Hatem Dowidar is the Group CEO of e&. He joined e& in September 2015, initially serving as Group Chief Operating Officer. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer, International in March 2016, and in May 2020, he became the Group’s Chief Executive Officer.
Ever since he took the company’s helm, Dowidar was the architect for the group’s transformation from a traditional telco to a technology group. He has spearheaded several ground-breaking strategic programmes that propelled the company’s business growth to new heights across the 38 markets where it now operates. As the company transformed into a global technology group in February 2022, and despite the ever-changing business landscape, his astute brand stewardship has been the foundation for enhancing e&’s brand equity, enhancing employee experience, and adding value to stakeholders.
Today, e& is the Fastest Growing Technology Brand and the most valuable brand portfolio in the Middle East and Africa , standing tall in global rankings. Dowidar also has been recognised by Brand Finance as the number one ranked telecom leader globally on the Brand Guardianship Index 2024. e& also attained the highest position in Brand Finance’s inaugural Employer Brand Report 2024, with its UAE entity ranking as the Top Global Telecoms Employer.
A highly skilled strategist and visionary, Dowidar has been instrumental in ushering in a new phase of strategic partnerships and key collaborations with global industry leaders that will digitally empower societies.
Prior to joining the group, Dowidar was the Group Chief of Staff for Vodafone Group based in London. He brings 32 years of experience in multinational companies and more than 25 years of these within the telecommunications industry across various leadership positions.
He initially joined Vodafone Egypt in 1999, served as Marketing Director (CMO), and later became the CEO of Vodafone Egypt from 2009 – 2014, where he steered the business growth with benchmark profitability in challenging and competitive environments. Dowidar has a long track record of achievements in the various leadership positions he held at Vodafone Group and its subsidiaries, including Group Core Services Director, Chairman and CEO of Vodafone Malta, CEO of Partner Markets with partnerships covering over 45 markets, and Regional Director Emerging Markets. He also has extensive Corporate Governance experience through his representation as Chairman and Board Member on several Corporate Boards within and outside the telecommunications industry.
Dowidar began his career in AEG/Deutsche Aerospace (Daimler Benz Group) in Egypt before moving into marketing at Procter & Gamble, where he held several managerial roles.
He is currently a board member of Vodafone Group, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), Maroc Telecom, and Etisalat Misr (Etisalat Egypt).
On a global industry level, Dowidar is a member of the GSMA and the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) leadership panel. GSMA is an industry organisation representing the interests of global mobile operators and the broader mobile ecosystem. IGF leadership panel is a multi-stakeholder group for policies and practices relating to the Internet and technologies. Convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the IGF facilitates knowledge exchange on how to maximise Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges.
Previously, Dowidar served as a board member for Hutch Lanka, Etisalat Nigeria, Attijariwafa Bank Egypt, Barclays Bank Egypt and Vodacom Africa, Vodafone Egypt and Malta, and ElSweedy Electrometers.
Appointed as Chief Executive Officer of e& life in February 2022, Khalifa Al Shamsi is responsible for expanding the digital portfolio of the business pillar of e& that brings the next generation digital world to the consumer’s fingertips, utilising the latest technologies, smart platforms and apps in fintech, entertainment, retail and mobility services.
Khalifa’s extensive expertise in telecom and digital services, coupled with a strong commercial and technical background, has also played a key role in the success of Etisalat UAE, rebranded as etisalat by e&. Backed by 29 years of experience in the telecom, media, and ICT industries, he spearheaded the Group’s first move into the technology space with the successful deployment of mobile services, fibre-based broadband and advanced data services.
Harnessing the company's ambition to create a ‘larger-than-life’ customer experience, Khalifa will add next-gen technology and service offerings to the portfolio of e& life, bring the dynamic digital world into the hands of consumers, utilising the latest technologies, smart platforms and applications in fintech, entertainment, retail and mobility services, as well as curating and capturing new opportunities in the digital marketplace.
In his previous role as the Group Chief Corporate Strategy & Governance Officer of e&, Khalifa contributed significantly to formulating the vision and future strategic priorities of the organisation, developing robust strategic initiatives in alignment with the long term directorial vision of the company.
