CAIRO: The former head of Orascom Telecom's Bangladeshi branch Ahmed Abou Doma was appointed as the mobile operator's Chief Executive Officer, the company announced in a press statement on Monday. The move comes after Khaled Bichara, who had also worked as the head of marketing at Mobinil – owned by Orascom – was appointed as interim CEO until a permanent replacement could be found. There was no reason for the move, but analysts tended to agree that OT wanted to ensure Bichara was not stretched thin and that Abou Doma was more of an administrator with experience as a chief officer. Banglalink, Orascom's third-biggest unit by revenue, brought in some $450 million last year, up from about $351 million in 2009. The subsidiary has over 19 million mobile subscribers. Bichara was appointed CEO in November 2009, replacing billionaire telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris, who took the position of executive chairman. All this comes on the heels of a deal with Russia's third mobile operator Vimpelcom, which last month sealed a deal with Orascom for more than $6 billion for Wind Telecom and majority stakes in Orascom. Orascom currently has operators in Algeria, North Korea, Pakistan and a number of sub-Saharan countries. It has been looking to expand its global coverage. BM
