SUPUN WEERASINGHE
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Robi Axiata Limited
Professional Experience:
Supun Weerasinghe is the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) and Managing Director of Robi Axiata
Limited since January 2014. Prior to joining Robi,
Supun served as the Group Chief Strategy Officer
(GSCO) of Axiata Group in Malaysia. He also
worked as the Head of Network Transformation
Strategic Business Unit under which he led the
Group Technology, Carrier Collaboration and
Axiata Intelligence Unit.
Supun was the Group Chief Operating Officer
(GCOO) of Dialog Axiata Plc (Dialog), Sri Lanka’s
leading quad-play connectivity provider before
he was assigned to Axiata Group in 2013. He
started his career in Telecommunications at
Dialog in 1999 and held multiple roles such as
Head of Strategy and CEO of Mobile Business
before being appointed as the GCOO in 2010.
Supun is a fellow member of the Chartered
Institute of Management Accountants, UK and
holds a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours)
in Accountancy and Financial Management
from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri
Lanka. He also has an MBA (Distinction) from the
University of Western Sydney, Australia and is an
alumnus of the Harvard Business School.
THOMAS HUNDT
Chief Executive Officer
Smart Axiata Co., Ltd
Thomas has gained vast experience in the
telecommunications industry during his tenure
in key management positions with Siemens AG’s
Communication Division and Nokia Siemens
Networks. Thomas was also a member of the
Supervisory Board of Azerfon in Azerbaijan.
Since mid-2008, he has been Chief Executive
Officer of the dynamically growing start-up
mobile operator in Cambodia, Smart Mobile,
which he grew from greenfield, number eight
position in the market to number three position,
including through the acquisition of Star-Cell in
2011.
Since the completion of the merger between
Hello Axiata and Smart Mobile in February 2013,
Thomas serves as the Chief Executive Officer
of Smart, now the leading mobile operator in
Cambodia.
KAREN KOOI
Chief Executive Officer
M1 Limited
Professional Experience:
Karen was appointed as Chief Executive Officer
and Executive Director of M1 on 22 April 2009.
Karen was also the Acting Chief Executive Officer
of M1 from 1 February 2009 to 22 April 2009.
Karen joined M1 as Chief Financial Officer in
August 1995. She was a key member of the senior
management team responsible for the planning,
development and launch of M1’s commercial
operations. Prior to joining M1, Karen held various
senior financial positions in large public listed
companies, including Singapore Press Holdings
Limited and City Developments Limited. She
has over 30 years of experience in general and
financial management.
Karen is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered
Certified Accountants (UK) and holds a Master
of Business Administration degree in Investment
and Finance (Distinction) from the University of
Hull in the UK.
HIMANSHU KAPANIA
Managing Director
Idea Cellular Limited
Professional Experience:
Himanshu, since April 2011, is the Managing
Director of Idea Cellular Ltd, an Aditya Birla Group
company and serves as Director with ‘Aditya Birla
Management Corporation Private Limited’ the
strategic advisory unit of Aditya Birla Group.
Himanshu, a veteran in the Indian telecom
industry, has contributed to the evolution of the
industry over two decades. He has engineered
Idea’s fast paced growth making it amongst one
of the top players and the fastest growing mobile
operator in India. He has led the company’s foray
into the wireless broadband business, readying it
for the next wave of growth.
Himanshu is on the GSMA Board - the
international body formulating and driving global
GSM eco-system; and the Chairman of the
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
Himanshu has been consistently recognized for
his leadership skills and was awarded the Voice&
Data ‘Telecom Person of the Year Award’ in 2014
and the ‘Outstanding CEO Award’ by CEO India.
Business Today recognized him as the Best
CEO (Telecom Category) 2013 and 2015 for his
outstanding telecom contribution over last 2
years.
Himanshu is an alumnus of Birla Institute of
Technology (Mesra), and the Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore.
Himanshu’s current focus is getting Idea ready for
future high potential wireless broadband business
with specific emphasis on 3G and 4G services.
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