He replaces Nabeel Bin Salamah, who announced he would not be renewing his contract in October.
The company said that Gegenheimer’s appointment follows a comprehensive search both domestically and internationally.
“Scott Gegenheimer is a very capable and experienced leader in the industry and I am confident this appointment will be instrumental to Zain Group reaching the next level of its strategic development. Zain is a dynamic company, and with the right leadership team in place it has every chance of maintaining its well-entrenched position in the region. Gegenheimer has proved himself as a decisive and gifted telecom leader, and brings a wide cross section of telecom experience, spanning international and regional exposure,” said Asaad Al Banwan, chairman at Zain Group.
Gegenheimer has 24 years of telecoms sector experience with 10 years in senior management and leadership positions at regional operators. His previous employers also include Cisco Systems and Motorola, as well as financial service companies in the US.
“I would like to thank the Chairman, Asaad Al Banwan, and the Board of Directors for the faith they have placed in me, and I look forward to dedicating all my energies to making this already great company even more successful. This is a crucial time in the evolution of the telecom sector. I shall be relying on the team around me and all Zain employees to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities that arise,” said Gegenheimer.