GITEX 2012 INTERVIEWS ITU TELECOM World 2012 - Teletimes

Bocar A. BA appointed as SAMENA Council CEOto drive the next growth and expansion of the CouncilTeletimes ReportThe Board of Directors ofSAMENA TelecommunicationsCouncil, the tri-regionalconsortium of telecomoperators, chaired by Sh.Mohamed Bin Isa Al Khalifa, hasannounced the appointmentof Bocar A. BA, as its new ChiefExecutive Officer.Bocar has been with theSAMENA Council since its earlyfoundation stages and bringswith him 22 years of experiencein telecom consensus, advocacyand business development.He has held various seniormanagement positions in majorcorporations in France. He hasalso worked closely with severalinstitutions to promote growth,investment and cooperationbetween developed anddeveloping countries in Europeand the Middle East.Sheikh Mohamed Bin Isa AlKhalifa, CEO of Batelco Groupand Chairman of the Board ofSAMENA TelecommunicationsCouncil said, “I am delightedto announce that the Boardhas appointed Bocar A. BA, asChief Executive Officer to leadthe Council forward and furtherenhance its efforts in transformingthe regional ICT environment.Bocar has played a crucialrole in promoting the Council’sSh. Mohamed Bin Isa Al Khalifaagenda and driving membershipdevelopment. He has alsoachieved several successes inpolicy advocacy reflecting theTelecom Operators viewpointsin coordination with Policy Makersand Regulators. The Boardis confident that he will build onthe Council achievements andtake it to new heights.”Having resigned as the CEO ofthe SAMENA Council in orderto pursue and focus on newopportunities in the region,Thomas W. Wilson said, “I wishto thank all of the stakeholdersin the industry for supportingthe SAMENA Council and helpingit achieve the level of growththat it has today. It’s an absolutepleasure to have served underMohamed Issa AlKhalifa and thepast Chairmen of the Council,Bocar A. BAand have worked so closelywith the member operatorsand policy regulators in theSAMENA region. I am convincedthat SAMENA will continue togrow and support the industrywith continued success. I haveworked closely with Bocar overthe past years and wish him thevery best in his new role.”The Board of Directors of theSAMENA Council expressedgratitude and thanked ThomasWilson for his energy, dedicationand vision which has played asignificant role in the success ofthe organization and the globalrecognition it has earned as animportant regional telecommunicationsplatform under hisleadership.Bocar A. BA, on being appointedas the new Chief ExecutiveOfficer said, “I am honored bythe Board’s confidence and theopportunity to continue leadingthe agenda of such an importantorganization like the SAMENACouncil. We are on the verge ofembarking on a very challengingjourney with regard to theglobal and regional telecommunicationsindustry.”“With over 90 leading regionaland international organizationsincluding over 38 Telecom Operatorscurrently as members ofthe SAMENA Council, I am lookingforward to further developingour collaboration with thePolicy Makers, Regulators andGovernments”, added Bocar.Bocar also serves as a boardmember of several companiesin Technology and Management& Consultancy Servicesand is driving the awarenessof the value of technologyin everyday life across theregion. His expertise includesenabling companies in buildingsolid relationships with globalcustomers, identifying untappedrevenue growth opportunities,consolidating multiple contractsfor government cooperationand developing strategies formarket penetration in emergingcountries throughout the MiddleEast, Africa and Asia.Teletimes Online Survey ReportDo you Believe that ‘Freedom of Expression’ istaken as privilege rather a right over the Internet?This month’s online survey inquired the respondents to tell us Ifthey believe that ‘Freedom of Expression’ is taken as privilegerather a right over the Internet?, results show that 79% of therespondent were of the view that it is been taken more as aprivilege than a right.November 2012www.teletimesinternational.com51