Flash

Rising IT Star in Malaysia

Ahmad Salman Bin Othman '94
Ahmad Salman Bin
Othman '94

For the last 10 years, Ahmad Salman Bin Othman '94 (CS) has been a rising star in the field of Information Communication & Technology (ICT) at Malaysia's fastest-growing international corporations.


Earlier this year, Salman was named chief information officer (CIO) for Cyber Generation Sdn. Bhd. (CyberGen), the ICT arm of Transmile Group, a company with market capitalization value of approximately USD $688 million principally involved in the provision of air freight, aircraft engineering and maintenance services.


As CIO, Salman is responsible for providing leadership for strategic planning, project development, and for the overall coordination of all aspects of information systems and technology and resources management.


"CyberGen supports all the ICT requirements for the Transmile Group — from networking (LAN and WAN), application servers, applications development, and IT security to Web access and other systems," explains Salman.


Before his move to CyberGen, Salman spent four years with Sapura Technology Berhad (STB), most recently as the company's Business Manager. STB is the IT company affiliated with the Sapura Group, an emerging global leader in the development services and innovative technology, and the creation of intellectual property and human capital development in key industries. These sectors include ICT, oil and gas, education and the manufacturing of industrial products.


Salman credits his strong technical background and solid experience in business management for positioning him well for professional success.
"My career trajectory has been somewhat unusual," he explains. "Most industry CIOs have a straight business background. In my case, I have worked in both the technical IT arena and in business management, which means I have experience in both the technology and business sides. This gives me a unique and valuable perspective since one of my biggest challenges is to change the way IT staff view themselves. In order to be successful in today's global marketplace, technical (IT) people must have a solid understanding of their respective companies' core business challenges."


Back in August 1991 when Salman enrolled in the computer science program at Clarkson, he knew little about computer hardware or software. "I had done enough reading, however, to know that science or IT was the way forward."


Salman initially found his way to Clarkson after graduating from high school with high grades and enrolling in a special program administered through the Malaysian government that sponsored promising students for study abroad. Under the program, students completed two years in Malaysia and then transferred to a foreign university.


"In order to be successful in today's global marketplace, technical (IT) people must have a solid understanding of their respective companies' core business challenges."


Salman was accepted at the University of Southern California, California State University at Chico and Clarkson. He chose Clarkson, in part, because "I liked the idea of a private, relatively small college with reasonably sized classes that offered a high quality education."


"I also liked the idea of four seasons," he adds. "In Malaysia we only have two seasons — summer and rainy!"


As a government student and with his loved ones back in Malaysia, Salman expected to return to his home country to work and live. "I understood that I had an obligation to my government and to the people of Malaysia to 'serve' my country," he says. Today he lives in Kuala Lumpur with his wife Yanti Salwani Che Saad, who attended Syracuse University, and their three children.


Salman has fond memories of his time at Clarkson. "I received a first-rate education and I made many friends." Among his favorite memories is being one of three international students to play on the 1993 varsity rugby club team; working as a Clarkson Summer Camp Counselor in 1993 under Steve Newkofsky; winning the Nine-Ball Tournament Championship at the downtown Potsdam pool hall; and attending  Golden Knights hockey games.


"Golden Knights hockey captain Ed Henrich '94 gave me a hockey stick signed by him and Craig Conroy '95. I still have it," he says.