GrameenPhone shakes up top tier

Grameenphone commands two-thirds of the world's most lucrative mobile phone market, but intense competition from rivals has recently forced it to restructure its top tier. Sales, marketing and customer care are among the departments that have been affected by changes, spearheaded by Stein Naevdal, a former head of IT who recently took over as chief marketing officer.

Laszlo Barta, now GP's new head of sales, is responsible for strategy, distribution, operation and expansion. The executive is also known outside the GP offices—he appears in a roaming service advert.

Bidyut Kumar Basu has left customer services and taken over at what the company calls regional organisation. In his new role, he will look after sales, services and communications. "It puts Bidyut in the frontline operations with enhanced authority. He is armed with the first hand knowledge about the customers' discontents," an insider said.

Espen Wiig Warendorph was named to head the research and analysis unit. "It is responsible for revenue assurance, fraud management and quality assurance in GP," a GP official said, explaining his role. "But analysing the market's trend and understanding the customers experience will be his key tasks." Grameenphone is also the largest internet service provider, thanks to its million-plus Djuice customers and other up-market mobile internet users. Now GP is taking mobile internet to the remote locations targeting the mass market. Delwar Hossain Azad, a former Square Informatics executive, will be leading such "New Initiatives" for an uphill battle. The market communication division keeps Grameenphone visible in the public eye. It allocates advertorials to the print and electronic media outlets. Identifying the projects to sponsor and holding promotional events are also this division's responsibilities.

Nawbut Ali is heading this rather high-profile division, the biggest spender in the country's largest telecoms outfit. "He has to deal with malpractices by a few of his colleagues, who are now notorious for the way they dish out adverts or award other contracts," a former marketing executive said.

Rubaba Dowla Matin, the young photogenic executive who shot into celebrity status thanks to her marketing job, was somewhat removed from the glittery stage of marketing. She was given Basu's role in the back office of customer services, with an added responsibility to look after GP's branding. Retaining the customers and squeezing more cash out of them is Rubaba's extra challenge. "She should now be less visible in GP's public events," one of her colleagues said. "Rubaba has in effect been demoted. She retains her rank though, as deputy director." Changes at sales and marketing have meant dozens of mid-level executives have also moved their desks. It has been business as usual in other departments, at least for now.