Zeti Akhtar Aziz

Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of Malaysia’s central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, is one of Forbes’ richest in Malaysia. As the 7th governor of the central bank, Aziz is also the first woman to take the position.

Aziz earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University Malaya. She then continued on to the University of Pennsylvania, where she obtained a PhD in monetary and international economics.

Upon returning to Malaysia, Aziz started her profession as an economic analyst for the South-East Asia Central Bank Training and Research Center, which led her to her career at the Bank Negara Malaysia.

Aziz has been with the central bank for over 30 years, and has held senior positions in the departments involved in monetary and financial policies, and reserve management. Since her start at Bank Negara Malaysia, Aziz has been a key player in driving the expansion of Islamic finance in the region.

Furthermore, when she was appointed governor in 1998, during the height of the financial crisis in Asia, she was able to successfully introduce and put into action, an exchange control strategy that restored stability.

Aziz was named the Central Bank Governor of the Year by Euromoney magazine for her key role in reforming the exchange rate and the banking industry.

The married mother of two children has had quite the prosperous career, and has earned many honors for her work in the banking sector. Global Finance Magazine has awarded Aziz “Grade A” among the leaders of the central banks ten times, alongside other prominent central bank heads, such as Amando Tetangco, Philippines’ central bank governor.