Back in September last year, PayNet announced that then Group CEO Farhan Ahmad will be stepping down noting that his tenure ends on 31 January 2026. At the time, the company also designated Praveen Rajan as CEO-Designate beginning 1 December. Today, the company announced that the latter has assumed the role of CEO, and it has been in effect since 1 February.
Previously Chief Consumer Business Officer at CelcomDigi, Praveen brings over 20 years of experience in mobile telecommunications and digital industries. With a strong track record of in digital transformation, operational resilience and stakeholder engagement, he brings extensive experience leading large-scale, mission-critical and regulated organisations.


Per the company statement, “over the past two months, he has worked closely with his predecessor and the Leadership Team to support a smooth and orderly handover”. Also in the statement, PayNet says that despite the leadership change, “its strategic priorities remained unchanged, with continued focus on reliability, security, financial inclusion, fraud prevention and the advancement of the nation’s digital payments ecosystem”.
On assuming the role, Praveen says “my focus is on building on these strengths to execute with discipline and clarity, strengthen operational resilience and stability, and engage more actively with industry participants and partners across relevant sectors to support the nation’s digital economy”.
