PETRONAS’ downstream marketing unit appoints head of strategy and business development

Shell Malaysia’s former head of retail marketing, Ben Mahmud, has joined PETRONAS’ downstream marketing unit as head of strategy and business development. Mahmud will report to Dato’ Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Bin Syed Mohamed Tahir, vice president of marketing at PETRONAS, Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company, as well as CEO and managing director of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad.

PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) is the principal marketing arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS). Incorporated in Malaysia under the Companies Act 1965 on 5 August 1982 and listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia on 8 March 1994, PDB has since established itself as Malaysia’s leading retailer and marketer of downstream oil and gas products.

In his newly created position, Mahmud will be responsible for overseeing the downstream marketing operation units for PETRONAS’ domestic and global markets.

While at Shell, Mahmud was responsible for convenience retailing. He was also Shell’s lubricants team leader for Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei for more than 11 years.

Mahmud also worked at Shell Australia as global retail ONFR formats manager for more than two years, and Shell New Zealand as category manager, retail lubricants for New Zealand and Australia for more than a year.