Board of Directors

Mr. Joergen C. Arentz Rostrup was appointed to the Board on 09 June 2020 and is also the Chair of Grameenphone Board. Mr. Joergen Rostrup is Executive Vice President and Member of Executive Board of Telenor Group and Head of Telenor Asia. He has more than 25 years’ business experience in an international context and comes from the position as CFO in Telenor Group, a position he has held since November 2016. Throughout his career, Mr. Joergen has lived and worked on four continents and now has his second spell in Asia. Prior to joining Telenor, he served as President of Yara North America, Inc. He has a broad range of management positions in three of Norway’s leading companies, including CEO of Yara Ghana Ltd, CFO in Norsk Hydro ASA, Executive Vice President Energy in Hydro and CFO for Hydro’s Norwegian oil and gas activity. Mr. Joergen has also been on several Boards, including positions within the private equity and investment banking area. Mr. Joergen holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).

Mr. M Shahjahan was appointed to the Board on 26 June 2006 and is also Chair of the Company’s Treasury Committee. He is the former Managing Director of Grameen Bank. He acted as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank from 14 August 2011 to 30 October 2014. Now, he is the Managing Director of Grameen Telecom Trust. Earlier, he served as the Deputy Managing Director, the General Manager and Head of the Accounts, Finance, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, the Chief of the Audit Department, and the Zonal Manager of Grameen Bank. Mr. Shahjahan is a member of the Board of Directors of several companies that work in the fields of health, education, agriculture, welfare, renewable energy and telecommunications. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree in Accounting from the University of Dhaka in 1976, as well as a Master’s degree in Accounting in 1977 and a Master’s degree in Finance in 1981. He was awarded ICAB Medal (Silver) for passing the ‘C.A. Intermediate’ examination at the earliest eligible chance in 1981.

Mr. Md. Ashraful Hassan was appointed to the Board on 20 January 2010. He currently serves as Executive Vice Chairman of Grameen Telecom and is engaged in promoting and providing easy access to GSM cellular services in rural Bangladesh. He also serves as Executive Vice Chairman of Grameen Knitwear Ltd., Grameen Fabrics & Fashions Ltd., Grameen Distribution Ltd., Grameen Shamogree, and Managing Director of Ononyo Construction & Developments Limited and CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust. He has profound knowledge in sales channels, product sourcing, business development and supply chain management. He has extensive and diversified knowledge in various industrial sectors, especially in the field of textile & electronics focusing on resource and energy efficient production. He has wide exposure in industrial management, local & export market, labour management, developing rural artists & artisan goods and so on. He has an extensive knowledge in the field of construction engineering, now he is responsible for establishing most of the mega projects of Grameen Group. He started his career in Grameen Bank in 1984. During his 15 years tenure with the bank, he held various key positions, including the Chief of Engineering section and made notable contribution to the infrastructural development of Grameen Bank. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several enterprises that play a commendable role in the fields of renewable energy, health care, food and nutrition, information and communication technology, employment generation and so forth. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh.

Mr. Haakon Bruaset Kjoel was appointed to the Board on 14 September 2011. He is a senior corporate and public affairs professional with extensive experience from the telecom and digital industries in Europe and Asia. He is currently the Senior Vice President and Head of External Relations for Telenor in Asia. Prior to this, Mr. Haakon served as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of Telenor Group’s mobile operator in Thailand, dtac. Mr. Haakon serves on the Board of Directors of several Telenor Group companies in Singapore, Telenor Myanmar and Digi in Malaysia where he serves as the Chair of the Board. He is also a non-executive Director of the internationally renowned architect and design company Snohetta AS headquartered in Oslo. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, where he also studied public relations.

Ms. Parveen Mahmud FCA was appointed to the Board on 17 October 2012. Ms. Mahmud serves in various Boards, including the Chairperson of Underprivileged Children Education Programme (UCEP) and Her Story Foundation. She was the Chairperson, Shasha Denims Ltd., MIDAS (Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services) and Acid Survivors Foundation. She served three terms in the Council and Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB). In her diversified professional career, Ms. Mahmud worked in the development sector and was a practicing Chartered Accountant. Ms. Mahmud started her career with Brac, and was the Managing Director, Grameen Telecom Trust and Deputy Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). She was a partner of ACNABIN, Chartered Accountants. She was the first female President of ICAB for the year 2011 and also the first female Board member and President of accounting professional body in the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), the apex accounting professional body of the SAARC. She was the Chairperson, CA Female Forum, ICAB. She was the member of National Advisory Panel for SME Development of Bangladesh and founding Board member of SME Foundation and Convener, SME Women’s Forum. Ms. Parveen Mahmud is the recipient of Chittagong Digest award 2020 for Social Changemaker, Ananyanna Top Ten Women- 2018 Award in 2019 for social development, Joya Alokit Nari- 2018 Award from RTV for entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment, “Women at Work -2017” Award from Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) and “Women of Inspiration Awards”-2017 from the Bangladesh Organisation for Learning & Development (BOLD). She received the Begum Rokeya Shining Personality Award 2006 from Narikantha Foundation for women’s empowerment.

