Azman Hashim

{{Short description|Malaysian businessman}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Malay name|Azman|Hashim|note=on}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri

| honorific_suffix = PSM SSTM DPMS JMN KMN

| image =

| image_size = 150px

| name = Azman Hashim

| caption = Tan Sri Azman Hashim

| office1 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|7|17|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, British Malaya (now Malaysia)

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Businessman
Accountant

| known_for = Founder and former chairman of AmBank

| spouse = {{marriage|Tunku Arishah Tunku Maamor|1963}}

| children = 5, including Mizz Nina

| website =

}}

Tan Sri Azman bin Hashim (born 17 July 1939){{cite web|url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/tan-sri-dato-azman-bin-hashim|title=A Historical Narrative on a Kuala Lumpur Personage|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=2000-02-09|accessdate=2018-10-02|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214032330/http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/tan-sri-dato-azman-bin-hashim|archive-date=2018-12-14}} is a Malaysian businessman and investor who is one of the richest people in Malaysia. His net worth was estimated by Forbes to be US$660 million in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/malaysia-billionaires/|title=Malaysia's 50 Richest|editor1=Naazneen Karmali|editor2=Jane Ho|date=2024-04-15|publisher=Forbes|access-date=2025-01-26}}

Early life

Azman bin Hashim was born on 17 July 1939 in Kuala Lumpur into a family of 13 siblings{{cite web|url=https://news.curtin.edu.my/news/ambank-group-chairman-tan-sri-dato-azman-hashim-to-give-public-lecture-at-curtin-sarawak/|title=AmBank Group chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim to give public lecture at Curtin Sarawak |date=2018-07-27|publisher=Curtin University|access-date=2025-01-26}}{{cite web|url=https://marcopolis.net/azman-hashim.htm|title=Azman Hashim |date=2015-01-03|publisher=Marcopolis|access-date=2025-01-25}} and spent his childhood in Kampung Baru.{{citation needed |date=January 2025}} His mother, Zabedah Shahid,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2007/03/31/azmans-mum-dies-at-89|title=Azman’s mum dies at 89|author=Parveen Gill|date=2007-03-31|publisher=The Star|access-date=2025-01-26}} was a schoolteacher who later became headmistress of the Kampung Baru Girls' School, and his father was a technician.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/02/208988/azman-hashim-top-4-plan-track-no-more-surprises-ambank|title=Azman Hashim: Top 4 plan on track, no more surprises at AmBank |author1=A Jalil Hamid|author2=Zuraimi Abdullah|date=2017-02-02|publisher=New Strait Times|access-date=2025-01-26}} Azman's grandmother was from Imabari, Ehime, Japan. He attended the Malay Boys' School in Setapak and the Methodist Boys' School in Sentul. In 1954, at age 15, he sat for the Senior Cambridge Examination and obtained First Class marks. He became a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary before the age of 21.

Career

Azman's career began in Perth, where he worked at Chartered Accountants Messrs O.L. Haines & Co from 1955 to 1960 on a Colombo Plan scholarship. Upon his return to Malaysia in 1960, he spent four years at Bank Negara Malaysia before leaving to start his own chartered accountancy firm, Azman & Co., which later became Azman Wang Salleh & Co. He became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 1960, and later the Institute of Bankers, Malaysia, the Institute of Directors, Malaysia and the Malaysian Institute of Management. He joined Maybank in 1966 as its non-executive director, then served as executive director from 1971 to 1980.{{cite web|url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/cover-story-azman-ready-exit|title=Cover Story: Is Azman ready to exit?|author1=Adeline Paul Raj|author2=Joyce Goh|date=2015-01-09|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-26}} He was Executive Chairman of Kwong Yik Bank Berhad from 1980 and 1982.

