Farid Basir joins Cahya Mata as CHRO

Basir shared the news on LinkedIn posting, “Started a new chapter this week with Cahya Mata. New city, new faces, new rhythm, and somehow it already feels like the right place to grow, learn, and contribute. Grateful for the warm conversations and genuine people I’ve met so far. Here’s to finding purpose in new environments and showing up with intention, one day at a time.” 

In his new role, Basir brings over three decades of HR and strategic leadership experience across banking, telecommunications, and FMCG sectors. He will be spearheading Cahya Mata’s HCM strategy across its 40 operating companies, fostering a performance-driven culture rooted in collaboration, innovation, and sustainability. 

Basir most recently served MBSB Bank Berhad as the Chief People Officer for around five years, leading its people and culture transformation especially during one of the most defining chapters in the Group’s history i.e. post-merger integration with MIDF. He also reshaped the bank’s people, vision and business performance, building a culture anchored on shared values and future-ready capabilities under the FLIGHT26 strategy. 

 In his previous roles, Basir worked with Telekom Malaysia as Chief Human Capital Officer, Bank Rakyat Malaysia as CHRO, and Nestle Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore, and Philippines in key HR roles. 

On the academic front, Basir holds a BBA degree, an associate degree in marketing from Universiti Teknologi, an associate degree in workforce development and training from Universiti Malaya, and a digital transformation program from University of Cambridge. He also holds key certifications in finance, management, team leadership, agile HR, leadership development, and Global HR management from prominent universities.