Supun Weerasinghe joins Robi as CEO

Supun Weerasinghe has joined Robi Axiata Ltd (Robi) as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) from the New Year’ 2014.

Supun Weerasinghe replaces out-going Robi CEO Michael Kuehner, who has retired from full time corporate life. Michael will, however, continue to be a member of the Board of Directors of Robi Axiata Limited.

Commenting on his appointment, Supun stated that : “It is indeed an honour and privilege to lead Robi as we enter the internet era with the deployment of 3G services.  I look forward to empowering Bangladesh with affordable, high quality wireless data and internet connectivity. Robi is perhaps one of the most dynamic companies in Bangladesh and I am enthused by the challenge of steering it through the next phase of growth.”

Previously Supun Weerasinghe served as Group Chief Strategy Officer at Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata) in Kuala Lumpur. He also served as the Head of Network Transformation Strategic Business Unit under which he provided leadership to Group Technology, Carrier Collaboration and the Axiata Intelligence Unit (previously Axiata Management Services).

Prior to his stint with the Axiata Group, Supun was the Group Chief Operating Officer (GCOO), of Dialog Axiata Plc, (Dialog) Sri Lanka’s mobile market leader. He was also the COO and then the CEO of Dialog Mobile for several years. He was instrumental in making Dialog, the leading quad play Telco service provider in Sri Lanka.

Supun is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), UK, and holds a B.Sc. in Accountancy and Financial Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. He also has a MBA from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, and is an alumnus of the HarvardBusinessSchool (AMP 182).

Robi Axiata Limited, is the third largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh with more than 25 million subscribers. Robi is part of Axiata, a company with majority stake in five and minority stake in two mobile operating companies across South and Southeast Asia. Axiata has over 200 million subscribers across Asia provides direct employment to more than 20,000 people in 10 countries.