Tan Sri Dato' Seri B. Bek-Nielsen, Deceased

Danish

77

Director

Mechanical/Marine Engineer from Holstebro and Copenhagen Engineering School.

Tan Sri Dato' Seri B. Bek-Nielsen began his career in United Plantations Berhad as Assistant Engineer (1951 – 1957), Resident Engineer (1957 –1959), Chief Engineer (1959 –1967), Deputy General Manager (1967 –1971) and assumed his present post as Senior Executive Director since 1971. In 1974, he was appointed the Royal Danish Consul for Penang, Butterworth, Perlis, Kedah and Perak by HRH Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. In 1977, he was awarded R.D. (Knight of Dannebrog) by HRH The Queen of Denmark. In 1990, he was awarded The Knight of First Grade of the Royal Danish Dennebrogordenen by HRH Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. On the 7th March 2002, he was conferred the distinguished award of the Commander's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog by HRH Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. He was appointed Chairman of United Plantations Berhad on 15 June 1978 but resigned on 17 July 1982. Presently he is the Chairman of International Plantations and Finance Ltd (since 1978) and United International Enterprises (M) Sdn Bhd (since 1988) and an independent non-executive Director of Fima Corporation Berhad. He had also served various constituent bodies of the Plantations Industry and has been the Chairman of the Malaysian Oil Palm Growers’ Council (1976,1980, 1984, 1988, 1992) and Malaysian Oil Palm Promotion Council (1988-1989. In addition, he had also represented the Malaysian Palm Oil industry at several international forums such as food and Agriculture Organising of the United Nations (F.A.O), International Association of Seed Crushers (I.A.S.C), The American National Institute of Oilseed Products (NIOP)) and other international organisations. He was appointed Chairman of the Palm Oil Promotion Fund Committee by the Hon. Minister of Primary Industries, Y.B. Dato’ Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, in the course of July 1988 in order to coordinate to counter-measures against the American Soyabean Association’s anti palm oil propaganda. In this connection, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri B. Bek-Nielsen accompanied the Malaysian team to the USA in October 1987, as well as in the course of late February/early March 1989 in order to support the Minister and the industry’s cast against a smear campaign initiated by the American Soyabean Association. At present, he is a Director of Malaysian Rubber Growers’ Association (since 1971), Unitata Berhad and Fima Corporation Berhad, Board Member of Palm Oil Registration and Licensing Authority (since 1977) and Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (since 1978).

United Plantations Berhad United International Enterprises (M) Berhad Unitata Berhad