Datuk Dr Abdul Samad bin Haji Alias holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from the University of Western Australia. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia; a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants ("MIA") and a member of the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants ("MICPA").

He was the President of MICPA from 1999 to 2002 and had served as a member of Malaysian Accounting Standards Board and Financial Reporting Foundation. From September 2000 to August 2005, he was the President of MIA. He is also the first Malaysian to be elected to the twenty-two (22) member board of the International Federation of Accountants. Currently, Datuk Dr. Abdul Samad sits on the Board of Lembaga Tabung Haji, Perbadanan Kemajuan Iktisad Negeri Kelantan, Felda Holdings Bhd and Perbadanan Insuran Deposit Malaysia and is the Chairman of Malaysian Venture Capital Management Berhad, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad and Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd.

Datuk Dr Abdul Samad is an avid golfer and enjoys regular games with friends.