Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, a chartered town planner was appointed as Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority in 2010. He has more than 30 years of professional experience working in the public and private sectors mainly in the field of urban and regional planning, development and governance.

Amongst his many achievements in Iskandar Malaysia include securing a total cumulative investment worth USD75 billion for the period from 2006 to December 2019 and the successful execution of public infrastructure projects worth USD3 billion for the region. He was responsible for coordinating and facilitating public-private cooperation to develop Iskandar Malaysia through various programmes such as human capital and entrepreneurship, safety and security, youth development, public transportation, housing, and the environment.