MAM
Telenor Group appoints SigveBrekke as CEO
NEW DELHI: Telenor Group has appointed SigveBrekkeas the new group president and CEO.
He will succeed Jon Fredrik Baksaas by 17 August,2015.
Brekke is currently executive vice president and head of Telenor Group’s Asia operations. He joined Telenor in 1999 and has held several executive positions in the company since then.
“SigveBrekke has a solid track-record as the head of Telenor’s Asia operations and part of Group Management since August 2008. His leading role in our Asian success story combined with his vast international experience and leadership capabilities will be of great value as the company continues its profitable growth journey,” said Telenor Group chairman of the Board of Directors SveinAaser.
Brekke has been instrumental in establishing Telenor Group as a leading international mobile operator. Under Brekke’s leadership, Telenor has added more than 100 million subscribers in Asia. The value creation from Asia has been significant and the region now represents more than 40 percent of the total enterprise value of Telenor Group. Telenor is well positioned to monetise on the next growth wave – providing internet for all.
“It is a great honour to be asked to lead Telenor. Our company’s Norwegian and international success is a result of Telenor Group’s ability to provide digital communication services that are valuable to our customers. Telenor’sstrategy, including our financial priorities, forms a solid platform for value creation for our shareholders and continued growth in Norway, Europe and Asia. We are poised to capture value from the opportunities arising from strong demand for internet services and I look forward to executing our strategy together with our 33,000 employees,” said Brekke.
Baksaas steps down after 13 years as the company president and CEO. In September 2014, he extended his tenure for another year, until the end of 2015. In preparation of Baksaas’ retirement, Telenor’s Board of Directors initiated a thorough process with a broad set of internal and external candidates to find his successor. Baksaas will continue as advisor to the Board of Directors until the end of 2016 and will serve as chairman of GSMA, the global industry organisation for mobile operators.
“Jon Fredrik Baksaas has internationalized Telenor and transformed us into a modern, world-class telecom company and widely known consumer brand originating from Norway. I believe Fredrik is one of the most important industry leaders in Norway in modern times,” said Aaser.
Telenor is a mobile telecom company with mobile operations in 13 markets and 192 million mobile subscriptions worldwide. Revenues have increased from NOK 49 billion to NOK 107 billion and market capitalisation from NOK 45 billion to NOK 270 billion during Baksaas’ leadership. A significant contributor to this development has been the company’s growth in Asia.
“To lead Telenor during a period of rapid growth and major technological changes has been both exciting and rewarding. In SigveBrekke, the Board of Directors has found the perfect candidate to continue Telenor’s growth and value creation. We have worked closely for many years, and his knowledge of the business, customer focus and hands-on management style will ensure a great future for the company,” said Baksaas.
Brekke’s annual base salary will be NOK 5.9 million. In addition he will be entitled to a long-term incentive grant of 30 per cent of his annual base salary. His maximum annual bonus is 50 per cent of annual base salary. His existing pension agreement will be continued, however his pensionable income will be capped at NOK 5 million. Brekke’s retirement age is 65 years.
Brands
Zscaler, Airtel launch India AI Cyber Research Centre
New hub to boost cyber resilience and trusted AI use
NEW DELHI: As India’s digital engine roars ahead, so do the risks riding shotgun. In response, Zscaler, Inc. and Bharti Airtel have joined hands to launch the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center – India, a national initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber defences and accelerating responsible AI adoption.
The centre is designed as a multi stakeholder platform that brings together industry, government and academia. Its mission is clear: protect critical sectors such as telecom, banking and energy, shield everyday digital users, and future proof India’s fast expanding online ecosystem.
India has long been a major innovation hub for Zscaler, with a substantial portion of its cyber research talent based here. With this new centre, that footprint evolves into a national collaboration engine. The idea is simple but ambitious, build in India, for India, and help power the country’s journey towards a secure and digitally self reliant future.
The timing is telling. India is building digital systems at population scale, not just enterprise scale. That scale has widened the attack surface dramatically. At the same time, cyber criminals and nation state actors are deploying AI to scan, probe and exploit vulnerabilities in minutes.
Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, reports millions of infiltration attempts every month. These include espionage campaigns linked to regional geopolitical tensions, 1.2 million intrusion attempts from 20,000 sources targeting 58 Indian digital entities, and a rise in zero day exploit attempts across multiple industries.
In such an environment, perimeter based security models are struggling to keep pace. The new centre aims to push a shift towards secure by design systems and Zero Trust architecture.
Its strategy rests on four pillars: protect through real time intelligence, remediate by working directly with government agencies, facilitate adoption of AI driven security and Zero Trust frameworks, and build a stronger cybersecurity talent pipeline through specialised certifications.
As founding members, Zscaler and Airtel will combine global threat intelligence with local network visibility. Zscaler will deploy a dedicated India focused research team and draw insights from its Zero Trust Exchange platform, which processes over 500 billion daily transactions worldwide. Airtel, meanwhile, will contribute deep visibility into IoT and mobile traffic, helping detect suspicious activity faster and coordinate response across the ecosystem.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership extends Airtel’s commitment to safeguarding customers and the nation’s digital fabric. He added that the collaboration would address challenges unique to the Indian market and encourage secure and confident digital engagement.
Zscaler chief executive, chairman and founder Jay Chaudhry, said India’s digital ambition cannot be secured with legacy firewalls and VPNs. He noted that a modern Zero Trust architecture is essential for a hyper connected world and that the new centre would harness the scale of Zscaler’s global security cloud while empowering a new generation of Indian cyber defenders.
Additional members from critical public and private sectors are expected to join the initiative in the coming months, expanding its scope and deepening collaboration.
In a world where threats travel at machine speed, India’s answer is to think faster, collaborate wider and build smarter.
