Khalifa Hassan Al Forah Al Shamsi was appointed as CEO of e& life on 2 February 2022.

Reporting to Hatem Dowidar, e& CEO, Khalifa’s appointment is part of e&’s ongoing digital transformation strategy to significantly expand Etisalat’s digital portfolio by growing the existing business, as well as capturing new opportunities in the consumer market, through its new dedicated vertical – e& life. e& life’s strength will lie in its various portfolios, starting off with our Fintech and TV & multimedia functions, including E-vision, under Khalifa’s leadership.

Khalifa has over 28 years of experience in the telecom, media, and ICT industries. He led Etisalat’s first move into the digital space through the deployment of mobile services, fibre-based broadband and advanced data services. He has held several leadership positions within e&, including Head of Mobile Networks, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Digital Officer. His role in building the business unit ‘Etisalat Digital Services’ was critical to generating new revenue streams and accelerating business growth.

In his previous role as the Group Chief Corporate Strategy & Governance Officer, he was a key contributor to developing the vision and future strategic priorities of e&.

Ms. Dena Al Mansoori was appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer of e& in November 2020. Prior to this role, she was the Chief Human Resources Officer of the Central Bank of the UAE. Ms. Al Mansoori has over 17 years of experience including international companies in various industries such as retail, oil and gas, banking, and finance. In 2020, she established WhiteBox HR, a tech company that uses Machine Learning, People Science, and Organisation Network Analysis.

Ms. Al Mansoori holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems and Finance from Boston University in USA.

Dr. Karim Bennis was appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer of e& in May 2020. Prior to this, he was Vice President, Financial Control and Planning of e& for seven years, having started his journey with e& in 2013. His previous positions include Deputy Managing Director and CFO at Tractafric Motors Corporation, Financial Controller, Strategic Planning, Subsidiaries Management and Investor Relations of Maroc Telecom - as a secondee of Vivendi Group - as well as Financial Controller of Crown Cork Holdings.

Alongside his strong expertise in telecoms, Karim has garnered international experience in Europe across several industries, including manufacturing, retail and heavy equipment and is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Dr. Bennis is a member of the Board and Audit Committee of Etisalat Egypt, Maroc Telecom Group in Morocco, Mobily in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL Group) and Atlantique Telecom Holding.

He holds a PhD in Economics and Technology from Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris, a Master’s degree in Economics and Corporate Finance from Sciences-Po, Paris, a Master’s degree in Audit and Management Accounting from SKEMA Business School and an Executive MBA from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. Additionally, he has completed the Executive Chief Financial Officer Program at Columbia Business School in New York.

Eng. Obaid Hussain Bokisha is the chief Operations Officer of e&. Mr. Obaid Bokisha joined Etisalat upon graduating with distinction from Etisalat College of Engineering with a bachelor degree in telecommunications in 1998.

He started his career in mobile network planning focusing on coverage optimization, introduction of new technologies, and design of activities to enhance mobile networks performance. He was quickly promoted to lead the team for all mobile networks within the UAE and support Etisalat International’s footprints, where he chaired and participated in developing technical bids for international expansion.

Mr. Bokisha demonstrated skills in optimizing network plans, improving efficiencies and optimizating costs. In 2008, he was appointed as a board member of Etisalat Nigeria, which helped him further develop his investment and commercial acumen. He also served on the boards of Etisalat Misr in Egypt, Zantel in Tanzania and served as Chairman of Canar Telcom in Sudan.

In 2012, he was appointed as Group Chief Procurement and Contracts Officer. In 2017, he assumed the role of Chief Business and Continuity & Corporate Quality Officer and was accountable for the development and implementation of the business continuity and crisis management framework for Etisalat. In 2020, he was appointed the role of Group Chief Transformation Officer where he led the robust transformation efforts of the Group. In June 2021, he assumed the role of Acting Group Chief Procurement Officer in addition to his role as Group Chief Transformation Officer.

He is a generally well-rounded executive who grew through the technology function with strong knowledge of Telecom industry and was able to gain a significant depth of experience specifically in the telco space and within e&.

Mikhail Gerchuk is the CEO of e& international, responsible for developing and implementing strategies for driving growth and maximizing value for the e& international operations.

