Bangladeshi operator Robi Axiata hired former Ooredoo Myanmar head Rajeev Sethi as its new chief executive officer, an appointment to advance market share.
Sethi replaces acting CEO and CFO M. Riyaaz Rasheed who has been leading the operator since August 2021. He will resume duties as chief financial officer.
Axiata Group joint CEO Dr Hans Wijayasuriya said Rasheed was a “critical anchor” in delivering “excellent business results” and leaves Robi in a position for “the next wave of growth”.
On his appointment, Sethi said: “Over the years, it [Robi] has truly evolved into a digital telco that thrives on innovation. The best part is that the culture of innovation is deeply entrenched in Robi which bodes well for future growth. I am very confident that with the support of the team Robi, we can make significant gains in market share in the coming days.”
The new CEO joins after three years and a half years as CEO of Ooredoo Myanmar which Ooredoo had recently sold off to Nine Communications. Prior to that, he served as chief commercial officer at Airtel Africa.
Sethi was also CEO of rival Telenor-owned Grameenphone for two years prior to Airtel Africa. He also held executive roles with Vodafone, HP, Hutchison Telecom and Asian Paints.
Axiata Group joint CEOs Dr Hans Wijayasuriya and Vivek Sood said: “With market leadership in 4G and digital innovation, Robi is now well poised for its next wave of growth. At this point in Robi’s journey, we are very happy to have a widely regarded prolific growth driver like Rajeev Sethi taking on the leadership role of Robi.”
