Etisalat Lanka appoints new Acting CEO

Tuesday, 4 March 2014 00:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Wail Salman, with his extensive experience and exposure at Etisalat Lanka and the Etisalat Group Asia cluster, was appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Lanka, following the retirement of Dumindra Ratnayaka from the post recently. Salman is a UK graduate, having completed all his education in the United Kingdom, following which he worked in the UK for a well-renowned organisation for a period of six years before moving to the UAE to pursue a career initially in the airline industry, thereafter in the telecommunications industry for the past 17 years. With his in-depth experience in the telecommunications industry to his credit, Salman has been working for the Etisalat umbrella since 1997. He has been a Board member of Etisalat Lanka since 2012 and has served as Chairman of its Audit Committee. Given his involvement, experience and understanding of the telecommunication industry of Sri Lanka and also of the Asia region, the appointment can be considered a prudent bid by the Group to further its vision for the Sri Lankan market, to position Etisalat as the premier telecommunications service provider in the country. The Etisalat Group recognises Sri Lanka as a market with ample potential for growth especially in terms of smart devices, data and social packages. Together with a proactive and energetic team that is already committed to working towards making Etisalat Lanka a premier telecommunications service provider in the country, Salman will take on the role of partner and advisor to the management of the business, giving them direction and adding strength to their strategies. Salman initially served at one of Etisalat’s OpCos (Operating Companies) and later at Etisalat UAE. He was last appointed as Senior Vice President – Finance and Business Optimization of Asia Cluster, where he overlooked the operations of the Etisalat Group’s Asia region offices including Sri Lanka. He has made a significant contribution to Etisalat Lanka and Etisalat’s Asia cluster in terms of enhancing efficiencies and cost optimisation. With his international exposure in the industry, and his expertise in the telecommunication technology and commercial setup, the company believes Salman will bring alignment and better vision to local operations.