Key Takeaways
- • Leadership transition: Jelawang Capital appoints Howard Soh as Chief Executive Officer effective October 1, 2026, ending a 15-month vacancy in the role.
- • Extensive track record: Soh brings two decades of investment, venture-building, and operating experience across Malaysia and Southeast Asia, including prior roles as CEO of Sea Malaysia, Director of Investments at Ekuinas, and Group Chief Investment Officer at LemmaTree.
- • E-commerce and fintech background: Soh founded and led early Malaysian operations for major regional platforms including Lazada, Zalora, and Foodpanda, providing operational expertise in scaling technology businesses.
- • Strategic mandate: The appointment supports Jelawang Capital's mission as Malaysia's National Fund-of-Funds and part of Khazanah Nasional's RM1.0 billion Dana Impak commitment to strengthen the venture capital and startup ecosystem.
- • Institutional pedigree: Soh holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an LLM from Tsinghua University, with prior experience at McKinsey & Company and CIMB.
Summary
Jelawang Capital, Malaysia's National Fund-of-Funds and a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, has appointed Howard Soh as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2026. The appointment concludes a 15-month period during which the CEO position remained vacant. Jelawang Capital Chairman Datuk Hisham Hamdan stated, "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Howard Soh as CEO of Jelawang Capital. Howard brings institutional investment experience, venture building and operating leadership in Malaysian technology businesses to an organisation whose programmes are now growing."
Soh arrives with two decades of experience spanning investments, venture building, and operational leadership primarily across Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Most recently, he served as Group Chief Investment Officer at LemmaTree, an Asia-based investment firm. His prior role was Chief Executive Officer of Sea Malaysia. Earlier in his career, Soh held the position of Director of Investments at Ekuinas and founded and led the early Malaysian operations of three major regional e-commerce and logistics platforms: Lazada, Zalora, and Foodpanda. This operational background in scaling technology businesses complements his institutional investment experience.
Soh's educational credentials include an MBA from Harvard Business School and an LLM from Tsinghua University. He has also held positions at leading financial institutions, including McKinsey & Company and CIMB, establishing a foundation in strategy and banking.
The appointment aligns with Jelawang Capital's role within Malaysia's broader Ekonomi MADANI framework. The organization forms part of Khazanah Nasional's RM1.0 billion Dana Impak commitment, which aims to strengthen Malaysia's venture capital and startup ecosystem, nurture high-growth entrepreneurs, and mobilize greater private and institutional capital. Under Soh's leadership, the fund-of-funds is expected to strengthen its approach to investing through and partnering with fund managers as it continues to catalyze activity in the Malaysian venture capital landscape.
Soh arrives with two decades of experience spanning investments, venture building, and operational leadership primarily across Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Most recently, he served as Group Chief Investment Officer at LemmaTree, an Asia-based investment firm. His prior role was Chief Executive Officer of Sea Malaysia. Earlier in his career, Soh held the position of Director of Investments at Ekuinas and founded and led the early Malaysian operations of three major regional e-commerce and logistics platforms: Lazada, Zalora, and Foodpanda. This operational background in scaling technology businesses complements his institutional investment experience.
Soh's educational credentials include an MBA from Harvard Business School and an LLM from Tsinghua University. He has also held positions at leading financial institutions, including McKinsey & Company and CIMB, establishing a foundation in strategy and banking.
The appointment aligns with Jelawang Capital's role within Malaysia's broader Ekonomi MADANI framework. The organization forms part of Khazanah Nasional's RM1.0 billion Dana Impak commitment, which aims to strengthen Malaysia's venture capital and startup ecosystem, nurture high-growth entrepreneurs, and mobilize greater private and institutional capital. Under Soh's leadership, the fund-of-funds is expected to strengthen its approach to investing through and partnering with fund managers as it continues to catalyze activity in the Malaysian venture capital landscape.
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