Malaysia’s boardrooms are undergoing a quiet revolution. While the overall number of women in senior leadership slipped from 40.4% in 2023 to 36.2% in 2025, female CEOs are breaking through the glass ceiling, now occupying 16% of top positions, up from just over 12% in 2024.
This shift is best seen in companies like Shell Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, where leaders such as Siti Hurrairah Sulaiman and Amanda Zhang are using their influence to reshape corporate culture from the top down. Their leadership and that of many others signals real change, even as gaps remain.
External forces are a powerful ally in this transformation. Over 70% of Malaysian companies report being nudged by investors, clients, or regulators to demonstrate gender diversity in their leadership teams. These pressures have spurred 55.7% of firms to increase female representation in senior roles, with tangible results in human resources and marketing leadership.
Beyond boardrooms, trailblazers like Cheryl Sew Hoy, founder of MaGIC and Sharala Axryd, CEO of CADS, are rewriting the narrative for women in innovation and tech. Their bold vision elevates Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape while expanding opportunities for future leaders.
Indeed, Malaysia’s boardroom makeup is gradually aligning with broader goals. Women now hold over 30% of board seats in the country’s top public listed companies. This reflects both policy nudges and a growing belief in the value of diverse leadership.
Yet the journey is far from over. Sectors such as finance continue to see women executives concentrated in human resources and marketing only 16% of CEO roles are held by women. For real progress, initiatives like those by UN Women and LeadWomen focusing on boardroom representation are essential for change to deepen.
As Malaysia charts a new course, these accomplished women are doing more than succeed, they’re rewriting the rules. Through resilience, visibility, and strategic leadership, they’re transforming corporate Malaysia and the wider economy, one boardroom at a time.