He brings more than 20 years of telecoms experience with notable leadership roles at Vodafone, MTS, and VEON, covering general management, strategy, marketing, product and service development, as well as launching new business segments. He also served as a Senior Advisor for the Telecom, Media and Technology Practice at McKinsey & Company in London.

Gerchuk began his journey in telecom with Vodafone in 2002, where he was the Global Head of voice propositions and later the Chief Commercial Officer at a Vodafone subsidiary. He then joined MTS as a Group Chief Commercial Officer, where he was responsible for propelling the company into the top 100 global brands list.

At Veon, Gerchuk was the Group Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer and then the Head of Eurasia, managing operations in seven countries in Europe and Asia. Under his leadership, the Eurasia region delivered double-digit growth in revenues and profits.

Gerchuk has extensive Corporate Governance experience, serving as  Chairman and Board Member at several corporate boards within and outside of the telecoms industry in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Gerchuk holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Salvador Anglada joined Etisalat as Chief Business Officer of UAE in 2013 and his leadership has been decisive on the development, transformation and expansion of Etisalat B2B business. He created Etisalat Digital in 2015 to serve enterprise customers in the Middle East in their digital transformation journey that also acquired Help AG in 2019 to become the cybersecurity leader in the region. Since 2021 he has led Etisalat Enterprise Digital with the ambition to become the region’s Enterprise Digital Tech champion..

Anglada has over 25 years of experience in the Telco and IT Industry. He spent 12 years in Telefonica where he was the Managing Director of Telefonica Empresas, the enterprise division of Telefonica Spain. He also served for more than five years as CEO of Telefonica O2, the Telefonica subsidiary in Czech Republic.

He has been instrumental in the development of the telecom industry in Europe. In 2002 he participated in the launch Telefonica Empresas in Spain as a Telecom & ICT dedicated unit for enterprises and government customers. In 2007 he led the merger between Eurotel and Czech Telecom, resulting in the first fixed/mobile integrated company in western Europe, and in 2009 he launched Telefonica O2 Slovakia as the third mobile operator in the country that only five years later became solid number two.

He has served on several boards and advisory boards. Aside from serving as Executive Board Director of Telefonica Europe, he also held board membership positions with several companies including ACENS Technologies and Conexxo.

Anglada holds an Industrial Engineering master’s degree from UPM, an Executive MBA from IE and a PGD from IES.

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood is the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat UAE, from e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group).

With an illustrious career and a strong drive for results, Mahmood is a true people leader, focused on bringing growth in Etisalat UAE, the telecoms pillar of e& in the UAE. Mahmood drives the company’s strategic priorities through a lens of operational efficiency, generating value creation and having a customer-centric approach to drive sustainable growth.

While his primary focus in UAE are the commercial functions, technology, and IT encompassing all areas in the country, his expertise in operational and financial areas has led to developing high-performing teams, establishing a collaborative and growth-oriented work culture, and executing development strategies that have elevated business performance in his past assignments.

Mahmood brings over 21 years of experience with a proven accomplishment record of building and transforming businesses in communication and technology.

During his last leadership role, he was the CEO for around a decade of Yahsat, a global satellite communications company, wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company. Since his appointment in 2012, Mahmood has managed its operational capabilities on a government and commercial level. He successfully expanded the business’ global footprint, having overseen Yahsat’s operations growth into 50 markets.

He led and executed the successful consolidation of UAE’s commercial space sector with Yahsat’s acquisition of the mobile satellite operator (Thuraya), leading to considerable shareholder value creation, a key pre-requisite and enabler for Yahsat’s public debut in 2021.

Prior to joining Yahsat, Mahmood was the Vice President at Mubadala, where he headed the ICT department and steered the corporate strategy and asset management of its strategic portfolio, such as Yahsat and Injazat.

Mahmood also has ten years of experience in investment management and business development, holding various executive positions within government and semi-government entities such as Dubai Investment Group, and the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Mohamed Dukandar was appointed Chief Internal Control & Audit Officer of e& in September 2016.

He has over 26 years of experience in governance, risk management, compliance, insurance, internal and external audit, as well as fraud investigations across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. He is a successful leader with strong expertise in overseeing and implementing best-in-class risk management and internal audit practices in multinational businesses.

