PROFILE
M
uhammad Ayub was the first
employee to be hired by VIVA
(Kuwaiti Telecommunications
Company). He was one of the key members
of the launch team at VIVA to set up the
operation in 2008. His efforts were key in
enabling VIVA to have a successful and
timely launch. of IT applications. In addition to that he is
also involved in several strategic initiatives
and transformation projects.
The company, a subsidiary of Saudi Telecom
Company, has now passed a decade of
commercial operations in Kuwait. VIVA has
made rapid progress in the last decade. It
now has around 2.5 million customers and
more than 500 employees on the payroll –
with an additional 250 more employed in
outsourced operational roles. He is a commercially astute senior techno-
business leader with more than 18 years
of cross-domain experience in corporate
sectors such as FMCG, telecom and
governmental bodies.
Since 2008, the company holds a sizeable
market share of 32%, with 99% coverage
of residential areas of Kuwait offering
customers the most innovative solutions.
Ayub is Director for Business Support
Systems. He is responsible for planning,
implementation, operation and performance
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INTELLIGENTCIO
Apart from technical responsibilities, his
other skills include interacting with internal
business units to provide support for business
operation and KPI/SLA assurance.
Ayub has a proven track record at
leading large and complex projects that
involve different aspects of technology
implementation, transformation, planning,
budgeting and operations. He is responsible
for Capex/Opex budgets to the tune of
US$50 million and has a solid history in
managing large international vendors.
Intelligent CIO spoke to him about changes
in the telecommunications industry, the
progress of 5G and his managerial style.
What have the main changes been in
your industry in the last 10 years?
There have been a number of significant
changes as a matter of fact. During the first
decade of the 21st century, mobile operators
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR
OPERATORS IS HOW THEY WOULD BE
ABLE TO MONETISE 5G.
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