Zulkifli Salim
Chief Renewable Energy Officer
SD Guthrie
Zulkifli Salim, was appointed Chief Renewable Energy Officer of SD Guthrie Berhad (Guthrie) on 22 September 2025. He is a seasoned clean energy leader with 22 years of experience in renewable energy, energy storage, engineering consultancy, and power infrastructure across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Malaysia.
Zulkifli holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) from Imperial College London, a Master of Science (MSc) in Electrical Power Engineering from the University of Manchester, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Sheffield, England.
He began his career in 2003 with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in the Transmission System Planning Department, where he was responsible for conducting power flow studies to ensure Malaysia’s national grid operated optimally and securely.
Following his MSc in 2006, Zulkifli landed a role with Ove Arup & Partners UK, where he developed his engineering consultancy expertise in the built environment, utilities and energy sectors. During his time there, he was involved in the development of private wire networks and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) district heating schemes across the UK and Europe. He also served as Technical Advisor on several utility scale renewable energy and energy storage projects, including the first battery storage project commissioned under the UK National Grid’s Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) scheme.
In 2019, Zulkifli joined BuroHappold UK to work on large scale developments in the Middle East and Europe, where he helped drive strategies to diversify energy systems away from fossil fuels and towards renewables and a zero-carbon economy.
He returned to Malaysia in December 2021 to join Gentari – the green energy arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) – as Head of Utility Scale & Decarbonisation, before assuming his current leadership role at Guthrie.
Zulkifli is driven by a commitment to contribute to Malaysia’s energy transition and to help build a cleaner and more sustainable future for the next generation.
Zulkifli holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) from Imperial College London, a Master of Science (MSc) in Electrical Power Engineering from the University of Manchester, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Sheffield, England.
He began his career in 2003 with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in the Transmission System Planning Department, where he was responsible for conducting power flow studies to ensure Malaysia’s national grid operated optimally and securely.
Following his MSc in 2006, Zulkifli landed a role with Ove Arup & Partners UK, where he developed his engineering consultancy expertise in the built environment, utilities and energy sectors. During his time there, he was involved in the development of private wire networks and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) district heating schemes across the UK and Europe. He also served as Technical Advisor on several utility scale renewable energy and energy storage projects, including the first battery storage project commissioned under the UK National Grid’s Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) scheme.
In 2019, Zulkifli joined BuroHappold UK to work on large scale developments in the Middle East and Europe, where he helped drive strategies to diversify energy systems away from fossil fuels and towards renewables and a zero-carbon economy.
He returned to Malaysia in December 2021 to join Gentari – the green energy arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) – as Head of Utility Scale & Decarbonisation, before assuming his current leadership role at Guthrie.
Zulkifli is driven by a commitment to contribute to Malaysia’s energy transition and to help build a cleaner and more sustainable future for the next generation.