These are the people who will now be heading the new Peugeot distributorship under Berjaya in Malaysia.
With news of Peugeot sliding under the Berjaya distribution network just breaking a couple of weeks ago, the Malaysian conglomerate has since been working fast to fill the top jobs within the newly formed corporate entity.
Having only recently taken over the sole distributorship of the Peugeot marque in Malaysia from Nasim Sdn. Bhd earlier this month, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn. Bhd. (BAASB) have recently released a follow-up announcement regarding the new management who will be in charge of turning around the fortunes of this French automaker locally.
According to the press release that can be found below, the man at the top of the local Peugeot distribution hierarchy will be Dato Wong Kin Foo. Presently the director of Bermaz Motor Berhad (BAuto), he will soon be taking up the job of managing director of BAASB.
Three other new roles at BAASB have also been appointed following today’s announcement. Those are Michael Moh as the Head of After Sales, Michael Chen as the Head of Sales and Ian Khong as the Head of Marketing.
As the MD, Dato Wong will be the man in charge of reporting to the board of BAASB. The major stakeholders within the board consists of both Berjaya Corporation Berhad (BerjayaCorp) and BAuto, who have a 51% stake and 20% stake in BAASB respectively. The Key people chairing the board meanwhile are Dato’ Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching, Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh and Dato Francis Lee.
The initial operations of BAASB is currently headquartered in Lot.7 Glenmarie, Shah Alam, with plans for expansion to be announced very soon in the future.
Speaking of expansion plans, there will also most likely be an addition in the new Peugeot lineup locally with the introduction of the new 2008 compact crossover. Saying that, while it it confirmed to arrive here soon, no official word yet on actually how soon is soon.
There have also been rumours circulating with the possibility on a facelift for both the 3008 and 5008 SUVs, the two Peugeot models currently on sale here. That too however has yet to be confirmed by any official sources.
Going back to the management, while these names may not be familiar to many who are not within the industry, looking at the past experience and achievements of these four men, it is perhaps safe to say that the distribution of Peugeot, and also the aftersales and spare parts distribution of other PSA marques Citroën and DS, will be in safe hands for the foreseeable future. After all, the combined industry experience of these four men alone are more than 130 years.
Additionally, it should be noted that it was Berjaya who were the people who managed to revive the fortunes of Mazda locally. So there is reasonable cause then to expect for Peugeot to be equally successful here in Malaysia under its custodianship.
If that rings true, be prepared to possibly see more of these stylish French cars around in the coming months and years.
PRESS RELEASE: Following the 1st December 2020 announcement of Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (“BAASB”) as the sole distributorship of new vehicles under the PEUGEOT marque and the rights of aftersales and spare parts distribution for the PEUGEOT, CITROEN, and DS marque vehicles in Malaysia, the group would like to share more insights into the new management team that would be spearheading the brand in Malaysia.
The new team at BAASB would be headed by Dato Wong Kin Foo, presently the director for Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd. Dato Wong, the managing director of BAASB, would be reporting to the board of BAASB, which consists of both Berjaya Corporation Berhad (“BerjayaCorp”) and Bermaz Auto Berhad (“BAuto”), which is chaired by Dato’ Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching, Chief Executive Officer of BerjayaCorp and Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Executive Chairman of BAuto, as well as Dato Francis Lee, Chief Executive Officer of BAuto, amongst others.
The initial operations of BAASB would currently be carried out from the Group headquarters located at Lot.7 Glenmarie, Shah Alam, with plans of expansion in the near future. Dato Wong would be assisted by an experienced team to elevate and drive the Peugeot brand forward in Malaysia.
Berjaya Auto Alliance, together with Berjaya Corp and Bermaz Auto, would like to take this opportunity to thank the media for their continuous support. The group would be bringing in these award-winning products for Malaysian consumers, with an emphasis on providing a peace of mind ownership experience. Lastly, the group will strive to rebuild the Peugeot brand in Malaysia and would like to thank all customers for their unwavering support.
The new management team at BAASB includes the following:
Dato Wong Kin Foo,
Managing Director, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd
Dato’ Wong, was the Chief Executive Officer of Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad and responsible for the CCB Group’s motor operations in Malaysia till 2016. He has been with CCB Group since 1996. He left CCB and joined Bermaz Auto Group as Director for Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd. Dato’ Wong is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant, United Kingdom, and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.
Michael Moh,
Head of After Sales, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd
Mr. Michael Moh started his career in Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd (CCB) managing after-sales business and service support at wholesale and retail level for Mercedes- Benz (MB) passenger car & commercial vehicles, including other brands under CCB’s stable – Mazda, Peugeot and KIA during his tenure. With the transfer of the MB wholesale function from CCB to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) in 2003, he assumed the position of Vice-President, After-Sales at MBM responsible for MB passenger car, van, truck, bus and FUSO truck as a Market Performance Centre of Daimler Ag until his retirement in 2016. Michael has 40 years of experience in after- sales network development and qualification commensurate with service delivery standards of automotive brand promises and values.
Michael Chen,
Head of Sales, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd
Mr. Michael Chen is a seasoned veteran with 40 years of automotive experience. He started his career with Datsun and Nissan retail network management. He was one of the pioneers in the national car project with EON Bhd. Mr. Michael has also spent a decade with Hyundai & Suzuki dealerships operations. In 2012, he joined DP Auto Sdn. Bhd. to develop the Foton dealership network for Malaysia. He is currently heading Bermaz Motor Glenmarie sales outlet.
Ian Khong,
Head of Marketing, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd
Mr. Ian has more than 26 Years of experience in the automotive industry. He started his career with the Mitsubishi brand in 1994 and later moved on to Toyota in 1995. In the year 2000, he assumed the position of Region Manager for Ford Malaysia and subsequently was placed as the Field Operations Manager heading various divisions. In 2014, he joined Proton as the Head of Marketing and was moved to Australia as Head of Task Force for Proton Cars Australia as well. In 2015, he joined Bermaz as a Senior Manager Brand Equity Enhancement and was placed as the Deputy General Manager for Marketing & CRM role.
