BYD Malaysia has announced a leadership change, with Jacob Ma taking over as the new Managing Director of BYD Malaysia, overseeing both the BYD and DENZA brands.
He succeeds Eagle Zhao, who will now focus fully on his role as President Director of PT BYD Motor Indonesia.
According to the company, the transition is part of BYD’s wider regional leadership strategy, while also reflecting the importance of Malaysia as a key growth market in Southeast Asia.
During his time in Malaysia, Eagle played a major role in building BYD’s local presence from the ground up. Under his leadership, the brand says it delivered more than 30,000 BYD and DENZA vehicles nationwide, while also expanding its dealer network and strengthening aftersales operations.
His tenure also coincided with BYD’s rapid rise in Malaysia’s EV space, where the Chinese carmaker quickly established itself as one of the country’s most prominent electric vehicle brands.
In a statement, Eagle said Malaysia had been an important chapter in his journey with BYD, adding that the strong foundation built together with the local team and dealer partners would continue to support future growth.
Taking over the role is Jacob Ma, who brings with him a background rooted in both global operations and market development.
Before this appointment, Jacob served as Head of Training at BYD headquarters in Shenzhen for five years, before moving on to become Vice President of BYD Indonesia for two years.
According to BYD, his responsibilities in those roles included developing international market readiness programmes, improving retail excellence standards, and leading capability-building efforts across multiple regions.
Jacob also has experience outside the automotive sector, having previously worked as a consultant and in the aviation industry, where he was involved in technology transfer initiatives and broader operational transformation work.
BYD says that mix of experience in training, organisation development, and international market operations makes him well suited to lead the company’s next phase in Malaysia.
In his new role, Jacob will oversee business strategy, sales, marketing, dealer network development, and aftersales operations for both BYD and DENZA.
His focus, according to the company, will include strengthening dealer partnerships, expanding the local product portfolio, and sharpening the positioning of both brands as BYD Malaysia continues to grow its presence in the market.
Jacob said Malaysia remains a strategic market for the group, and that the company will continue to focus on delivering innovative products and a stronger ownership experience for customers.
With this latest leadership transition, BYD Malaysia says it remains committed to advancing electric mobility locally while continuing to support the country’s broader green mobility ambitions.
