Lobna Helal assumed the role of Chair of Telecom Egypt’s Board of Directors in March 2025, after serving as an independent board member since March 2019. With over 30 years of experience in the banking sector, Helal was the first woman to serve as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) for Monetary Stability Policies, serving two terms (2011-2013 and 2015-2019). In this role, she oversaw key sectors such as monetary policy, reserve management, IT, markets, payment systems, and banking sector reform, and successfully implemented a three-year monetary and economic reform program that concluded in 2019.

Since joining the CBE in 2004, Helal led a two-phase program (2004-2011) to develop and restructure Egypt’s banking sector. She also represented the CBE in numerous institutions and held leadership roles, including independent non-executive Chair of the Credit Risk Guarantee Company and the Egyptian Mortgage Refinance Company, as well as non-executive board member of the Nasser Social Bank, the National Investment Bank, the Mortgage Finance Support Fund, and the Social Housing Fund. Currently, Helal serves as Non-Executive Chair of City Edge Developments, Non-Executive Chair of the National Bank of Egypt (London), and an Independent Board Member of Egypt's Sovereign Wealth Fund and AlexBank. She also serves as a Board Member of the Social Housing Fund, appointed for her professional expertise.

Helal represented the CBE as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Financial Inclusion Alliance (AFI) and Vice Chair of the Gender and Women’s Financial Inclusion Committee. Prior to her CBE role, Helal served as CEO of the Hermes Financial Group, overseeing mergers and acquisitions and fixed-income instruments. Helal has been recognized as one of Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East and North Africa Region, ranking second in 2016 and 2018, and third in the region’s public sector in 2018.

Helal holds a Master's degree in Economics from the American University in Cairo.

Eng. Tamer El Mahdi brings more than three decades of professional experience in leading strategic transformation, as well as the development, deployment, and operation of telecommunications networks and digital infrastructure at both regional and international levels.

El Mahdi’s expertise has been shaped through a progressive and well rounded career path that combines deep technical specialization with strong executive and managerial capabilities. He began his career as a telecommunications engineer specializing in network engineering and communications systems, working at AT&T and Bell Labs, during which he gained advanced technical experience in the design and operation of highly reliable, large scale, multi technology, and multi layer strategic telecommunications networks. He subsequently moved into the management and execution of large scale telecommunications projects before assuming leadership roles in the design of telecommunications networks for major operators across the MENA region through Lucent Technologies. In these roles, he led multidisciplinary teams and delivered fixed and wireless telecommunications projects across a number of regional and international markets.

Transitioning to the operator side of the industry, Eng. El Mahdi joined Orascom Telecom Holding, where he served as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (Group CTIO). In this capacity, he led multi billion dollar investments in mobile and fixed networks and oversaw the launch and operation of telecommunications networks across multiple markets, including Italy, Canada, Greece, Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, and North Korea. This experience further reinforced his expertise in managing and operating multinational telecommunications groups.

He continued his executive career as Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Telecom Algeria (Djezzy), one of the largest mobile operators in North Africa and the Middle East. During a pivotal period marked by complex operational and regulatory challenges, he successfully strengthened operational performance and enhanced institutional sustainability. He later served as Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Telecom, Media and Technology Holding (OTMT), where he led a comprehensive strategic transformation and business diversification across multiple sectors and geographies in Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East, with a strong focus on value maximization, governance enhancement, and the development of long term growth platforms.

In addition to his executive leadership roles within major corporations, Eng. El Mahdi has played a prominent entrepreneurial role. He has founded and launched specialized companies in management and technology consulting and software development, providing advanced advisory services in operational and technological transformation, network design, and institutional capacity building for telecommunications operators.

Eng. El Mahdi holds distinguished academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering from California State University, a Master’s degree in Project Management from The George Washington University, and a Master of International Business Administration from Maastricht School of Management, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Cairo University.

Major General Ahmed Said Youssef Abdelrahman was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in July 2025, representing the government. He is recognized as one of the distinguished leaders in the field of Signals within the Egyptian Armed Forces, where he served as Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Signal Corps.

Major General Abdelrahman brings extensive experience gained through many years of dedicated military service. He is renowned for his unwavering commitment, exceptional professionalism, and outstanding leadership — qualities he has consistently demonstrated throughout the key positions he has held.

