Aernie Othman | General Manager
UEM Lestra Berhad

With over 20 years of experience in the energy and infrastructure sector, Aernie began her career in 2005 with Jimah O&M Sdn Bhd as an Engineer. She was involved in the design review of turbine and auxiliary systems as well as balance of plant components, and supported regulatory compliance activities for the 2 x 700MW coal-fired power plant in Jimah, Negeri Sembilan. During this period, she was also involved in environmental initiatives including the Environmental Monitoring Plan, mangrove rehabilitation studies, and replanting programmes associated with the Jimah Power Plant. In 2007, she transitioned to the Fuel & Risk Department where she was responsible for coal strategic planning, supply projections, and coal procurement for the plant. She played a key role in negotiating and procuring the initial coal stockpile for the Jimah Power Plant with international coal suppliers. Her portfolio also included negotiations and management of Marine Services, Towage, and Ash Sales & Purchase Agreements. In 2011, she was appointed to head the Operations Implementation Department, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Her responsibilities included overseeing PPA commercial billing, plant performance and operational data management, plant insurance matters, IT support and services, as well as driving operational improvement programmes. She also supported bidding processes for coal and gas fired power plant projects. In 2012, Aernie joined Malakoff Corporation Berhad as Manager in the Ventures I Division, where she was part of the Contract Management Section responsible for contractual and commercial matters relating to new project developments and potential mergers and acquisitions. In 2015, she was promoted to Senior Manager and appointed to head the Contract & Risk Management Section under the Group Project & Strategic Development Division. In 2018, she was reassigned to lead the Project Development Section under the Ventures & Business Transformation Division, overseeing the development of various power and renewable energy projects including solar, hydro, waste-to-energy (WTE), and waste management projects both locally and internationally. She was also part of the pioneering team that established the Project Development & Renewable Energy department, which led to the creation of Malakoff’s rooftop solar business through Malakoff Radiance Sdn Bhd. In 2021, she joined Cypark Resources Berhad, a public listed company, where she led the Business Development & Commercial Acquisition team focusing on renewable energy projects including large-scale ground-mounted and floating solar, rooftop solar, waste-to-energy (WTE), biogas, biomass, and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). In 2024, she joined UEM Lestra Berhad as General Manager of Business Development. UEM Lestra is a wholly owned subsidiary of UEM Group Berhad, which in turn is wholly owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia. In her current role, she is responsible for driving greenfield and brownfield project developments as well as mergers and acquisitions in the energy transition and renewable energy sectors. Aernie holds dual degrees from the University of Minnesota, USA - a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.