The AirAsia X CEO who left the corporate world to be his own boss

Azran Rani was the CEO of AirAsia X. Image credit: Azran Rani

Talking to Azran Osman Rani is like running a mental marathon. You need stamina to follow him as he shifts from discussing one aspect of a business to another – all within a few seconds.

That’s not surprising, considering the former AirAsia X CEO is an Ironman triathlete who can achieve what he sets his mind to do. His exuberance is contagious.

Rani’s CV contains the who’s who of the corporate world, and he references it often. He made his mark while working at Astro, Malaysia’s largest state-owned news network. He helped take the company to the Malaysian stock exchange and acquired businesses for it globally.

He was then approached by Tony Fernandes, the founder of AirAsia, who presented an offer he couldn’t refuse. “He had this crazy idea of launching a long-haul low-cost airline,” recalls Rani. “He was rejected by his own board members and shareholders, who said that AirAsia would never risk their balance sheet to do this ‘foolhardy’ venture.”

Being a self-professed “crazy guy,” Rani accepted the challenge of heading the new project. “Six years later, AirAsia X went from one rented airplane to an initial public offering that raked in millions,” he proudly adds.

Iflix comes calling

This was also around the time when Malaysia Airlines was undergoing a turbulent period in its history, with the disappearance of flight 370 in 2014.

“The entire airline industry was in a bit of a shock. I wanted to bring in some radical strategies to shake up the aviation sector, but the board wouldn’t have it. So I decided it was time to part ways,” he says.

Around 2015, a friend approached him at that time with an even crazier idea. “Patrick Grove (co-founder of Iflix) heard that I was leaving AirAsia X and told me he wanted to take on Astro and Netflix,” says Rani.

It seemed absurd – to anyone but Rani, that is.

His cardiologist called him a ticking time bomb.

“I remember traveling to Jakarta and waiting for hours outside an Indonesian telco giant for an appointment. Those were really humble beginnings,” he shares. “When we first started, it was just a few people with MacBook computers and no product. Now, Iflix is seen as a company valued at US$500 million with over 700 employees.”

As we continue our chat on a rainy day, the themes of disruption as well as insurmountable challenges and how to rise above them kept recurring. It’s as if Rani is a David who’s constantly seeking out the next Goliath to conquer.

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