Former MTN CEO to lead Smile Telecoms operations in Nigeria

Smile, a Pan-African telecommunications group with operations in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has appointed a former Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ahmad Farroukh to its Board as Executive Director, Operations, effective May 1.

Farroukh is an experienced telecoms executive with a distinguished record of commercial success, extensive experience working in Africa and an impressive ability to drive strategy and profitability in accordance with international standards.

He has held executive management positions at Investcom Holdings and the MTN Group, including MTN Nigeria, where he was the CEO for five years, CEO of MTN South Africa and MTN Group Chief Operating Executive (responsible for 19 countries).

Most recently, he served as CEO of Mobily, Saudi Arabia’s second largest telecommunications operator. Given the extent of the opportunity and the significance to Smile, Farroukh will spend the majority of his executive time in Nigeria.

Smile Group’s CEO, Irene Charnley, commented, “The Africa telecoms market is as dynamic as it is challenging, and Ahmad Farroukh is perfectly suited to lead Smile’s next exciting phase of growth, as we have transitioned from a spectrum rich start-up to the most reliable data gigabyte factory in Sub-Sahara Africa.”

Farroukh holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the Lebanese American University and is a Certified Public Accountant (New York, USA).