The CEO of e&, Hatem Dowidar, will join the board of telecoms giant, Vodafone, with effect from 19 February 2024.

Dowidar will join the board as a member of the Nominations & Governance Committee with effect from the same date. 

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He has over 30 years of experience in multinational companies, with 24 years of these working in telecommunications.

Before joining e&, which holds a 14.6% stake in Vodafone, Dowidar held various leadership positions at the telecoms giant, including Regional Director of Emerging Markets, CEO of Vodafone Egypt, CEO of Vodafone Malta, and CEO of Partner Markets.

Commenting on his appointment, Dowidar said: “I look forward to joining the Board of Vodafone and working with Jean-François and my fellow Board members to support the rapid transformation being undertaken by Margherita Della Valle [Vodafone Managing Director] and the management team.”

Vodafone Chairperson, Jean-François van Boxmeer continued: “I am delighted that Hatem will be joining Vodafone’s Board.”

“He brings extensive experience within the telecommunications industry and has held senior positions across a range of companies in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. His appointment will further strengthen our strategic partnership.”

However, the appointment comes as the UK government recently ordered Vodafone to take steps to manage risks as it has concluded that the UAE-based telecoms company’s stake in the mobile giant poses national security risks amid government contracts and cyber security.

READ MORE: Interview: Vodafone UK Brand & Marketing Director on ‘strategic’ brand positioning, sustainability and social responsibility

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Vodafone and its biggest shareholder, e&, have partnered to provide other operators-managed voice solutions in a bid to help meet the growing demand for voice over 4G/5G (VoLTE) services.

According to the industry body the GSMA, VoLTE adoption is expected to increase to over 70% of global mobile connections by 2030, being filled by operators moving away from legacy networks in favour of 5G.

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As a result, the pair will provide operators with a “robust, scalable, and consistent managed voice service worldwide.”

They are also offering predictable costs, optimised inbound revenues, streamlined regulatory compliance, enhanced fraud protection, and seamless integration of innovative services through a cloud-based architecture.

Vodafone Procurement and Connectivity, CEO Ninian Wilson said: “Managing cross-border voice is increasingly complex due to new regulations, protecting against international scams, and the need to migrate to 5G services.

“Operators are seeking trusted partners to navigate these changes while growing their businesses. Vodafone’s strategic partnership with e& offers them a single point of contact and a dependable service globally during this transition to support them in managing changing business complexities.”

E& Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, Nabil Baccouche, added: “This collaboration between Vodafone and e& sets a new industry benchmark, extending beyond predictable cost and improved security. It focuses on empowering operators to confidently adapt to the evolving voice landscape.

“By leveraging our established capabilities, state-of-the-art platforms, and extensive industry knowledge, we provide operators with a definite way to achieve operational excellence.

“Working together, e& and Vodafone grant operators easy access to our combined skills and worldwide presence, enabling them to provide cutting-edge voice services, thereby seamlessly transforming their businesses for the future.”

However, the move follows Vodafone being ordered by the UK government to take steps to manage risks as it has concluded that e&’s stake in mobile giant poses national security risks amid government contracts and cyber security.

According to the UK Cabinet Office, Vodafone should form a national security committee to oversee work that could have an impact on security.

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