Board of Directors

Mr. Essa Kazim holds Honorary Doctorate from Coe College (USA), Master Degree in Economics from the University of Iowa (USA), Master Degree in Total Quality Management from the University of Wollongong and a Bachelor Degree in Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science from Coe College. He is currently holding the following positions:

• Governor - Dubai International Financial Center
• Chairman - Borse Dubai
• Member - Higher Board of Directors of Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)
• Member – Securities and Exchanges Higher Committee
• Member - Supreme Fiscal Committee in Dubai
• Deputy Chairman - Supreme Legislation Committee in Dubai
• Chairman - DIFC Authority Board of Directors
• Chairman - DIFC Investments Board of Directors
• Board Member - Free Zones Council
• Board Member - NASDAQ Dubai
• Board Member - NASDAQ Inc.
• Board Member - Rochester Institute of Technology
• Member of the Board of Governors - Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University

Mr. Hesham Al Qassim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance and Master’s Degree in International Business Management & in Executive Leadership Development. He is currently assuming the following positions:

• Vice Chairman - Dubai Real Estate Corporation.
• Chief Executive Officer - Wasl Asset Management Group.
• Vice Chairman and Managing Director - Emirates National Bank of Dubai PJSC.
• Chairman - Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC.
• Chairman - Emirates NBD S.A.E (Egypt).
• Chairman – DenizBank A.S (Turkey).
• Board Member - Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFCA).
• Board Member - DIFC Investments.
• Chairman - Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS).
• Board Member - the National Human Resources Development Committee of the Banking and Financial Sector.
• Board Member - the International Humanitarian City.
• Board Member – Itissalat Al-Maghrib (IAM) Maroc Telecom.
• Chairman – Dubai Sports Corporation.
• Vice Chairman – Dubai Autism Centre.

Mariam Ghobash has substantial corporate governance experience with both publicly listed and private companies. Ms. Ghobash currently serves as a board member of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution (ADNOC Distribution), Emirates Development Bank, Gulf Capital and Zayed University.

Previously, she was Vice-Chairperson of Aldar Properties and Invest AD. She also served on the boards of National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Al Hilal Bank and National Takaful Co. “Watania” and was a Director in the Global Special Situations Department at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

Ms. Ghobash holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America. She has also successfully completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Saleh has graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder (USA) with a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. He held the following positions:

• Group Chief Executive Officer – Etisalat Group
• Chief Executive Officer - Etisalat UAE
• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer - Etisalat Misr
• Deputy Chairman & Member of the Executive Committee - Etisalat Misr
• Board Member - Maroc Telecom Group
• Board Member - Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily)
• Chairman - Thuraya Telecommunications Company (Thuraya)
• Chairman - Etisalat Services Holding (ETS)
• Board Member - Khalifa University

H.E. Mansoor Al Mansoori holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Security Studies and National Resources Management from the National Defense College (UAE). He is a University of Toledo (Ohio, USA) graduate in Computer Science, and holds several specialized certificates including a Leadership Certificate from London Business School (UK), Innovation Strategy Leadership from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and International Institute for Management Development (Switzerland). H. E. Mansoor Al Mansoori holds/held the following positions:

• Member - Abu Dhabi Executive Council
• Chairman - Department of Health in Abu Dhabi
• Chairman of the Board - Injazat
• Board Member - AIQ
• Board Member - Multiply
• Member of Board of Trustees - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)
• Group Chief Operating Officer (former) - Group 42 Holding
• Chairman (former) - Bayanat
• Director General (former) - UAE National Media Council
• Board Member (former)- Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
• Board Member (former)- Emirates Palace Company

Mr. Michel is a graduate of École Polytechnique, Télécom ParisTech and Paris Dauphine University. He currently holds/held the following positions:

• Chairman & CEO – MC Conseil
• President and CEO (former) - SoftBank Group International
• Board Member - Philip Morris International
• Board Member - CTIA, a national trade association representing the wireless communications industry in the United States
• President and CEO (former) – Sprint
• Board member (former) – Sprint
• CEO (former) – Altice
• Chief Operating Officer (former) – Altice
• Chairman and CEO (former) - SFR Group
• CEO (former) - Alcatel-Lucent, beginning in April 2013
• CEO (former) - Vodafone Europe
• Chairman and CEO (former) - TDF Group
• Chief Financial Officer and Senior Executive Vice President (former) - France Telecom

Sheikh Ahmed Al Dhahiri graduated with Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from U.A.E. University – Al Ain in 1993. He is currently holding the following positions:

• Vice Chairman - Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company (ADNH).
• Vice Chairman - Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA).
• Board Member – First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB).
• Board Member – Al Dhafra Insurance Co.

