Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian's illustrious career spans over 30 years in the insurance and technology sectors, with expertise in emerging technologies and corporate transformation. He started at The American Malaysian Insurance Sdn Bhd in 1982. In 1986, he was promoted to Penang Branch Manager, followed by a promotion to Senior Regional Manager in 1989, overseeing operations in Penang, Perlis, Kedah, and Perak.

Within Media Prima, he sits on the Board of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad, Synchrosound Studio Sdn Bhd, Big Tree Outdoor Sdn Bhd, Media Prima Digital Sdn Bhd, REV Media Group Sdn Bhd, Media Prima OMNiA Sdn Bhd, Wowshop Sdn Bhd, Print Towers Sdn Bhd and The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad.

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian held key positions at various companies including Tanjung Offshore Berhad, AWC Berhad, Efficient E-Solutions Berhad, and AmanahRaya Reit Berhad. He also served as the Group Chairman for Western Digital's Malaysia Operations, overseeing subsidiaries like Western Digital Media (Penang), SanDisk Batu Kawan (Penang), Western Digital Substrate Johor, and Kuching.

He is currently serving as a Director at Coherent Malaysia Sdn Bhd (formerly known as II-VI), contributing immensely to the multinational company in Perak. These accomplishments have solidified his stature in the industry, with both Western Digital and Coherent Corporation being listed on the National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASDAQ”) in the United States.

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (“AIM”), a foundation that assists in the reduction of poverty among poor and low-income households in Malaysia by providing microcredit financing to finance activities for income generation.

A passionate advocate for education, Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian's contributions have been hailed by leading universities. He was first appointed to the Board of University Malaysia Sarawak in 2016, an appointment supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Sarawak-based university. He will continue to serve the institution until 2025. At Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (“UTem”), he was appointed as an Adjunct Professor and served as the CEO@Faculty for the institution. His many contributions to UTeM were recognised in 2019 when he received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering Technology.

In 2023, he was appointed as Adjunct Professor at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. He has also been the CEO@Faculty at Multimedia University since 2022. Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian is also the Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Committee of Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, having completed his tenure as CEO@Faculty at the institution. He was an Advisor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Entrepreneurship Programme and Chairman of the WD-Ministry of Higher Education Campus Connect Program.

Datuk Seri (Dr) Syed Hussian possesses a Diploma in Insurance from the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) in Tokyo, Japan, obtained in 1988. Additionally, he holds a Certificate in Insurance from Institut Teknologi MARA, in 1982. He further enriched his knowledge through a Government Entrepreneurial Program at ASIA BUNKA Kaikan Tokyo in 1985 and a Management Program course at Re GMBH in Cologne, Germany, in 1991.