Izzana Salleh
CPOPC Secretary General

Mdm. Izzana Salleh is the Secretary-General of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), bringing extensive leadership experience across public policy, private enterprise, international development and civil society. Her work specialises in strategic leadership and multilateral collaboration, with a focus on building partnerships across governments, international institutions, industry and civil society to advance shared economic and sustainable development priorities.

As Secretary-General, she leads the CPOPC Secretariat in strengthening cooperation among palm oil-producing countries and advancing their collective engagement within the international policy landscape. Her work focuses on positioning palm oil within global conversations on sustainable development, food and energy security, trade, smallholder inclusion and economic development. Central to her mandate is strengthening multilateral collaboration between producing and consuming countries, international organisations and other global stakeholders, while building greater alignment around the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

Prior to joining CPOPC, Izzana built a multidisciplinary career spanning government-linked institutions, policy and strategy, business and entrepreneurship. She has served on the Boards of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), as well as on the Investment Panel of Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). These appointments provided her with extensive exposure to issues ranging from international commodity promotion and the digital economy to human capital development and institutional investment.

Izzana is the Founder of RISE Human Capital, through which she has worked on human capital strategy, talent development and policy advisory. Earlier in her career, she served as Vice President at PEMANDU Associates, working on public-sector transformation and national policy initiatives. She was previously Chief Executive Officer of Real Food Company, where her work included developing cross-border cold-chain infrastructure and strengthening domestic food supply as part of broader efforts addressing Malaysia’s food security and import dependency.

Her career began in science before expanding into corporate and investment banking, providing a multidisciplinary foundation that has shaped her approach to policy, business and institutional leadership.

Beyond her professional roles, Izzana is Co-Founder and Global President of Girls For Girls International (G4G), a Harvard-born global nonprofit focused on developing the leadership capacity of young women through mentorship and skills development. Through its international network, G4G has empowered thousands of women and girls across more than 40 countries.

Izzana holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, a Master in Business Administration from Imperial College Business School, and a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Her leadership has been recognised through several honours, including the Women Leadership Innovator Award and recognition among Malaysia’s Top 30 Women of Excellence. Across her work, she continues to champion multilateral cooperation and cross-sector partnerships as important mechanisms for advancing sustainable development, food and energy security, human capital, women’s leadership and inclusive economic growth.