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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. |
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Mr. Muneer Farooqui
Chief Executive Officer |
Mr. Muneer Farooqui, in his present role as CEO of Warid Telecom (Pvt.) Limited, is leading to provide direction to Warid Pakistan Team, in order to achieve the Company Vision and Annual Business Goals. With his diverse International experience of managing large scale Telecom Projects, he is spearheading the Team to help the Organization to secure its due position in the local Cellular Industry which is the need of the hour to sustain Warid's role as one of the leading Telecom Companies in Pakistan.
Academically, he holds a Master degree in Computer Science from Preston University, USA. He bags over 20 years of performance driven experience where major part of his professional life pertains to the Telecom Industry of Pakistan and abroad. The panorama of his multi-dimensional experience revolves around creating and implementing Business Plans and performance oriented Organizational Strategies, Customer, Sales & Marketing Management and other technical/non-technical organizational dimensions.
He started his professional journey with Shell Pakistan in Management Cadre in 1990. Joined Mobilink in 1993 and shouldered his responsibilities in various capacities till the year 2004. In May 2004, Mr. Farooqui joined Warid Telecom (Pakistan) as part of the core team when the Company had just made a beginning in the local Telecom Industry.
In January 2006, Warid visualized and decided to expand its horizon of telecom business outside Pakistan. Mr. Muneer Farooqui was considered and chosen for giving this challenging task of creating Warid operations in Bangladesh and leading the team to register business success outside Pakistan as well.
Mr. Muneer Farooqui is a result oriented professional, exuding strong support for innovation and organizational changes aimed at creating business relevance and enhancing organizational effectiveness. He is a team player with an objective-driven approach that gives priority to Company's best interests at all times strongly backed by efforts that are focused on determination, dedication, follow-up and successful completion of result oriented initiatives. Apart from rich experience in different areas of Commercial Operations, he has initiative, positive attitude and the charisma to lead in a challenging environment.
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Mr. Tariq Gulzar
Chief Financial Officer |
An accomplished professional with a diversified experience in leadership roles gained over the past 18 years in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, in Finance, Corporate Strategy, Enterprise-wide Risk Management, Corporate Governance, Control Assurance and General Consulting in Telecommunication, Media & Technology industries. A qualified Chartered Accountant (England & Wales and Pakistan), a Certified Public Accountant (Colorado, USA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (New York, USA).
CFO is a key leadership role responsible for all financial and fiscal aspects of the business. Providing leadership and effective coordination for end-to-end finance function including commercial affairs, risk management, capital structure, investment, treasury, revenue assurance, credit & collection, budgetary control, accounting, reporting, taxation, shareholder affairs, financial strategy and planning. Supported by over 150 Finance staff spread across the country.
As Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) was responsible for assisting the CEO and senior management team in creating, communicating, implementing, and sustaining Corporate Strategy of the company and ensuring the alignment of strategic initiatives by incorporating the functional strategies & quantified business targets. Also led new business development streams (3G, Mobile banking, group-wide synergies, etc).
Also headed the Audit, Risk Management & Corporate Governance function at Warid Telecom International (Abu Dhabi, UAE) covering Pakistan and overseas operations in Asia, Middle East & Africa. Assisting management in meeting its business objectives by evaluating and making recommendations to improve company’s risk management, accountability and corporate governance processes. Directly managing a global team of highly trained professionals and reporting into the Board Audit Committee.
Prior to joining Warid Telecom was working as Assistant Vice President in the Risk & Regulatory Advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Canada. At PwC was responsible for delivering internal audit, sustainable process improvement and risk management services to organizations in terms of increased revenues, decreased costs, improved efficiency, control and organizational & process agility in a range of industries. Was Canadian east coast leader of the sales team for PwC’s flagship risk management system, TeamMate® and world-class Global Best Practices® knowledge base.
Also worked with Mobilink, Pakistan (as Finance Manager), Millicom International Cellular S.A., Luxembourg, and Modern Times Group AB, Sweden (as Group Management Consultant), before joining PwC in Canada.
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Mr. Ali Raza Mehdi
Vice President Human Resources & Administration |
Ali has 28 years of rich management experience out of which more than 20 years is in the area of Human Resources & Organizational Development both in domestic and international H.R environments. Before Joining Warid Telecom he was briefly associated with the German wholesale Trade enterprise Metro Cash and Carry as their H.R Director and member Board for Pakistan. Prior to that he was associated with Mobilink, Pakistan’s largest cellular company from 2003 to 2009 as their Vice President Human Resources, Administration and Security. While at Mobilink his team successfully implemented major organizational change initiatives including Talent Planning, Customer Service Excellence and Leadership development. Ali was instrumental in redesigning the compensation systems including the incentive programs and the company stock option value plan. He has also successfully partnered with faculty from Harvard Business School, M.I.T’s Entrepreneurship Center and INSEAD for holding world class & high caliber programs in Pakistan for Mobilink’s middle and senior management.
