The team

Ziad has been appointed as Smart Axiata Chief Executive Officer in January 2023. He has extensive experience in managing and accelerating telecommunication business growth in various markets including Jordan, Bangladesh, and Italy.

He also has a proven track record of establishing, managing, and expanding telecommunications operations, including cellular business, fixed lines, and broadband network integration. Ziad also has immense experience in the fields of information technology, customer service, and retail operations.

Prior to joining Smart, he held key management positions in several communication technology companies. He was the Chief Technology Officer at Wind Telecommunications before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Communications Brand Banglalink in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has spent the last seven years as the Chief Executive Officer of Jordan’s leading mobile network provider Umniah Mobile, Jordan’s fastest-growing telecom operator in record time.

Ziad holds a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Aida joined Smart Axiata as our Chief Financial Officer in April 2022. Prior to taking up the role, Aida has served as Director of Finance at edotco Malaysia and Head of Strategic Finance at edotco Group. More than 25 years’ experience in telecommunication industries, Aida has held multiple leadership positions within Axiata Group and was once the Head of Corporate Finance at Dialog Axiata (Sri Lanka). Her roles has varied from M&A, Performance Management, Risk Management, Corporate Finance, Finance Operation, Cost Management and Group Business Planning. During the demerger of Telekom Malaysia and TM International back in 2008, she was the Head of Group Business Planning at Axiata Group.

Aida holds Bachelor of Arts, Hon (Accountancy Studies) from University of Exeter, United Kingdom and completed leadership programs with INSEAD and Harvard Leadership Program from Harvard Business Publishing under Axiata Talent Program.

Andrey has 15 years of experience in mobile telecommunications. In that time, he has developed a broad skillset and gained a comprehensive understanding of the industry, working for several well-known operators and vendors.

Beginning his career in engineering before going on to focus on project management, he has extensive experience in managing complex telecommunication projects in various countries. He was instrumental in the successful merging of Hello Axiata and Smart Mobile into Smart Axiata. The network merger proved to be a key foundational pillar of Smart’s growth, with the combined subscriber base and revenue establishing Smart as a leader in the Cambodian telecommunications industry.

Andrey is a natural leader, striving to continually grow together with those around him and making sure that his colleagues not only realize their potential but also enjoy themselves doing so.

Kalyan was appointed Chief Information Officer at Smart Axiata in August 2017. Prior to joining Smart, he held multiple leadership positions during a four-year stint at Axiata Group. Kalyan has more than 17 years’ experience as an IT and telecommunications executive and believes that technological advancements can create a significant impact in society by improving people’s lives. He has an extensive and successful track record in handling complex projects and managing multicultural teams comprising multiple nationalities.

Kalyan graduated as an engineer, specializing in electronics in India. He has gained a wealth of experience in the field of information technology, having worked for various multinational IT services and consulting firms, including Infosys Technologies Limited and Tata Consultancy Services in India and Malaysia respectively.

Anthony joined Smart Axiata in late 2016. Prior to joining Smart, he worked at Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group for a year, and before that, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Cambodian specialized bank Wing. He is a long-term resident of Cambodia, living in the country since 2008.

After starting in the technology department at Wing, Anthony eventually rose to the position of Chief Operating Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer shortly after the takeover of Wing by Royal Group from ANZ. He would go on to lead the company to the top of the mobile money industry in Cambodia.

Born in the United Kingdom, Anthony worked in London for 11 years, holding various positions at blue-chip financial institutions such as Barclays, Aon, Bank of New York Europe, IBM Global Services, Royal Bank of Scotland and JP Morgan Cazenove. He graduated from the University of Greenwich with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Computer Science in 1997.

Mila joined Smart Axiata as Chief Marketing Officer at the beginning of 2021. Over the course of her career, Mila has accrued broad experience in the telecommunications industry, having worked for three multinational telecom groups – OTE, Deutsche Telecom and Norwegian Telenor. Her roles have varied from business analysis and product development to customer lifecycle and value management, digital interactions and channel development. Mila was previously the Marketing Director at Telenor Bulgaria and Telenor Hungary.

As a marketeer at heart, Mila is dedicated to designing customer-centric propositions that add value to people’s lives through simplicity and efficiency. Teamwork and cross-functional engagement are key principles that Mila follows in her everyday professional life. She believes that overall market performance can be improved by developing and advancing the capabilities and skills of her team.

Mila holds a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from the University of Sofia and a Black Belt certification. She also has postgraduate degrees in Innovation in the Digital Economy from INSEAD and Strategy Execution from London Business School.