Executive management

Omer Taha was appointed Chief Executive of Expresso Telecom Group on 1 April 2010.  His enduring thirst for knowledge and proven leadership capabilities will form the basis of Expresso’s future growth.

He spent the early part of his career as a lecturer at the Department of Computer Engineering, University of Gezira.  In 2001 Omer joined Sudatel Telecom Group as an engineer in the Internet and Information Technology unit of the company.  In 2005 he managed the entire section.

In 2007 he was appointed as Chief Customer Service and Sales Officer, where he successfully established sales channels, customer service centres and was the architect for automating call centre processes.

In 2009, Omer was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Thabit Telecommunications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sudatel.  He spearheaded the establishment of the company, developing and implementing the corporate strategy, systems and business functions.  He successfully revived the fixed line business in Sudan.

Omer graduated from the University of Al Gezira with a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Engineering and Control.  He also holds a Master’s in Computer Networks and Information Systems from the University of Essex.

As the Chief Operating Officer, Basharat is responsible for building and deploying the "best in class" business critical capabilities needed for Expresso to compete effectively across its chosen markets.

He is also responsible for ensuring high-levels of business performance levels are achieved and maintained consistently through out the Group, underpinned by highly effective corporate governance, and a fully optimised operating model.  In his own words, he is responsible for building "a beautiful company", where people can make things happen for our customers, for our partners and most importantly for themselves. 

Prior to joining Expresso, Basharat worked at British Telecom (BT), where he advised BT, as well as boards of directors and senior leadership teams of other global telecommunication companies, on their strategy and business transformation.  He has proven leadership skills and has international experience in leading business transformation efforts across Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

Basharat speaks numerous languages and holds two masters degrees – one in Business Administration from Royal Holloway, University of London, and the other in International Relations.

Saiful Alam is the Chief Commercial Officer at Expresso Telecoms Group.  He is responsible for marketing, sales and customer care.  He is currently focused on driving business performance by transforming the commercial function across the Group.

The early part of his career was with One2One, now known as T-Mobile UK.  Saif then spent a significant portion of his career in marketing management roles, pioneering Vodafone UK’s mobile internet revolution.

Prior to joining Expresso, Saiful was a management consultant, specialising in the Telecoms sector in the Middle East & Africa region.  He has been in executive and advisory roles for Zain, du, Atheeb, British Telecom and Sudatel.

Saif is a graduate of Imperial College London, and holds a Masters in Engineering.

Musaab is the Chief Technology Officer at Expresso Telecom Group.  He is responsible for monitoring new technologies and assessing their potential to become new products and services for Expresso.  Musaab is currently chairing the Operation & Maintenance committee for the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable.

With wireless data traffic set to increase significantly in emerging markets, Musaab will also be focused on developing a strategy for deploying a data-optimised network across our markets. 

Musaab spent the early part of his career as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Khartoum’s Electrical & Electronics Engineering department.  He then spent two years working on various telecommunication projects in energy, oil and gas sectors  

Prior to joining Expresso in 2008 as the Network Director, Musaab was with Zain Sudan for five years.  His various roles and responsibilities within the Technical department enabled Musaab to gain a holistic view and understanding of how the technical function contributes to the business and overall corporate strategy. 

Musaab graduated from the University of Khartoum with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering.  He also completed an MBA from the same university.

Nazar is the Chief Information Officer at Expresso Telecom Group.  He is responsible for developing and maintaining Expresso’s information investments, processes and digital assets, in line with the company’s business strategy.

Prior to joining Expresso in 2008, Nazar was a Telecom Engineer at Larrycom, a large investment company based in Sudan.  He then spent two years as a project manager for International Turnkey Systems before he moved to Dubai as part of the original Expresso team. 

Nazar graduated from the University of Khartoum with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.  He also holds a Master’s in Radio Frequency Communication Systems and Management from Southampton University.  

Khalid is the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Expresso Telecom Group.  He is responsible for overseeing and coordinating legal activities and functions to ensure Expresso’s legal structure is developed and maintained.

In addition to managing the legal and compliance activities, Khalid is responsible for managing the Group’s communication function.  His main objective is to manage the public reputation of the company as well as developing effective delivery of information and corporate communication to Expresso employees.

Khalid began his career in 1996 at Awadul Geed, a law firm based in Sudan.  In 2000, he joined Sudan’s first multinational oil and gas company, Greater Nile Petroleum as in-house lawyer and company secretary.

Prior to joining Expresso in 2009, Khalid was with Schlumberger for over seven years.  For most of this time, he was a Contracts Manager covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Pakistan.  He then worked as a Contracts Manager for Schlumberger Information Solutions department managing nine countries: Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eretria and Kenya.

Khalid graduated from the University of Khartoum in 1996 with a Bachelor of Laws degree.  In the same year he was admitted into the Sudanese Bar Association.

Tanvir is the Chief Business Development Officer at Expresso Telecom Group.  He is responsible for developing and implementing organic and inorganic strategy.  Currently he is focused on growing Expresso’s existing commercial operations and improving business performance. 

In addition to the strategy role, Tanvir is responsible for managing the Group’s HR function.  His main objective is to develop and implement people processes across the Group, ensuring they are linked and aligned to Expresso’s corporate strategy.      

Tanvir has over 15 years experience in the professional services and banking sectors.  After several years at Price Waterhouse and Andersen in Sydney and London, he spent four years with Standard Chartered Bank in London. 

Prior to joining Expresso, Tanvir has been working as a management consultant for HSBC, British Telecom and Sudatel, specialising in strategic finance, business and operations strategy, organisational change and strategic HR.

Tanvir graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Australian National University in his home town of Canberra.  He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.