Dato’ Halipah Esa, 72, a Malaysian, is the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of the Board of Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SDP) since 29 December 2022. She was appointed to the Board on 1 September 2020.

Dato’ Halipah holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Economics as well as a Master of Economics degree from the University of Malaya. She also holds Certificate in Economic Management from the IMF Institute, Washington and the Kiel Institute for World Economy, Germany as well as a Certificate in Advanced Management Programme from Adam Smith Institute, London and Certificate on Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies from University of Cambridge.

Dato' Halipah began her career with the Administrative and Diplomatic Services in 1973 in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Ministers Department and has served in the areas of economic development including macroeconomy, human resources, environment and natural resources, infrastructure, water supply, energy, health, education, housing, urban services, poverty eradication and equity distribution, agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors. She became the Director General of EPU before she retired from the civil service in 2006. Dato' Halipah has also served as Deputy Secretary General at the Ministry of Finance. She had been a consultant to the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme.

Dato' Halipah has served on the Boards of various companies which include Cagamas Berhad, Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad, Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad, Petronas, MISC Berhad, KLCC Property Holdings Berhad, NCB Holdings Berhad, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, UDA Holdings Berhad, Employees Provident Fund, Pensions Trust Fund, Inland Revenue Board, Bank Pertanian Malaysia Berhad, FELDA, Putrajaya Corporation, Putrajaya Holdings Berhad, Malaysia Maritime Academy Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Deposit Insurance Corporation and Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Authority.

Dato’ Halipah is a Director of S P Setia Berhad.