He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Military Science, and has completed several advanced courses in Egypt and abroad, including the Command and Staff Course at the Command and Staff College in Tunisia, the Fellowship of the Nasser Higher Military Academy, and the Senior Commanders Course.

Tarek Aboualam was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in March 2021, representing the government.

He brings more than 25 years of experience in leading digital technology companies, with a proven track record in the ICT sector across the Middle East and Europe. He is the currently the Founder and Managing Partner of Glint Consulting, a firm specializing in investment management advisory and startup development.

Throughout his career, Aboualam has held numerous senior leadership positions. He founded and led Soficom, an internet services company that was later acquired by Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco). He also served as Director of Planning and Business Intelligence at WIND Telecomunicazioni (Italy), an integrated telecommunications service provider, where he oversaw market analysis and product development. He later joined Orascom Telecom Holding as Director of Broadband and Fixed Services Development.

In 2009, he joined Telecom Egypt as Senior Vice President for International and Carrier Affairs, before being appointed CEO and Managing Director in 2012. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in leading the company through a major transformation phase. Aboualam has served as Chairman and Board Member of numerous companies, (locally and internationally), including Italia Online and IT Net (Italy), Inty (UK), Vodafone Egypt, TE Data, Xceed, Iqraaly, Wasla, Soficom (Egypt), Tellas (Greece), Tirakon (UAE), and Mobiserve, which operates in Egypt, the UAE, and Pakistan. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees of the British University in Egypt.

Aboualam holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Alexandria University.

Tarek Tantawy was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in March 2021, representing the government.

He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Al-Futtaim Group in Egypt, bringing over 27 years of experience in investment and management. He previously held the position of Managing Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Palm Hills Developments. From 2015 to 2021, Tantawy was Managing Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer of CI Capital Holding, where he played a key role in strengthening the group’s institutional framework and positioning it as a leading financial services company. From 2002 to 2011, Tantawy held several senior positions at Telecom Egypt, including Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2011, after serving as Executive Vice President for Financial and Administrative Affairs since 2007. During his tenure, he led the acquisition of a 45% stake in Vodafone Egypt and played a key role in the company’s international IPO.

Tantawy currently serves on the boards of several publicly listed and privately held companies, including Palm Hills Developments, Taaleem Management Services, and Incolease. His previous board memberships include CI Capital Holding, Corplease, Vodafone Egypt, and TE Data.

Tantawy holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom, a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering from the American University in Cairo, and is a CFA charterholder.

Hani Elsamra was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in October 2022, representing the government.

He brings more than 26 years of experience in human resources (HR) leadership within the banking sectors across Egypt and the Middle East. Since 2018, he has served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Banque Misr, where he leads the bank’s human capital strategy and organizational development.

Prior to joining Banque Misr, Elsamra held senior HR leadership roles at several prominent regional and international banks. He began his career at Citibank Egypt in 1999, becoming Vice President of HR at Citibank Kuwait in 2007. He subsequently served as Vice President of HR at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank - Egypt in 2009, before returning to Citibank Kuwait as Head of HR in 2011. In 2016, he joined Burgan Bank (Kuwait) as General Manager of HR and Development.

El Samra currently serves as a Board Member of Misr Abu Dhabi Real Estate Investments Company and Chairman of the Human Resources Committee of the Federation of Egyptian Banks.

He has earned several prestigious professional certifications, the Certified Director Certification Program (CDCP) in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (2022), the Executive Leadership Program from Harvard University (2022), and Certified Assessor Accreditation from SHL (UK). He has also completed advanced programs in job analysis and evaluation with HAY Group.

Islam Zekry was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in March 2025, representing the government.

With more than 25 years of experience in the banking sector, Zekry serves as Group Chief Financial Officer and Head of Operations of the Commercial International Bank (CIB), and is also an Executive Board Member. He is also a member of the bank’s Executive Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of CIB Kenya. He has a strong track record of improving financial performance, driving growth, fostering innovation, and creating added value for business partners both internally and externally. This is underpinned by his deep understanding of global markets, regulatory environments, and industry trends at both the local and international levels, in addition to his extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, which enables him to provide strategic guidance and make sound financial and investment decisions in support of the organization’s overall strategic objectives.

