The new Board of Directors of the South Asia, Middle East, North Africa region’s telecommunications industry association, SAMENA Council, now being led by Dr. Khaled H. Biyari, Group CEO of Saudi Telecom Company (STC), as the Chairman, and Mr. Ihab Hinnawi, Group CEO of Batelco, as the new Vice Chairman, has acknowledged SAMENA Council's indispensible presence within the industry, to help advance and better represent the business interests and challenges of telecom operators. SAMENA Council's continuing role as an alliance of telecom operators working toward engaging private sector entities with policy-makers and global institutions for the betterment of the ICT industry also received the Board's acknowledgement and affirmation to take SAMENA Council to the next level.
The new Board termed the period 2016-2017 as being a very challenging time for telecom operators, thus requiring effective understanding of cross-stakeholder priorities and bringing together of all stakeholders and players of the value-chain. Such cooperation has the potential to support operators' need for innovation, and to help avoid any conflicts arising within the industry, which, at times, get created to the operators' disadvantage.
The first announcement of the new changes in SAMENA Council's Board Leadership was made during Mobile World Congress 2016, following the election of four new members to the Board and, subsequently, the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman through a unanimous vote. This, in SAMENA Council's 10th year of existence, marked a new beginning of a new leadership and new visions, with TurkCell, through Mr. Kaan Terzioglu, CEO; Turksat, represented by Mr. Ensar Gul, CEO; Viva Kuwait, represented by Mr. Salman Al Badran, CEO; and Zain Group, represented by Mr. Scott Gegenheimer, Group CEO, having become the newest members of the Board. The new members of the Board will contribute their visions for the welfare of the telecom operator community of the SAMENA Council as well as the industry, at large.
The new Board of Directors of SAMENA Council is now constituted by STC, Batelco, Etisalat, Omantel, Ooredoo Group, Orange-Jordan, Turk Telekom, TurkCell, TurkSat, Viva Kuwait, Zain Group, and Mr. Bocar A. BA the CEO of the Council. All operators are amongst the largest network operators and the most recognized brands in the SAMENA region.
The new Board of Directors has been elected by peers, chief executives of telecom operators, to provide leadership and an overall strategic direction for the Council, to deliver leadership points of views on regional telecom business matters in support of telecom operators, whose business interests and voice SAMENA Council is designed to represent on global fora and both policy-maker and regulatory circles. The Board establishes policies for the Council’s operations and makes its recommendations to its membership on issues and matters that concern the telecom business, and concerns raised throughout the industry.
The current Board of Directors will remain active until 2018, after which a new election will be held to elect new rotating members of the Board as well as new leadership.
Source: SAMENA Council