Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur. Capital A has appointed Effendy Shahul Hamid as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective April 6, as part of a management reshuffle aimed at accelerating its transition into a regional digital ecosystem player.

Capital A is a Malaysia-based investment holding company that evolved from the airline group formerly known as AirAsia Group.

Group CEO Tony Fernandes announced the move on Monday, describing it as an important step in refreshing leadership across critical business units amid a rapidly evolving global market environment.

The appointment follows Capital A’s divestment of its aviation business to AirAsia X Berhad in January 2026, a transaction that marked a strategic pivot away from its legacy airline operations.

Since then, the group has sharpened its focus on expanding its core portfolio, which includes Asia Digital Engineering (maintenance, repair and overhaul), Teleport, AirAsia MOVE, AirAsia brand, and Santan.

The restructuring reflects Capital A’s transformation from a traditional airline operator into an integrated, travel-focused technology company, leveraging its aviation heritage alongside digital platforms, data, and brand assets.

Fernandes said Effendy’s appointment would support the group’s next phase of growth, particularly in scaling its ecosystem strategy.

“Effendy brings a wealth of experience across banking, digital transformation and partnerships, which will be critical as we expand our ecosystem and unlock greater value,” he said during an online press conference.

Effendy joins Capital A after more than two decades at CIMB Group, where he held various regional leadership roles, including overseeing retail operations. He also played a key role in transforming Touch 'n Go into a leading fintech platform through collaboration with Ant Group.

Speaking at the same briefing, Effendy said the group’s ecosystem offers significant growth potential, particularly as its various platforms become more integrated.

“It’s not just about building the ecosystem, but how it expands and ultimately creates value for Capital A,” he said, adding that the company’s rapid evolution into a diversified platform is “quite rare” in the industry.

He also expressed optimism about working with the existing team. “The businesses are strong, the people are great, and I look forward to contributing to the next phase of growth,” he said.

Capital A is positioning itself as a “super app”-style ecosystem in Southeast Asia—similar to how tech companies integrate travel, payments, logistics, and lifestyle services into one platform.