Prior to his appointment as Group Chief Financial Officer in 2023, Zekry was previously appointed by CIB as Egypt’s first Chief Data Officer in 2016. Under his leadership, a highly capable and diverse team was established, with expertise spanning the design and development of a centralized data warehouse, the deployment and visualization of advanced quantitative and behavioral analytics, as well as the application of data science, quantitative finance, and customer preference modeling on big data platforms. These initiatives positioned CIB at the forefront of a digitally driven banking industry. Zekry joined CIB’s Finance function in 2004.

Zekry has extensive experience across global markets, including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He is a member of the Steering Committee of Smart Africa, an international alliance spanning more than half the African continent and focused on accelerating sustainable socio economic development across Africa. He is also an active contributing member of the EU–AU Digital Economy Task Force, which explores opportunities for cooperation in the digital economy between Europe and Africa, in addition to his membership in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Digital Transformation Committee.

This broad and diverse experience has positioned Zekry as a thought leader in digital finance and the new economy, underpinned by his strong capacity for innovation and renewal. This has supported his recent nomination and selection as a member of Egypt’s first National Artificial Intelligence Council, under the patronage of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, tasked with shaping, formulating, and implementing Egypt’s national artificial intelligence vision with an economic and socio developmental focus. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Fitch Institute for Quantitative Finance (London), and also serves as a Non Executive Board Member of NLB Group (Central Europe).

Under his leadership, London Business School (LBS) presented CIB’s data driven transformation model as a case study in 2018, making CIB the first Middle Eastern company to be analyzed in a case study by students in LBS’s Advanced Analytics master’s programs. Shortly thereafter, Harvard Business School followed suit and began incorporating the case into its curricula. In addition, a wide range of international research and academic institutions have adopted the models developed by his teams as reference case studies.

Finally, Zekry holds a PhD in Financial Mathematics and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, achieving outstanding academic results in advanced financial analytics and the performance management of corporations based on quantitative and digital modeling.

Mohamed Hanafy was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in November 2022, representing the company’s employees.

He began his career at the Ministry of Local Development in 2001 and joined Telecom Egypt in 2004 as part of the Human Resources team. He was later promoted to HR Manager for the Third District – West Cairo in 2009, and subsequently served as HR Manager for the First District – West Cairo.

Hanafy currently serves as a Board Member of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation. He chaired the West Cairo Workers’ Union from 2018–2022 and was re-elected for a second term from 2022–2026. He also served as a Board Member of the General Union for Telecommunications Workers from 2018–2022, prior to running for the presidency of the General Union for the 2022–2026 term.

Hanafy holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from Ain Shams University (2007) and a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Benha University (2000).

Mohamed Barakat was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt’s in March 2017 as a Non-Executive Board Member representing the government and became an Independent Board Member in March 2021.

With over 45 years of experience in the banking and financial sector, Barakat currently serves as Non-Executive Chairman of the National Bank of Egypt and as a Board Member of the Financial Services and Fintech Sub-Fund of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, a role he has held since April 2021. From 2014 to 2022, he served as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Arab International Bank, he was also Chairman of Banque Misr (2002–2014), one of Egypt’s largest banks.

He also held a number of senior leadership positions, including Chairman of the Board of Misr Lebanon Bank, Misr Europe Bank – Frankfurt, and Banque du Caire. He was also elected Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Banks and Chairman of the Union of Arab Banks.

Barakat served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Egypt from 2003–2011. He was also a member of the Banking Reform Committee, a Board Member of the Egyptian Banking Institute, and a Board Member of the Anti-Money Laundering Unit. In addition, he served as a Board Member and Vice Chairman of Cairo Amman Bank in Jordan. Internationally, Barakat held key roles with Visa International as Board Member (Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) (2003–2008) and Advisory Council Member (2008–2010). He also served on Mastercard’s International Advisory Council (Middle East and Africa) (2011–2020).

In the non-banking sector, Barakat served as Chairman of the International Company for Tourist Investments, the owner of the Conrad Cairo Hotel, and Suez Canal Company for Technology Settling, the owning company of October 6 University. He also served as a Member of the Board of Trustees of October 6 University, in addition to being a Board Member of EgyptAir Holding Company.