Previous to this, as Group Chief Digital Services Officer, a first for any telco in the region, Khalifa paved the way for the organisation’s digital vision. The devised digital vision incorporated multiple industry verticals to provide advanced communication and cloud services, building capabilities for various digital solutions for the future, launch of high-definition voice and video calling application C’ME setting a benchmark in video OTT communication and introduction of IoT/M2M solutions that play an essential role in advanced platforms today. This ignited a multitude of opportunities to work on various smart projects and initiatives for both the public and private sector enabling the digital transformation journeys of governments, corporates and enterprises.
He has held several leadership positions within the Group, including Head of Mobile Networks and Chief Marketing Officer. In addition, Khalifa serves as Chairman of evision (the UAE-based TV content & multimedia company). Khalifa is also actively associated with industry organisations as a member of GSMA and Chairman of the executive committee at UAE International Investors Council (UAEIIC).
In addition to these positions, he is the board member at WIO Bank, member of the Board of Directors at Etisalat Technology Services and Saudi Arabia’s Etihad Etisalat ‘Mobily’ where he served as a Managing Director for five years. He was also a former board member at PTCL and Ufone in Pakistan and Etisalat Afghanistan.
Khalifa has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, USA.
Dena Al Mansoori is the Group Chief AI and Data Officer at e&, leading the organization’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data strategy with a focus on revolutionising customer experiences, unlocking new revenue streams, and optimising internal operational efficiencies and employee productivity.
She previously served as the Group's Chief Human Resources Officer, driving cultural transformation and workplace technology innovations. She also played a key role in e&'s transition from a regional telco to an innovative global technology group.
Starting her career in the Data & Consulting Department at Schlumberger, Dena has over two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies across multiple continents. A proven leader in crafting innovative strategies, fostering progressive cultures, and harnessing emerging technologies, she has made her mark across diverse and complex industries and geographies. Before joining e& in 2020, she was the Founder & CEO of WhiteBox HR, an award-winning AI tech company that has successfully scaled across the region, placing her on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine. Her innovative and transformative practices have also been the focus of a recent Harvard Business School Case Study. Dena holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde, with an additional certification in AI from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and serves as a Mentor for tech startups.
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.
Obaid Bokisha is the Group Chief Operations Officer (COO) at e&. He is responsible for implementing best practice strategies for growing revenues and developing service delivery models that exceed customer expectations.
He joined e& in 1998 and has held several senior leadership roles within the group, including Senior Vice President of Mobile Networks, Chief Procurement Officer, Chief Business Continuity and Corporate Quality Officer, and Group Chief Transformation Officer. In October 2021, he became Group COO of e&, where he oversees Procurement and Contracts, Carrier and Wholesale Services, Technology, Corporate Support, and Business Continuity for the group. He also holds the position of Managing Director, Etisalat Services Holding and serves as the Chairman of E-marine.
Obaid’s e& journey began in mobile network planning, focusing on network optimisation, the introduction of new technologies, and the design of strategies to enhance mobile network performance. He was quickly promoted to lead the group’s mobile network operations across its operating countries while chairing and participating in technical bids for e&’s international expansion.
In 2012, he was appointed as the Group Chief Procurement and Contracts Officer. In 2017, he assumed the role of Chief Business Continuity and Corporate Quality Officer, spearheading the group’s business continuity and crisis management framework. In 2020, he stepped into the role of Group Chief Transformation Officer, steering the company’s robust transformation efforts. In June 2021, he assumed the role of Acting Group Chief Procurement Officer in addition to his role as Group Chief Transformation Officer.
In 2008, Obaid was appointed as a board member of Etisalat Nigeria, which helped him further develop his investment and commercial acumen. He also served on the board of Zantel in Tanzania and was Chairman of Canar Telecom in Sudan. Currently, he holds board memberships, including Chairman of E-marine, board member of e& Egypt, Managing Director of Etisalat Services Holding, and board member with a role in the audit committee of evision.
Obaid is an executive who has grown through the technology function, gaining deep knowledge and experience in the telecom industry and within e&. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications after graduating with distinction from Etisalat College in 1998.
Salvador Anglada has over 25 years of professional experience in the Telecom and IT Industry. He was appointed in November 2021 as CEO of e& enterprise with the mandate to carve out and expand the enterprise-focused arm of e& (formerly Etisalat Group) in line with e& transformation strategy to pivot from a Telecom company to a Technology group.
