Former PROTON comms lead Vijayaratnam Tharumartnam rides off to Berjaya Corp

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Vijayaratnam Tharumartnam, former director of group communications in PROTON, has joined Berjaya Corporation as chief communications officer. In this newly created role, Tharumartnam will report to group chief executive officer, Jalil Rasheed.

Expressing his excitement for the role, Tharumartnam (pictured) told A+M that he intends to focus on mapping and aligning the longer term vision, creating a transparent communications culture that sits on the trifecta of clarity, honesty and fun. "The Berjaya Group has a very strong history and a brand heritage that has grown in tandem with the size and diversity of its businesses. To come in at this inflection point in the Group’s trajectory is a privilege and one that I do not take lightly', he added.

Jalil welcomed Tharumartnam to the team, adding that he will be responsible over the strategic direction and operational performance for all aspects of communications of the BCorp Group. This includes matters relating to external and internal communications, corporate branding, reputational management, investor relations and CSR. Strategically, Tharumartnam has been tasked to work with various stakeholders within the group to help transition Berjaya Corporation into a global consumer group, with a Malaysian identity.

"We are present in 18 countries today, and must remain a Malaysian company in values, have an identity, and a clear vision that is well understood by all," Jalil added. He was also impressed with the work that Tharumartnam did at BMW through the Shorties series and the rebranding of PROTON, "both telling a good but human story", Jalil said.

"We are enthused to have him aboard", he added. Jalil then explained that moving forward, communications is a key strategic pillar. "Successful companies are often defined by their ability to articulate themselves well and we are no exception. It is especially critical now, as we embark on this next chapter of the Berjaya Group’s evolution", he said.

Tharumartnam joined PROTON in May 2019, as director of communications where he held the role for slightly over two years. Prior to his role in PROTON, he was VP, marketing and communications for Multimedia Development Corporation for four years. According to his LinkedIn, he was also the VP of communications for HSBC Global Resourcing (UK) for 11 months, and the head of corporate affairs for BMW Group Malaysia for six years. Additionally, he served as a managing consultant for Text100, now known as Archetype, for three months.

Tharumartnam previously told A+M that his PROTON experience was everything he expected and more. "To be part of such a storied brand and one that struck a chord at a very fundamental level was both exhilarating and daunting. While I’ve worked with many strong brands, I was not prepared for how emotional Malaysians can be about PROTON. Coupled with the massive transformation that we were trying to effect, it was explosive, which as a communications person was cool," he said.

Separately, Berjaya Corporation rolled out a three-year strategic plan earlier this year to transform the existing conglomerate into a consumer group with focused core business segments. Each segment will be red by respective sector heads who will report to Jalil. The strategic plan anchors around five key pillars: profitability, governance, process, people, and digital to drive operational efficiency and execution. According to Jalil, the new plan will better optimise the company's resources, improve synergies and efficiency within the group, and enhance corporate governance and transparency.

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