Azman purchased the AmBank Group (AMMB), then called the Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank, in 1982.{{cite web|url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/732727|title=Cover Story: Analysts not ruling out possibility of M&A at AmBank|author=Adeline Paul Raj|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-25}} He oversaw the company during the Malaysian economic crisis in 1980; the 1997 Asian financial crisis, during which the bank was nearly folded into Affin Bank in an effort by the government to consolidate banks; and the 2008 financial crisis.{{cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2022/01/27/ambank-group-azman-hashim-to-retire-as-chairman-effective-march-31/2038004|title=AmBank Group: Azman Hashim to retire as chairman effective March 31 |date=2022-01-27|publisher=Malay Mail|access-date=2025-01-25}} In 2017, he began to transition out of his roles of Chairman and Director in six companies within AmBank Group: AmBank, AmInvestment Bank, AmMetLife Takaful, AmBank Islamic, AmMetLife Insurance, and AmGeneral Insurance.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/207264/azman-hashim-retire-six-entities-within-ammb-group|title=Azman Hashim to retire from six entities within AMMB group |date=2017-01-25|publisher=New Strait Times|access-date=2025-01-26}} He was Chairman of AmBank Group from 1991 to 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/business/2018/12/445776/ambank-appoints-new-chairman|title=AmBank appoints new chairman |date=2018-12-31|publisher=Business Times|access-date=2025-01-26}}{{cite web|url=https://www.prestigeonline.com/tw/prestige-40-under-40/azman-hashim-3/|title=Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim |publisher=Prestige|access-date=2025-01-25}} After fully retiring from AMMB in 2022, he remained in his role of Chairman for the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers,{{cite web|url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/703779|title=Azman Hashim lauds AG for 'independent, transparent' 2022 audit report |author=Izzul Ikram|date=2024-03-07|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-25}} Asian Banking School, Financial Industry Collective Outreach, Malaysia South-South Corp, Malaysia-Japan Economic Association, Perdana Leadership Foundation, Malaysia South-South Association, and University of Technology Malaysia's Business School Advisory Council, and as Chairman Emeritus of the Pacific Basin Economic Council.{{cite web|url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/azman-hashim-retire-ambank-chairman-take-new-role-chairman-emeritushonorary-adviser|title=Azman Hashim to retire as AmBank chairman, take on new role of chairman emeritus/honorary adviser |date=2022-01-27|author=Tan Siew Mung|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/01/766705/tan-sri-azman-hashim-retire-ambank-chairman-end-march-year|title=Tan Sri Azman Hashim to retire as Ambank chairman end-March this year |author=Farah Adilla|publisher=Business Times|date=2022-01-27|access-date=2025-01-26}} He also continued to serve as Chairman Emeritus and honorary advisor on AmBank's board.

Over the course of his career, he has held roles as Chairman of the Asian Institute of Finance's board of directors,{{Cite web|url=http://www.aif.org.my/about-aif/our-people|title=Our People|publisher=Asian Institute of Finance|date=21 March 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312164758/http://www.aif.org.my/about-aif/our-people|archive-date=2015-03-12}} Japan-Malaysia Economic Association (MAJECA),{{cite web|url=https://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/newinfo_23092022A.html|title=Conferment Ceremony of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star for Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of Malaysia-Japan Economic Association(MAJECA)|date=2022-03-02|publisher=Embassy of Japan in Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-25}} Malaysian Investment Banking Association, National Productivity Corporation, and Institute of Bankers Malaysia. He has also served as president of the Malaysia South-South Corporation, Malaysia-Japan Economic Association, and Friends of Prisons Association. In 2015, he was an existing member of the National Economic Consultative Council II, APEC Business Advisory Council, Malaysia-British Business Council, and the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance. He is also Pro Chancellor of Open University Malaysia.{{cite web|url=https://www.oum.edu.my/a-session-with-the-pro-chancellor/|title=A Session with the Pro Chancellor|date=2024-02-28|publisher=Open University Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-26}}

Awards and honours

Awards given to Azman throughout his career include: Asia's Banker of the Year (FinanceAsia, 1985); ASEAN Businessman of the Year (ASEAN Business Forum, 1993); Manager of the Year (Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia, 1995); Grand Entrepreneurial Award (Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce, 1996); Menteri Besar Grand Entrepreneurial Award (Selangor Chamber of Commerce, 1997); Academy Values for Life Excellence for his humanitarian contributions (2004); and the Lifetime Achievement Award (Islamic Business and Finance Awards, 2009).{{Cite web|url=http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/31/business/5389186&sec=business|title=Azman Hashim wins awards|publisher=The Star|date=2009-12-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122163328/http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/31/business/5389186&sec=business|archive-date=2011-01-22}}

