Our People

Derar has 20 years of diversified experience in Telecom and digital business industry. He has held different positions in global and regional telecom companies like Orange group, stc group and Mobily. He advises in innovative product development, ICT partnerships, Strategic planning and Business modeling. Among his education and professional certificates, Derar is PMP and PMI-ACP certified, he has the proficiency to manage projects in both traditional and agile approaches.

Junaid is a global marketing & strategy executive with 15+ years experience in developing and launching digital products and services in telcos across Asia. He led the online and digital transformation intiatives at digi Malaysia (part of Telenor Group) where he led omni-channel engagements and the shift to digital channels. At digi, he also setup tapp, a digital MVNO which later morphed into digi’s overall offering. Junaid graduated with an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Business.

Mohammad is a top telecommunications executive with an entrepreneurial vision and 25 years of experience across the ICT space. He participated and the lead the launch team of several MNOs and MVNOs in the region, in addition to holding senior positions in global and regional telecommunications companies such as Orange, Zain and Lebara. His strengths are in the areas of strategy, marketing operations, regulatory affairs as well as MVNO licensing and wholesale negotiations.

Nivine brings her multifunctional expertise across different industries within the MENA region, with particular focus on the digital ecosystem having worked with various startups and corporate on innovation programs and strategic collaborations. She is good at conceptualising and managing complex projects including but not limited to market expansions, joint ventures, franchise, product development and business operations structuring.
Nivine previously led the strategy & growth function at Arabnet, the leading digital conference in the Arab world, where she worked within the leadership team overseeing strategic opportunities, often outside the core business.

Elsa is a leadership advisor and an executive search expert with experience across different functions and industries. She has successfully completed several key executive placements with a variety of clients in the Middle East region, including technology firms, FMCGs, financial institutions, and family-owned conglomerates. Elsa was the Founder of Promomz*, a pioneering mobile platform connecting professional moms with jobs.
Prior to that, she was an Executive Search Associate at Amrop International.

Khalid has over 20 years of experience in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) sectors, during which he has been involved in the development and evaluation of corporate strategies, TMT policy & regulation as well as the management of complex multi-party projects. Khalid is the Founder & Chairman of the Central Asian Cellular Forum, a premier platform for creating awareness, enabling dialogue and promoting the growth & usage of emerging technologies in the region.

Nayla is a well rounded senior consultant with more than 20 years experience in digital technology, media and entertainment at global companies like Harris, Dolby and Mediakind working with leading regional GCC groups such as BeIN, MBC, Etisalat, Al Jazeera after holding various roles in Europe, based in Italy, where she engaged with major operators such as RAI, Mediaset, TIM, TDF. Nayla’s core skills include Business Development, Account Management and Project Management .

Ziad has 20+ years of experience in the telecommunications & value added services (VAS) industry across Middle East and Africa.
He started his journey when the telecom sector was thirsty for premium services and revenue generating content, where he managed to bring to market an innovative and sought after offering for subscribers of major mobile operators in the region.
Ziad founded and managed multiple benchmark setting VAS providers and helped telcos increase their ARPUs and filling a revenue gap through premium VAS services and customer loyalty solutions.

Yasser has over 20 years experience in developing ICT markets and advising major organizations on strategic digital transformation and change management across the Middle East. Throughout his career, he was part of the setup team of 3 major telecom service providers and 8 startups in the region. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Jawraa, founding member of RedBull Mobile Saudi Arabia, and Lebara KSA and sits on the board of various organizations and startups in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ziad is a seasoned technology executive with a track record of 25 years in global telecom companies during which he served as Head of the Middle East and Central Asia at Qualcomm, growing the region’s wireless and digital ecosystem.
Prior to that, Ziad held various technology and sales roles at Ericsson across the Middle East and Africa region.
In addition to advising and mentoring entrepreneurs, he is also an angel investor sitting on the boards of various companies including Potential and Coconut as well as the President of the Dubai Chapter of TiE.

Asad has profound experience in Global Market Development strategy and execution, Product Marketing and Product Development. He has worked at senior management level with Qualcomm, one of the world’s leading wireless technology companies as well as key telecom players in the Middle East & Asia. He is highly skilled and well positioned at advising and supporting businesses from North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, seeking to expand their operations globally.

Following a 35 year career as an executive at Siemens, Qualcomm and IBM, where he successfully led business units in excess of $ 800 million in revenue and operations groups with over $ 1.5 billion in spend, Fram brings extensive expertise in the electronics and semiconductor sector. His experience includes developing and launching a wide range of smart, connected devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones and IoT devices, including working with a broad set of ecosystem partners on go to market activities.

Jeff has been starting and building companies in the U.S. and Japan for the past 30 years. Several of his ventures in the media space have been acquired, including by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Japan.
Jeff advises companies on global business expansion and is active on non-profit boards supporting international exchange and entrepreneurship.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Jeff provides Meditari with local presence in a leading U.S. telecom & broadcasting market.

Ricardo is a  technology policy expert who works for Fortune 500 companies on regulatory and policy strategies.  He has designed privatization of state-owned telecom companies for the World Bank; negotiated with governments on behalf of GSMA and Ericsson; and advised Telenor Group, Vodafone, and Inmarsat on critical policy matters.  Ricardo has worked in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia region since 2004.