In addition to the above, the served as a Board Member, a member of the General Assembly, and Chairman of the Board of numerous companies.

Barakat holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of San Francisco in the United States and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Alexandria University.

Girgis Abd El-Shahid was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt’s Board of Directors in March 2025.

He has extensive expertise in corporate legal advisory and dispute resolution—particularly arbitration—combined with a strong professional background across a diverse sectors, including logistics, aviation, pharmaceuticals, food industries, construction, energy, finance, securities offerings, telecommunications, intellectual property, and banking. Abd El-Shahid currently serves as Managing Partner of Abd El-Shahid Law Firm and Legal Consultants in Cairo. He began his professional career as a Public Prosecutor.

Abd El-Shahid is recognized as one of the youngest Egyptian lawyers to have handle high-profile arbitration cases in Egypt and the Middle East, earning a strong reputation for his expertise in complex, multiparty arbitration disputes and international law.

In addition to his legal practice, he served as a Member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for two terms, concluding in June 2024. He currently serves a second term as a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA). In the technology and telecommunications domain, and in addition to his role on the Board of Telecom Egypt, Abd El Shahid is a Board Member of Silicon Waha for Technology Zones. He also previously served as a Member of the Users’ Rights Committee at the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) until 2024.

Abd El-Shahid holds a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center (USA), a Bachelor of Laws from Cairo University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration from The American University in Cairo.

Akef El Maghraby was appointed to Telecom Egypt’s Board of Directors in March 2025.

With over 25 years of experience in banking and finance, El Maghraby has a strong track record in all banking activities, financial strategy, and economic development. He is currently the CEO & Managing Director of Suez Canal Bank.

Prior to this role, El Maghraby was the Vice Chairman of Banque Misr. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in managing key business areas, including corporate banking, treasury, international business, retail, SME banking, investments, Islamic finance, global transaction services, regional operations, branches, and financial inclusion. His leadership and strategic vision contributed significantly to the bank’s expansion and modernization, particularly in the realm of digital transformation.

Before joining Banque Misr, he was the Head of Corporate & Investment Banking at Citi Bank Egypt, where he successfully doubled its assets and increased revenues by 50% in 2015. During his career at Citi Bank, which spanned over a decade, he spearheaded major financial transactions and provided financing and advisory services to leading corporations and government entities across various sectors, such as steel, chemicals, and energy.

In addition to his executive roles, he currently serves as the Chairman of Egypt Digital Transformation Company and Misr Capital and as a board member of Banque Misr Lebanon, Misr Insurance Holding Company, the Egyptian Banking Institute, EgyptAir Holding Company, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Africa 50, CI Capital, and Egypt Investment & Export Development Company. He is also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).

El Maghraby holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s in Accounting & Finance from The American University in Cairo. 

Hossam Seifeldin was appointed to the Board of Directors of Telecom Egypt in March 2025.

He brings nearly 30 years of experience in the technology sector and global business strategy. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini Egypt, where he leads the development and operation of one of the company’s newest global delivery center in Egypt, providing a comprehensive portfolio of advanced technology services to a broad base of international clients and contributing to Egypt’s positioning as a regional hub for digital services.serving a wide array of international clients.

Prior to joining Capgemini, Seifeldin spent 27 years at IBM, where he developed deep expertise in operations, digital transformation, and strategy planning across the Middle East and Africa. During his career at IBM, he held several senior leadership positions, including General Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan, General Manager for Africa, and ultimately Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Africa. Beyond his executive roles, Seifeldin is actively engaged in institutional, advisory and governance work. He is a Member of the Advisory Committee for Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship for the Prime Minister of Egypt, a Board Member of Raya Holding, and a Member of the Board of Trustees of El Sewedy University of Technology (SUT) and the Information Technology Institute (ITI). He also serves as Chair of the Technology and Communications Committee at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Egypt, Co-chair of the Digital Transformation Core Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham), and a Member of the the Industry Committee of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA).

Seifeldin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Ain Shams University (Egypt) and a Diploma in Management from Henley Business School (UK).