KUALA LUMPUR (April 17): The Sultan of Kedah's son, Datuk Tunku Shazuddin Ariff Sultan Sallehuddin, has joined a unit of Naza Corp Holdings Sdn Bhd as chairman, the group announced today.

Tunku Shazuddin will serve as chairman of Naza Italia Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of iconic auto brands Ferrari and Maserati in Malaysia.

"Tunku Shazuddin brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we firmly believe will add value, instill good corporate governance practices and provide effective leadership to steer Naza Italia towards achieving long-term success and deliver sustainable value to the automotive group," said Naza Corp group executive chairman and chief executive officer SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin.

"He will be the key advisor on strategic direction to elevate Naza Italia as the official distributor of Ferrari and Maserati in Malaysia and continue to be a top dealer in Southeast Asia," added Nasaruddin.

Tunku Shazuddin, 48, is one of two sons of the Kedah ruler Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah.

He currently serves as executive chairman at Berjaya Food Bhd, besides holding directorship in Seri Libana Sdn Bhd.

He also provides consultancy services to various state and government departments on acquisition of new technologies and funding for agricultural and tourism activities.

Meanwhile, Naza Corp's joint venture partner, Groupe PSA, has announced Laurence Noël as CEO of the Naza Automotive Manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah.