E& CEO Hatem Dowidar to join Vodafone board despite national security concerns
- Thursday, February 15th, 2024
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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.