Since the launch of e& enterprise, he has set up an accelerated growth strategy towards market recognition and geographical expansion through targeted a M&A and strategic partnerships approach; thereby, actualising the vision to become a leading regional player in the digital transformation space.
In 2019, he orchestrated the acquisition of HelpAG to become the company’s cybersecurity arm. And in 2022, the acquisition of Smartworld was completed to reinforce the company’s IoT & AI capabilities. During the same year, he formed several strategic partnerships such as the JV for Khazna with G42 to become the region’s largest data centre provider; and more recently the JV with Bespin Global to lead in the regional cloud-managed services space.
Prior to his current role as CEO of e& enterprise, he served as Group Chief Business Officer at e& (formerly Etisalat Group) for 8 years. Additionally, 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 over 5 years as CEO of Telefonica O2, the Telefonica subsidiary in the Czech Republic.
Salvador was actively involved in the development of the Telecom industry in Europe. In 2002, he participated in the launch of Telefonica Empresas in Spain as the 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 3rd mobile operator in the country, after which Telefonica O2 Slovakia achieved number 2 position in the country, only 5 years after the launch,
Aside from serving as Executive Board Director of Telefonica Europe, Salvador also held board membership positions with several companies, both regionally and globally, including Khazna, ACENS Technologies, and Conexxo.
Salvador holds an Industrial Engineering Master’s degree from UPM, an Executive MBA from IE, and a PDG from IESE.
Masood M. Sharif Mahmood is the Chief Executive Officer of e& in UAE.
With an illustrious career and a strong drive for results, Masood is a true people leader, focused on bringing growth in e& UAE, the telecoms pillar of e& in the UAE. Masood 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.
Masood 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, Masood 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, Masood 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.
Masood 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).
Brooke Lindsay is the Group Chief Legal & Compliance Officer of e&. She joined e& in December 2010. She’s held a number of internal roles, including General Counsel for International in 2020. Brooke has also served on a number of boards on behalf of e&, both in the UAE and internationally.
She has a successful track record in managing and mitigating risks, providing pragmatic legal solutions and driving compliance at the Group level while also serving as the chief advisor to the company’s executive management team and Board of Directors. Brooke is a market leader in navigating strategic legal matters.
Prior to joining e&, Brooke worked for leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills and leading independent Australian law firm, McCullough Robertson. She is currently a Board Member of iMENA Group, an investment firm focused on operating innovative start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Khazna, the largest commercial wholesale data centre provider and infrastructure operator in the UAE.
Brooke holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from Bond University, Australia.
Harrison Lung is the Group Chief Strategy Officer of e&. He was appointed in May 2023 and oversees corporate strategy and planning, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), venture capital, Group transformation, ESG and sustainability.
With over two decades of experience in the telecom and technology sectors, Harrison is directly collaborating with e&'s management team and board of directors to develop the overall business strategy, set the direction of the Group and develop plans to achieve e&'s business objectives.
Harrison also focuses on accelerating e&'s transformation into one of the world's leading technology companies, developing the competitive advantage of the Group's portfolio of brands in the 16 markets in which it operates and allocating resources to support the Group's vision of connecting communities while creating value for customers and shareholders.
He has a wealth of expertise working internationally in strategy, management consulting, and private equity. Before joining e&, he was a Partner at Siris Capital, a leading New York-based private equity firm investing in core technology and telecom assets.
Harrison formerly held the position of partner for technology, telecom, and digital in North America and Asia at McKinsey & Company. During his time, he worked with technology providers across the value chain and technology buyers on their strategic agenda. He previously worked as a technical architect for Bell Mobility, Sprint Canada (now Rogers Communications), and Accenture's mobile technology department. He has published numerous articles in internationally renowned journals and is a frequent speaker and panel moderator as an industry thought leader at various technology conferences.
He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo and a dual M.B.A. from Cornell University (Johnson Graduate School of Management) and Queen's University (Smith School of Business). He is a licensed Professional Engineer (Ontario, Canada) and a Chartered Professional Accountant (British Columbia, Canada).
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.
Hazem Metwally was appointed Chief Executive Officer of e& Egypt in October 2015. He joined e& Egypt 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 e& Egypt, 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. 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.