Justin Leong, Wan Firdaus join Rev Asia board

Malaysian Investor Relations Association Bhd (MIRA) chairman Justin Leong

KUALA LUMPUR: Rev Asia Bhd has appointed two investment experts to its board - Genting Malaysia Bhd’s former strategic investments and corporate affairs head Datuk Justin Leong Ming Loong and JP Morgan Malaysia’s former vice president (global investment) Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad.

The cash company, which is seeking a new core business to regularise its condition, told Bursa Malaysia that the appointment of Leong, 39, and Wan Mohd Firdaus, 34, as non-executive directors were effective Tuesday.

Leong, who is managing partner and chief investment officer of Alpha Goal International Ltd, is an experienced strategist and investment advisor.

He started his career at Goldman Sachs in London where he was an analyst in the investment banking division and an associate in the equities division.

For over a decade, from 2004 – 2016, Leong was the head of strategic investments and corporate affairs for the Genting Malaysia group, his family business.

Rev Asia said he spearheaded the group’s rapid global expansion and oversaw the repositioning of the group as one of the world’s largest gaming companies.

Leong, it said, was “the architect for the group’s expansion in the United Kingdom with the £369mil acquisition of Stanley Leisure PLC in Oct 2006 and its initial foray into America via the strategic acquisition of a 3.2% stake in MGM Resorts International in June 2009.”

Rev Asia, which is majority owned by Catcha Group, said Wan Mohd Firdaus was currently a partner of Kuala Lumpur Internet City, a project by Catcha Group under the Digital Free Trade Zone announced in March this year. 

Previously, he was a special officer to the Johor Chief Minister before moving to JP Morgan Malaysia as vice president (global corporate banking) and vice president (global investment banking).

Rev Asia executive director Patrick Grove said the company was fortunate to have “an exceptional group of highly experienced business people” to join its board.

Rev Asia became a cash company following the completion of the proposed disposal of its entire 70% equity interest in advertising and Internet social media firm Rev Asia Holdings to Media Prima Bhd’s unit Media Prima Digital Sdn Bhd on Aug 1 for RM73.5mil in cash.

It is required to regularise its Guidance Note 2 condition by, among others, submitting a proposal to acquire a new core business that must be approved by Bursa Securities and to appoint a sponsor within three months from the date the company announced that it had become a cash company.