporation Sdn. Bhd. respectively. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Magnum Corporation Sdn. Bhd. and Executive Director of Magnum 4D Berhad. He also holds directorships in various subsidiary companies in the Magnum Group and a number of other private and public limited companies, both in Malaysia and overseas. He is a Trustee of Magnum Foundation. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Malaysian South-South Corporation Berhad.

Since 21 November 2018, Dato’ Lim has been the Chair, Security and Risk Management Committee of the World Lottery Association (“WLA”). He was appointed as an Executive Committee Member of WLA on 19 October 2022. Dato’ Lim was a member of the Executive Committee of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association (“APLA”) from November 2006 to October 2018. He also held the position of the Chairman of APLA from November 2014 to October 2018.

Dato’ Lim holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

KRIAN UPATKOON
Non-Independent Executive Director

Age: 43
Nationality: Thai
Gender: Male

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Krian Upatkoon was appointed as Executive Director of Magnum Berhad (“Magnum”) on 18 February 2019. He has also been an Executive Director of Magnum 4D Berhad since 17 May 2018. He joined the Group on 6 April 2014 as Senior Manager of Business Development & E-Marketing. He was later appointed Head of Business Development & E-Marketing on 1 February 2016 and subsequently promoted to Deputy General Manager of Magnum 4D Group on 1 March 2017. Krian does not sit on any Board Committee of Magnum.

Krian has more than 10 years of working experience in web and application development and has previously managed large deployments of IT infrastructure. Prior to this, he was employed in companies providing online video content delivery services, network architecture, electronic games development and mobile technologies research.

Krian is also the Executive Director of MWE Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (previously known as MWE Holdings Berhad) (“MWE”) which was a public company listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad until October 2018. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Davex Holdings Berhad and MWE Golf & Country Club Berhad, both subsidiaries of MWE. In addition, he holds directorships in various subsidiaries and associated companies in the Magnum Group and a number of other private companies. He is also a Trustee of Magnum Foundation.

Krian holds a Master of Science in Engineering degree in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Computer Engineering, both from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

Krian is the son of Tan Sri Dato’ Surin Upatkoon, the Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman and a major shareholder of Magnum.

DATUK VIJEYARATNAM A/L V. THAMOTHARAM PILLAY
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director

Age: 71
Nationality: Malaysian
Gender: Male

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Datuk Vijeyaratnam a/l V. Thamotharam Pillay was appointed to the Board of Multi-Purpose Holdings Berhad (now known as Magnum Berhad) (“Magnum”) on 16 November 1999. He is a member of the Nomination Committee and the Group Audit Committee of Magnum.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. Datuk Vijeyaratnam has considerable experience in the fields of auditing, financial planning, general management and corporate advisory in various business environments. He is currently the Managing Director of his own corporate advisory and consultancy company.

Presently, Datuk Vijeyaratnam sits on the Board of several private limited companies in Malaysia.

DATO’ SERI LIM TIONG CHIN
Independent Non-Executive Director

Age: 70
Nationality: Malaysian
Gender: Male

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Dato’ Seri Lim Tiong Chin was appointed to the Board of Magnum Berhad (“Magnum”) on 22 August 2017. He is the Chairman of the Group Audit Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee of Magnum. He is also a member of the Group Risk Management Committee of Magnum.

Dato’ Seri Lim is a Public Accountant by profession, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Dato’ Seri Lim was the Managing Director of A.A. Anthony Securities Sdn. Bhd. from 2001 to February 2013. Prior to joining A.A. Anthony Securities Sdn. Bhd., he was a Partner of Kiat & Associates from 1977 to 1983; the General Manager of A.A. Anthony & Co. Sdn. Bhd. from 1983 to 1985, and the Chairman and Managing Director of A.A. Anthony & Co. Sdn. Bhd. from 1985 to 3 September 2001.

Currently, he also sits on the Board of MPHB Capital Berhad (a public listed company) and several private limited companies in Malaysia.

JEAN FRANCINE GOONTING
Independent Non-Executive Director

Age: 56
Nationality: Malaysian
Gender: Female

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Jean Francine Goonting was appointed to the Board of Magnum Berhad (“Magnum”) on 20 August 2019. She is the Chairperson of the Group Risk Management Committee of Magnum. She is also a member of the Group Audit Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee of Magnum.

Francine holds degrees in Economics (majoring in accounting) and Law from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She is also an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and has held a Capital Markets and Services Representative Licence for Corporate Finance under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007.

Having commenced her career in merchant banking, Francine has over 30 years of experience in debt and capital markets, corporate finance and advisory, cross border transactions and mezzanine finance. She was also the Group Treasurer of a public listed company.

NG SIEW HONG
Independent Non-Executive Director

Age: 66
Nationality: Malaysian
Gender: Female

Occupation, Working Experience and Qualifications:
Ng Siew Hong (also known as Marcia) was appointed to the Board of Magnum Berhad (“Magnum”) on 15 March 2023. She is a member of the Remuneration Committee of Magnum.

Marcia graduated with a degree in law (LL.B Hons) from University of Southampton in 1989. She was admitted as a Barrister-at-law of the Lincoln’s Inn, London in 1981 and as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1982.

Marcia is a retired lawyer. She had more than 30 years of experience in corporate and commercial legal work. She started her legal career in Rashid & Lee (now known as Shahrizat Rashid & Lee) in 1983. She was the first female legal assistant promoted to the status of a partner in the firm. During her practice in Rashid & Lee, she had led a team of lawyers in advising clients and attending to the legal documentations in a broad spectrum of transactions such as reconstruction exercise, revival of abandoned housing projects, advising landowners in negotiation with foreign companies in development/management of hotels and shopping centres, sale and purchase of land/business operations, joint ventures between landowners and developers and project development/management of commercial projects. She left Rashid & Lee in 2003.

Marcia set up her own legal practice in 2004 and subsequently became a partnership with 2 other partners (known as Marcia Ng & Associates) focusing mainly on corporate and commercial legal work, and perusal and research on the law and its implications on commercial transactions between private entities and state authorities. She retired from Marcia Ng & Associates in 2014. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of MPHB Capital Berhad (a public listed company)