Dukandar is known for providing strategic input and high-level insight on aspects related to internal controls, innovation, best practices and compliance-related trends while establishing strong governance disciplines that ensure a compliance-driven business culture. A firm believer in building strong relationships, his primary focus in his role as a business partner and trusted advisor is maintaining a balanced, robust, risk-mitigating and compliance-driven culture.

Dukandar began his career as an auditor with KPMG in 1996 and subsequently worked at the National Treasury of South Africa as the Director of Risk Management, and at the City of Johannesburg as the Group Head of Risk and Audit, overseeing its 19 entities. In 2009, he assumed the role of Group Executive, Telkom Audit Services of Telkom South Africa SOC Limited. He is an active participant and long-term member of industry associations such as the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Global Institute of Internal Auditors Inc. (IIA). He has also served on multiple boards and audit committees throughout his career.

At e&, he serves on the audit and risk committees of various subsidiaries such as PTCL, PTML, Etisalat Egypt, Afghanistan, ESH and until recently, Maroc Telecom. He is also an active member of e&’s key governance committees, including the Information Security Council, Group Enterprise Risk Management Committee and Group Compliance Steering Committee.

Dukandar holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa and an Honours degree in Accounting from the University of South Africa. He is also an experienced and professional Chartered Accountant (SA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Control Self Assessor (CCSA).

Mr. Ahizoune has been Chairman of the Maroc Telecom Management Board since February 2001 and served as CEO from 1998 to 2001. Earlier, he was Minister of Telecommunications in four different governments. Mr. Ahizoune has been Chairman of the Moroccan Royal Athletics Federation since 2006, and also serves as a Board member of several foundations: Inter Alia, King Mohammed V for solidarity, King Mohammed VI for the environmental protection, and Princess Lalla Salma against cancer. He is also the VicePresident of La Confédération Générale des Enterprises du Maroc (CGEM) and the President of its MoroccanEmirati economic commission. He holds an engineering degree from Télécom ParisTech.

Eng. Salman AlBadran was appointed as the CEO of Mobily in April 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was the CEO of VIVA Kuwait since January 2011 after joining the company in 2008 and completing its commercial launch. Mr. AlBadran started his career with SABIC in 1996 and then made his foray into the Telecom sector in 2001 with Saudi Telecom Company. Mr. AlBadran holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Electrical Engineering with a specialization in the field of Communication and Energy from King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Metwally was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Misr in October 2015. He joined Etisalat Misr in 2007 as Chief Commercial Officer managing sales, marketing, and customer care functions. In 2012, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer expanding his responsibilities to include Carriers Relations and Wholesale Operations. Prior to joining Etisalat, he was the Head of Consumer Marketing at Vodafone Egypt where he played an important role in launching several innovative commercial initiatives. Before that, he was the Head of Distribution at Mobinil Egypt. He started his telecom career in 1999 in sales distribution and operations focusing on both consumer and corporate segments. Mr. Metwally holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Cairo University.

Mr. Hatem Bamatraf is a seasoned telecommunications executive with over 26 years of experience in management and leadership roles across the fields of technology operations and enterprise & business development around Middle East and the Asia region. He is currently serving as the President & Group CEO of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Ufone. As a globally recognized tech expert, he is a member of the board of directors in a number of e& affiliates.

Mr. Hatem started his professional career with the e& in 1995 as an engineer in its mobile team and steadily rose through the ranks to assume higher roles. In 2007, he joined Telecom Company, du as Senior Vice President Network Development and later as head of Enterprise Business Unit and helped the company strengthen its market position. Earlier, he had a 3 years stint as Executive Director of Technology at Mobily, Saudi Arabia. He joined Etisalat again in 2013 as Chief Technology Officer, a position he held for over 8 years till assuming his new role as the Head of PTCL Group in Pakistan. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Etisalat technology services from 2014 to 2018.

He is a graduate of the Etisalat College of Engineering, and holds a Bachelor degree of Engineering in Communication. He is also an INSEAD Executive Business School graduate and was awarded by the Global Telecom Business as one of the 40 Under 40 Telecom Leaders in the world.