Breaking: Zouhair Khaliq Resigns From Warid BoD, As Dhabi Group Splits Warid and Wateen Boards

Good for both Warid and Wateen if Dhabi Group is going to carry both company’s separately as it will eliminate dependencies and undue frame work. They are both different businesses and should be treated independently.

Appears to be a very good decision and in my view it should have done long before and even if it happens now, this will add value in both concerns.

I expect the end of this fiscal year will tell exactly what difference did this decision made.

lagta hai warid ki boliiiiiiii lagne wali hai
hogaye sham gir gaye daam baba

Abu Telecom Hain Uncle to – check it man, his profile – its awesome :

http://www.waridtel.com/about/management.php

Zouhair is a UK based Board level Senior Executive with a successful track record in building, growing and turning around companies in the Telecom and Technology space. He has over 27 years of experience in leadership positions with expertise in finance, marketing, corporate strategy, business development, human resource development and relationship management.

Zouhair while based in Egypt 2009-10 led the Orascom Telecom Group initiative in Mobile Financial Services and banking for the unbanked and was involved with the setting up of a Microfinance Bank. He also led the Orascom Telecom Group Strategy on infrastructure sharing with several projects in different countries. He recently oversaw the planning and strategy for a potential US$1 billion Tower Sharing Joint Venture between Orascom Telecom and another major Telco group.

During 2003 through 2008 as Chief Executive Officer of Mobilink in Pakistan, he led the growth of the customer base from 1 million to 30 million over 5 years, growing revenues 15 times to US$ 1.25 billion, maintaining stable EBITDA and market leadership in a 5 player market. He successfully helped deploy US$ 2.5 billion in cellular infrastructure, a nationwide fiber optic backbone and Wi-max operations transforming Mobilink into the leading Telecom Solutions Provider and the largest private sector company in the country. During his tenure Mobilink was rated amongst the 5 fastest growing companies in the Asian region alongside China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo and Bharti Telecom in 2006-2007.

Zouhair successfully helped raise over US$ 1.1 Billion dollars of debt working with European Export Credit Agencies and local and international banks and the Ministry of Finance including the first ever US$ 250 million private sector Bond in the country’s history. He played a pivotal strategic role, in helping to shape and formulate the Mobile Cellular Policy of the Government of Pakistan, working extensively with the Ministry of Communications and lobbying the Government at all levels thus paving the way for Orascom Telecom’s success in the country.

As Group COO at Orascom Telecom in Egypt in early 2003, he revamped the Board Governance structure and Operational Strategy of the Group, restructured the management of the Algerian operations and helped launch the Tunisian cellular operations and planned the launch of the Iraq operations thus contributing to the Group’s subsequent rapid expansion. Earlier in 2002 as Group CFO at Orascom Telecom he successfully led the restructuring of the Group’s US$ 1.8 billion debt with Egyptian and international banks and major equipment suppliers.

During 2001-2002 as a member of the Management Board and COO of wcities Limited in the UK, he was responsible for worldwide operations of this location based application services provider. The company was valued at US$ 200 million in 2001, but struggled in adverse market conditions. Zouhair led the transformation of this company and set the stage for survival in a hostile environment.
While at Motorola during 1997-2001 he exercised a key Board role in helping to successfully build Mobinil, a US$ 4 billion quoted cellular company, to a position of dominant market leadership in the Egyptian market with 1.2 million subscribers in 2 years. He exercised a key Board role in helping establish market leadership and subscriber growth of 6.5 times in 3 years in Fastlink, Jordan. He collaborated in the preparation of a potential IPO valued at over US$ 5.0 billion for Motorola’s Network Management Group.

As a member of the Board of Regents of the Harris Manchester College Oxford University, he is currently assisting the college with fund raising. As part of the Board of the Karachi Education Initiative helped with strategy and governance structure to attract the Judge Business School, Cambridge University to become a strategic partner. Zouhair is a past President of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), Lahore Chapter, where he helped young entrepreneurs, through structured programs, to realize their full potential. He is also a WPO member.

As Board Member of the Government of Pakistan’s ICT R&D Fund he helped set up a vocational training institute for under-graduates. As member of the Board of Islamabad Stock Exchange he contributed to the governance structure and market repositioning. Zouhair is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and has served on the Board of Directors of Companies in the UK, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He has trained in Managing International Businesses at INSEAD.