Datuk Ismail has a distinguished career with the government sector primarily in the fields of industrial development and economic planning. He was the Director of Sabah State Economic Planning Unit from 2009 to 2014.Prior to his appointment as Director of the State Economic Planning Unit, he served as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Industrial Development from 2000 to 2009.Among his earlier roles was as the Assistant Director to the State Planning Unit from 1982 to 1988, after which he moved on as the Chief Investment Officer Majlis Ugama Islam Sabah (“MUIS”) from 1988 to 1994. He was then appointed as the Secretary to the State Secretary’s office from 1994 to 1998 and then as the Director of State Archives in 1998.

Datuk Ismail graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Economics from University of Sunderland, UK in 1982. He was then went to Harvard University for its Program on Investment Appraisal & Management (“PIAM”) in 1995.

Datuk Ismail joins GCAP as its CEO-in-Residence He is also currently the Chairman of Kwantas Corporation Berhad, a public listed plantation company. He is also the Chairman of Kwantas Corporation Berhad’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee as well as being a member of its Audit Committee.

Datuk Ismail Abdullah

CEO in Residence