Mr. Oeivind Burdal was appointed to the Board on 18 May 2016. In 2004, he joined the Legal Department of Telenor ASA where he has practiced and held managerial positions in several areas. In August 2017, he was appointed Vice President, Head of Group Legal Asia in Telenor ASA after having served as Senior Vice President, Head of Legal in Telenor Myanmar Limited since July 2015. After obtaining his law degree, in 1998, he joined Thommessen Krefting Greve Lund, one of the major law firms in Norway, focusing on M&A and TMT. Mr. Burdal obtained his Law degree (Cand. Jur.) from the University of Oslo, Norway, his degree in Business Administration (Bedriftsokonom BI) from BI Norwegian Business School Oslo, Norway and his masters’ degree (LLM, Master of Corporate and Commercial Law) from London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England.

Ms. Tone Ripel was appointed to the Board on 18 October 2020. Ms. Tone started her career as Higher Executive Officer, advisor and senior advisor in Norwegian Competition Authority for three years. In 1999, she joined Wiersholm Law firm in Norway as an Associated Attorney and Senior Attorney working primarily with corporate issues hereunder competition law, corruption issues and regulated markets, which included project management of high-profile investigations, crises management and contact with relevant authorities. She served as Director of Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Malaysia in 2018-2019 and Telenor Norge AS, Norway in 2017-2019. Ms. Tone started to work in Telenor in 2013 and currently holds the position as Attorney at Law in the Group Legal of Telenor ASA. She is also the Director of Total Access Communications Public Company Limited (DTAC), Thailand. Ms. Tone holds a Master’s degree in Law from University of Oslo.

Mr. Lars Erik Tellmann was appointed to the Board on 11 December 2019 and he is also Chair of the Company’s HSSE Committee. Mr. Tellmann is Senior Vice President and Head of Telenor Financial Services, Telenor Group. Mr. Tellmann joined Telenor Group in 2001 and has since served in a various leadership positions in Norway, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. He was Chief Financial Officer of Telenor Myanmar Limited from 2013 to 2016, and Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Myanmar Limited. from 2016 to 2018. Before joining Telenor, Mr. Tellmann had his initial experience in the Software industry with Agresso Group ASA in Norway. He had also served as Board Member of Grameenphone from December 2011 to December 2013. Currently, he is also a Board member of Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Malyasia, Telenor Pakistan Ltd., Wave Money Ltd. in Myanmar, Telenor Microfinance Bank Ltd. in Pakistan and Carousell Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. Mr Tellmann holds a Master of Science in Business (M.Sc./ Sivilokonom) degree from NORD University in Norway, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed was appointed to the Board on 12 December 2018 as an Independent Director and he is also Chair of the Company’s Audit Committee. He was appointed as the Governor of the Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) in May 2005, for a term of four years up to 30 April 2009. He started his career as a lecturer in Economics at Dhaka University in 1970. Joining the erstwhile Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP), he served in various capacities in the field of administration of the Government of Bangladesh. He worked in the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), a regional inter-governmental organisation with its headquarters in Dhaka. Dr. Ahmed was the Director General of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Cumilla and also Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Office of the Prime Minister. During 1996-2005, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed was the Managing Director of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), the apex funding agency of micro credit operations in Bangladesh. Dr. Ahmed is a non-executive Independent Director of ASA International Group plc. He has authored several books, reports and journal articles which have been published at home and abroad. He is on governing bodies of several Government and Non-Government agencies and universities in Bangladesh. Dr. Ahmed was awarded Nawab Sir Salimullah Foundation Gold Medal for contributions in Economics in 2006. He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from McMaster University, Canada at the Convocation held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in November 2006. Besides these, he was given several other awards by different bodies. Dr. Ahmed did his Master Degrees in Economics from Dhaka University and McMaster University in 1969 and 1974 respectively and obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from McMaster University, Canada in 1978. Presently, he is a Professor at the Graduate School of Management (GSM), Brac University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Mr. Abdul-Muyeed Chowdhury was appointed to the Board on 14 September 2020 as an Independent Director and he is also Chair of the Company’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC). Currently, he is serving as the Managing Director & CEO of Tiger Tours Limited. Besides, he was the Chairperson of BRACNet Limited (2005-2016) and member of the Board of Directors of several listed and non-listed companies and Independent Director of two other listed companies. Mr. Chowdhury spent more than three decades in the civil service of Bangladesh. He served as a Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh from 1994 to 2000 holding charge of various ministries. Mr. Chowdhury, a CSP, served as an Adviser to the non-party Caretaker Government of Bangladesh in 2001 and was in charge of five Ministries. He served as Secretary of Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance and ex-officio Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR), Managing Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Secretary, Jamuna Bridge Division and Executive Director of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority, President of National Shooting Federation of Bangladesh, Chairman of SME Foundation, Executive Director of Brac and Vice President of Bangladesh Olympic Association. Also, he is a Member of the Board of Trustees of Brac University. He was made a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE), UK for his leadership of the mega-project of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge. Mr. Chowdhury obtained his Bachelor of Arts with honors in Modern History and Master of Arts (1st Class) from Dhaka University. He also attended certificate course in Public Administration in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.