Ali has in-depth experience in corporate organizational development, change management, executive coaching, compensation strategy, merger integration and due diligence and executive assessment and staffing.
Ali was also associated with Pharmacia (now Pfizer) at their Head office in Peapack, New Jersey, USA as Director Human Resources Enabling Teams providing Generalist H.R support to the company’s I.T operations in U.S.A and Europe. Prior to that Ali was Pharmacia Pakistan’s Human Resource Director based in Islamabad. Ali has also been associated with Etisalat in UAE and has worked as Head of Human Resources for American Express TRS Company in Karachi. Earlier in his career he worked with British American Tobacco’s subsidiary in Pakistan and ANZ Grindlays Bank (now Standard Chartered) in Finance and Banking roles.
Ali graduated with a degree in Business Administration from American College in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 1984.
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Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh
Chief Commercial Officer |
Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh joined Warid Telecom as Chief Commercial Officer in October 2012. As CCO, Mr. Sheikh will lead the Marketing, Sales and Customer Services functions at Warid Telecom.
Mr. Sheikh has over 16 years of experience in various roles such as Turnaround & Innovation Strategy, Business Process Re-engineering, Organizational Leadership and People Management. Prior to joining Warid Telecom, he worked with three other cellular operators in different Commercial leadership roles. His diversified experience includes VP Sales & Distribution Ufone, GM Sales & Distribution Ufone, Director Distribution Mobilink, COO Worldcall and Executive Director Sales & Marketing Wi-Tribe.
Mr. Sheikh is a post graduate in Commerce from the University of Punjab. |
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Mr. Muhammad Irfan Chaudhry
Chief Technical Officer & Chief Information Officer |
Irfan has been associated with the wireless communications sector since almost 2 decades, gaining rich experiences in network Operations, projects, planning, performance and services aspects with multinational operators and vendors, both nationally and internationally. This includes: Ericsson US, Cingular Wireless USA and Paktel - a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless, UK.
He joined Warid Telecom prior to its launch of commercial services, in 2004, as head of the network operations and was later appointed as Chief Technical Officer in 2008.
Irfan is a graduate of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
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Mr. Suhail Jan
VP Sales & Distribution |
Mr. Suhail Jan joined Warid Telecom in July 2008. Mr. Suhail Jan has a wide range of experience in Telecommunication Industry in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Prior to joining Warid Telecom, Mr. Suhail Jan has worked as Head of Commercial in all major regions of the country. Over 14 years of proven expertise in emerging market business, sales and marketing. Before taking up the position at Warid Telecom as GM Commercial he was working as Head of Sales, Distribution and Trade Marketing with Banglalink in Bangladesh and also as Head of Commercial Department for Mobilink Broadband Division.
Mr. Suhail Jan is a post graduate in International Relation with Majors in International Law and International Economic relation and MBA in Marketing.
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Ali has 28 years of rich management experience out of which more than 20 years is in the area of Human Resources & Organizational Development both in domestic and international H.R environments. Before Joining Warid Telecom he was briefly associated with the German wholesale Trade enterprise Metro Cash and Carry as their H.R Director and member Board for Pakistan. Prior to that he was associated with Mobilink, Pakistan’s largest cellular company from 2003 to 2009 as their Vice President Human Resources, Administration and Security. While at Mobilink his team successfully implemented major organizational change initiatives including Talent Planning, Customer Service Excellence and Leadership development. Ali was instrumental in redesigning the compensation systems including the incentive programs and the company stock option value plan. He has also successfully partnered with faculty from Harvard Business School, M.I.T’s Entrepreneurship Center and INSEAD for holding world class & high caliber programs in Pakistan for Mobilink’s middle and senior management.
Ali has in-depth experience in corporate organizational development, change management, executive coaching, compensation strategy, merger integration and due diligence and executive assessment and staffing.
Ali was also associated with Pharmacia (now Pfizer) at their Head office in Peapack, New Jersey, USA as Director Human Resources Enabling Teams providing Generalist H.R support to the company’s I.T operations in U.S.A and Europe. Prior to that Ali was Pharmacia Pakistan’s Human Resource Director based in Islamabad. Ali has also been associated with Etisalat in UAE and has worked as Head of Human Resources for American Express TRS Company in Karachi. Earlier in his career he worked with British American Tobacco’s subsidiary in Pakistan and ANZ Grindlays Bank (now Standard Chartered) in Finance and Banking roles.
Ali graduated with a degree in Business Administration from American College in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 1984.
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