Mr. Abdelmonem Al Serkal graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University - San Diego, California, United States in 1993 with a Degree of Bachelor in Business Administration (emphasis on Economics). He currently holds the following positions:

• Founder - Alserkal Avenue.
• Managing Director - Nasser Bin Abdullatif Alserkal Est.
• Board Member - Al Burj Real Estate Ltd.
• Advisory Board Member - Tharawat Family Business Forum.
• Board of Patrons - Art Dubai.
• Member - The British Museum’s Contemporary and Modern Middle Eastern Art Acquisition Group.
• Member -Tate’s Middle East and North Africa Acquisition Committee.
• Member - Guggenheim’s Middle Eastern Circle.
• Member – Centre Pompidou International Circle Middle East.
• Patron – Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Mr. Otaiba holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Damascus in 2001, and a license to practice law (before the First Instance Courts, Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court) from the Ministry of Justice in the United Arab Emirates in 2004.

Mr. Otaiba participated in numerous legal seminars and committees at the local and international level, among the most prominent of these activities is the participation as a member on the National Committee of Lawyers in the UAE. He was also the Head of the Legal Suits Division of the Legal Department at National Bank of Abu Dhabi for two years.

Otaiba bin Khalaf Al Otaiba is a partner in “Al Otaiba & Hamdan Budebes Advocates & Legal Consultants Office”, which was founded by him in 2004, headquartered in the city of Abu Dhabi and has expanded and grown to offer its legal services through a number of branches in the United Arab Emirates, including a branch in Dubai and a branch in Al Ain.

Mr. Khalid Alrustamani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. He is currently holding the following positions:

• Chairman and CEO - AW Rostamani Group.
• Board Member & Member of Executive Committee – Commercial Bank of Dubai.
• Board Member - Dubai Insurance Company.

Mr. Hasan Al Hosani has a vast experience in the legal field spanning more than 22 years, during which he has held a number of positions in the public and private sectors. He began his career in the oil and gas sector where he worked for nine years during which he served as a legal advisor to the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) known as one of the largest oil construction companies in the region and the Middle East.

Mr. Hasan then moved to the public sector of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi where he assumed the position of General Counsel for the Department of Municipal Affairs as well as the Head of Regulations and Legislations Department.

Mr. Hasan Al Hosani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the United Arab Emirates University and is a lawyer registered in the Registry of Non-working Lawyers at the Ministry of Justice. He is also a commercial arbitrator accredited by Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC) and was Member of Arbitration/ADR Steering Committee of ICC UAE.

As Etisalat Group Corporate Secretary (“GCS”) since 2012, he serves as an advisor to the Board in all legal and governance related matters. In doing so, the GCS ensures providing an independent legal opinion to the Board and adopting the applicable rules and regulations in the UAE as well as the best-in-class corporate governance practices that are related to the Board, its committees and the Board members such as the conflict of interest, related party transactions and non-competition. Also, he takes care of the periodical disclosures related to the afore-mentioned matters to ensure integrity, transparency and compliance with the applicable rules and regulations. The GCS further observes the legal requirements for General Assembly meetings such as their quorum, running their proceedings, casting the votes on their resolutions, following up the implementation of such resolutions as well as the rules of elections. Moreover, Mr. Hasan ensures applying the rules that govern the Board directorships and Board members’ replacement in the event of a director’s resignation or vacating a seat. Besides, he serves as an interface between the Board and each of the Group’s Executive Management, SCA/ADX, shareholders, public authorities and other stakeholders.