Datuk Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin

Datuk Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin held the position of Group Chief Executive Officer at Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), Malaysia's main railway operator in Peninsular Malaysia. His most recent tenure began in December 2020, when he was reappointed after serving as CEO from 2017 to 2019. During his first tenure, he focused on driving the national railway company's operational and strategic initiatives amid pandemic-related challenges. In his role, he worked to ensure the company's future development plans were implemented in line with operational, asset, and organizational strengthening priorities.

Mohd Rani holds a degree in Business Management from the University of Northrop, California, in the United States and has over 34 years of experience in logistics, public transport and cargo management. He worked with transport and logistics firms in the US and joined several local companies including Pos Aviation Sdn Bhd, Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd, MISC Trucking and Warehousing Sdn Bhd, DHL Global Forwarding and Sime Darby Berhad.

Career history

• Chief Executive Officer, Kontena Nasional Berhad (October 2019 onwards)
• Group Chief Executive Officer, Pos Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (formerly KL Airport Services Sdn Bhd) under DRB-Hicom Bhd
• Chief Executive Officer, KN Sime Logistics Sdn Bhd

Mohd Rani Hisham stepped down from his role following the expiry of his contract, replaced by Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri in January 2026. Throughout his leadership tenure, he focused on delivering cutting-edge marketing strategies and innovative digitalization campaigns to increase demand and maximize growth in the rail industry. He held multiple board positions across rail and logistics subsidiaries including KTMB MMC Kargo, Fiberail, and Multimodal Freight.

What Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin could bring to future transport and logistics roles: His extensive background spanning over three decades in transport, logistics, and rail operations positions him to drive organizational transformation and operational efficiency in capital-intensive infrastructure environments. His proven track record managing Malaysia's national railway during significant operational and financial challenges demonstrates resilience in complex, mission-critical public-sector contexts. His expertise in strategic initiatives around revenue optimization, asset management, and organizational restructuring could be valuable for infrastructure firms undergoing transformation.