The Ace Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur and University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) both have auditoriums named after him.{{cite web|url=https://vmo.rocks/item/azman-hashim-auditorium-at-ace-convention-centre/|title=Azman Hashim Auditorium at Ace Convention Centre|publisher=VMO Rocks|access-date=2025-01-26}}{{cite web|url=https://apps.utm.my/rooms/dewan-azman-hashim/|title=Dewan Azman Hashim (With LED Screen)|publisher= Universiti Teknologi Malaysia |access-date=2025-01-26}} In 2018, after two years of RM5 million in donations to the school's endowment fund, UTM officially named its banking school the Azman Hashim International Business School.{{cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/03/15/utm-names-its-international-business-school-after-banker-azman-hashim/1599381|title=UTM names its international business school after banker, Azman Hashim |date=2018-03-15|publisher=Malay Mail|access-date=2025-01-25}} UTM's campus also has a Azman Hashim Stadium.{{cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/venues/malaysia/stadium-utm/v23498/|title=Stadium Azman Hashim|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=2025-01-26}} In 2019, the Open University Malaysia established the Azman Hashim Chair in E-Learning.{{cite web|url=https://inspired.oum.edu.my/issues/08/page-3.php|title=The Chair in E-Learning as Intellectual Beacon|author=David Lim|publisher=Open University Malaysia|date=2019|access-date=2025-01-26}} In 2020, he donated a Japanese garden, Miyakubo Hashim ({{lang|ja|橋夢}}) Park, to Imabari, Ehime, Japan, where his grandmother was born.{{cite web|url=https://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/newinfo_10082020A.html|title=Ambassador Oka’s attendance at the ceremony for Tan Sri Azman Hashim’s donation to a Japanese city |date=2020-08-10|publisher=Embassy of Japan in Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-25}} In 2023, a RM13.9 million sports facility, the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre, opened in Sibu Jaya.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/07/25/new-sports-centre-in-sibu-as-sukma-2024-venue|title=New sports centre in Sibu as Sukma 2024 venue|date=2023-07-25|author=Andy Chua|publisher=The Star|access-date=2025-01-25}}

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Award

! Granting body

! class="unsortable" | Notes

! class="unsortable" | Ref

1972Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN)King of Malaysia50px{{cite web|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat}}
1980Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (DPMS)Sultan of Selangor50px Title (Dato' Sri) issued{{cite web|url=https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=32&subcat=D.P.M.S.&offset=10|title=DPMS 1980|publisher=Kerajaan Negeri Selangor|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809213251/https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=32&subcat=D.P.M.S.&offset=10 |archive-date=2022-08-09}}
1984Companion of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (JMN)King of Malaysia50px
1985Honorary doctorate in philosophyUniversiti Utara Malaysia
1988Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM)King of Malaysia50px Title (Tan Sri) issued
2004Honorary degree in business administrationNational University of Malaysia
2008Honorary Officer of the Order of AustraliaGovernor-General of Australia{{cite web|url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-02/honorary_appointments_july_2008.pdf|title=Order of Australia|date=2008-07-10|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|access-date=2025-01-26}}
2010Grand Knight of the Order of Loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz (SSTM)Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan50px Title (Dato' Seri) issued{{cite news|url=https://www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/sites/default/files/14jan2010thestar_0.pdf|title=Five royals on honours list|newspaper=The Star|date=2010-01-14|page=N16|access-date=2025-01-26|via=UCSI University}}
rowspan="2" | 2013Honorary doctorate in managementUniversity of Malaya
Honorary doctorate in philosophy in financeInternational Islamic University Malaysia
2016Honorary doctorate in managementUniversiti Sains Malaysia
2017Honorary doctorate in management leadershipUniversity of Technology Malaysia{{cite web|url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/ambank-group-chairman-azman-hashim-gets-sixth-honorary-doctorate|title=AmBank Group chairman Azman Hashim gets sixth honorary doctorate |author=Wong Ee Lin|date=2017-10-31|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|access-date=2025-01-26}}

Personal life

Azman married Tunku Arishah Tunku Maamor on 3 March 1963 and has two sons and three daughters. One of his daughters, Shazrina, is a fashion designer and former vocalist.{{cite web |url=http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/CintaMizzNina/Article |title=Cinta Mizz Nina |website=bharian.com.my |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625142222/http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/CintaMizzNina/Article |archive-date=2010-06-25|language=ms}} His son Shahman was made chairman of RCE Capital in 2022 and his daughter Shalina is Chairman at Amcorp Properties.{{cite web|url=https://www.sparrowsph.my/blog/tan-sri-azman-hashims-son-heads-rce-capital-as-chairman.html|title=Tan Sri Azman Hashim's son heads RCE Capital as Chairman |date=2022-06-20|publisher=Sparrow Publishing House|access-date=2025-01-26}} Azman is involved in the charitable organizations Malaysian Liver Foundation, Better Malaysia Foundation, and AmGroup Foundation.

His official biography, The Entrepreneurship Banker by Datuk Dr Paddy Bowie, was released in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/ambank-head-unveils-biography|title=AmBank head unveils biography |date=2014-11-18|author=Seri Nor Nadiah Koris|publisher=New Straits Time|access-date=2025-01-26}}

References