When applying to universities in 1987, Shahriman Shamsuddin took his father’s advice and positive feedback from current Purdue students to heart and made the trek from Malaysia to West Lafayette to pursue his degree at the College of Technology.
Thirty years later, Shamsuddin says his Purdue experience was invaluable. “The time I spent at Purdue provided me with the technical competence I view as the solid foundation required in running a technology-based business.”
After completing his bachelor’s degree, Shamsuddin began his career in 1991 at Sapura Group, a technology-based organization founded by his father. From its beginnings as a telecommunications infrastructure and service provider, the Sapura Group has expanded and diversified across five global business markets.
Shamsuddin has held a number of key leadership positions across the Group’s companies. He currently serves as managing director of Sapura Resources, where he oversees the Group’s aviation, property investment and education interests.
Shamsuddin also serves on the Board of Sapura Energy, a leading integrated oil and gas services and solutions provider. Sapura Energy made Forbes Asia’s Fabulous 50 listing and was voted Asia’s best managed company in natural resources by Finance Asia. He is also an executive director of Sapura Industrial and a director of Sapura Technology and Sapura Holdings.
Despite the long distance, Shamsuddin has remained involved with Purdue through connections with other Malaysian Purdue alumni. “Although I left Purdue more than 20 years ago, I am able to reach out in an instant and pick up where we left off.”
Shamsuddin resides in Selangor, Malaysia, with his wife, Marizan, and their two children.