Egyptian-born Hatem Dowidar, 36, who hails from Alexandria but studied in Cairo, has worked with Vodafone for the past six years.

Mr Dowidar has a B.Sc. in Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering from Cairo University. He first started working in 1991 with AEG, the electrical parts division of Daimler Benz, as a sales engineer.

In 1993 he obtained a postgraduate diploma in industrial engineering from the American University in Cairo.

Between July 1994 and September 1999 he occupied various management posts with Procter and Gamble in Egypt and in 1999 also obtained a second postgraduate diploma from the American University in Cairo, this time in management.

He then joined Vodafone Egypt where he spent the next four and a half years as marketing director but also found time to obtain an MBA in marketing from the American University in Cairo.

In March, 2004, he moved to Oxford, UK, to Vodafone's head office to fill a vacancy as global director, Voice Propositions, following the setting up of the group marketing function the year before.

His father, Galal Dowidar, chairman of the Egyptian Travel Writers Association, is a former editor of Al Akhbar newspaper, and his mother, Yousria, is head of publicity with EgyptAir. He has a sister, Hanan, who lives in Switzerland and he is married to Dalia. They have three daughters, Zeina, Hana and the newborn Farida.