Telenor appoints new CEOs in Bulgaria, Pakistan

NEW DELHI:Norwegian telecom firm Telenor Group has today appointed Michael Foley as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telenor Bulgaria and Irfan Wahab Khan as CEO of Telenor Pakistan.

The new appointments will be effective from 1 August 2016, and both Foley and Khan will be members of the Group Executive Management team.

"I am pleased that Michael Foley will take responsibility for his second operation since joining Telenor Group and that Irfan Wahab Khan will take the helm at Telenor Pakistan. With these appointments we utilize our executives competence and knowledge across different markets and functions,'' said Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group.

Foley joined Telenor in July 2014 when he was appointed CEO of Telenor Pakistan. Mr. Foley has more than 30 years of sales, marketing and operational experience in the telecom and retail sectors from both advanced and growth markets. He has lived and worked in more than 11 countries, including previous experience from Bulgaria, where he held a leadership role in the telecom industry from 2004 to 2005.

"I am proud of what we as a team have achieved in Pakistan. Khan will do an excellent job at taking the helm and I wish him and the organization the very best for the future. I am now looking forward to getting to know the business and team in Bulgaria and to show our customers the benefits of Telenor's services and products and the power of digitalization,'' said Foley.

Foley will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tameer Microfinance Bank in Pakistan.

Khan comes from the position of Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Telenor Pakistan. He has been with Telenor for 12 years and was the first employee in Telenor Pakistan when he started as Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs Division in 2004. Since then he has served in various positions within Telenor Group both in Asia and Europe, including Vice President Devices and Vice President and Head of Asia Distribution. Khan is also a Board Member of Tameer Microfinance Bank.

"I am humbled to lead and serve one of the most innovative and progressive companies in Pakistan which is well on the way to transform lives of millions of people by spreading benefits of digital and financial inclusion. With its dedicated and committed employees, I have no doubt that Telenor Pakistan will keep on creating value for its customers and shareholders,'' said Khan.

Stein Erik Vellan, the current CEO of Telenor Bulgaria, will take on the role as Senior Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Support in Telenor Group. Vellan has been CEO of Telenor's operations in Bulgaria since 2013 when Telenor acquired the mobile operator Globul. During his tenure the company has gone through a complete turn-around, including the rebranding to Telenor Bulgaria, roll-out of 4G services and establishing itself as a leader in terms of customer preference, profitability and mobile revenues. After the completion of his three year contract in Bulgaria, Mr. Vellan will step down as a member of Telenor Group's Executive Management.