Orange Business Services, the business services arm of France Telecom-Orange and one of the Middle East's major ICT employers, has appointed Jean-Luc Lasnier as the new General Manager for the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region. His new mandate is to build on the recent momentum in the region, with a specific focus on strategic markets, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), alongside Morocco, Sub Saharan Africa and Turkey in the wider region. The key sectors for Orange in MEA include banking & finance, oil & gas and smart cities. "Strong network contract renewals, an increasingly diversified customer base, and a focus on core services and strategic markets have all contributed to recent success in the MEA region," commented Jean-Luc Lasnier, General Manager of Orange Business Services, Middle East & Africa. "The Middle East business has produced very strong results over the last 18 months, especially considering the challenging economic conditions. Our customer loyalty and customer satisfaction ratings remain high, and this is reflected in successful renewals and new customer wins." Following a strong performance in 2011 in which the regional business registered high double-digit revenue growth, Orange Business Services is on track to achieve its stated global objectives. Through its Conquests 2015 strategy, the company has an ambition to generate 1 billion euros in revenues in emerging and high-growth markets in 2015. Orange Business Services has 2,000 people working on the B2B market in the Middle East and Africa and has a clear focus on network and managed services, cloud-based services through its own cloud VPN, and consulting expertise. The MEA regional business operates across more than 80 countries from the regional headquarters in Dubai Internet City, UAE, and supports more than 500 multinational clients, including 200 clients in the UAE and 100 banks. Lasnier, a French citizen, joined France Telecom in 1990 and held a series of senior management positions before moving into the MEA role based in Dubai. Earlier in 2012, Orange Business Services announced the opening of a new office and legal entity in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Orange Business Arabia's objective is to address the specific and significant ICT market opportunity in Saudi Arabia and strengthen the Orange position within the domestic market through closer proximity to customers. Press Release
