Zain Group appoints Scott Gegenheimer CEO, effective immediately

Gegenheimer's appointment follows a comprehensive search both domestically and internationally.

Asaad Al Banwan, Zain Group Chairman said: "Scott Gegenheimer is very capable and experienced leaders in the industry and I am confident this appointment will be instrumental to Zain Group reaching the next level of its strategic development. Zain is a dynamic company, and with the right leadership team in place it has every chance of maintaining its well-entrenched position in the region. Gegenheimer has proved himself as a decisive and gifted telecom leader, and brings a wide cross section of telecom experience, spanning international and regional exposure."

Al Banwan continued: "The Board of Director and I are delighted that Gegenheimer has joined Zain and we look forward to supporting him as he brings his considerable knowledge and expertise to the company. He is no stranger to Kuwait and the region, and we believe it shall take very little time for him to become familiar with the Zain culture and start having a material impact on the company's operations.

A US national, Gegenheimer has a 24-year working history in the telecom sector, having spent 10 years in various senior management and leadership positions at regional operators. Gegenheimer has also spent time working for technology heavyweights including Cisco Systems and Motorola, and has also enjoyed a stint in the financial services industry in the US.

Regarding his appointment, Gegenheimer said: "I am looking forward to the opportunity to work within this great organization, and to make my contribution to its progress. Having worked in the telecom sector in Kuwait and the region before, I have a great deal of respect for what Zain has achieved domestically and regionally, and it shall be exciting to now see things from inside the company and further leverage it's multitude of advantages."

Gegenheimer added: "I would like to thank the Chairman, Asaad Al Banwan, and the Board of Directors for the faith they have placed in me, and I look forward to dedicating all my energies to making this already great company even more successful. This is a crucial time in the evolution of the telecom sector. I shall be relying on the team around me and all Zain employees to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities that arise."