Khaled Bichara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khaled Bichara
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| Born | July 27, 1971 |
| Died | January 31, 2020 (aged 48) Giza, Egypt
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| Alma mater | The American University in Cairo (B.Sc) |
Khaled Bichara (July 27, 1971 – January 31, 2020) was an important Egyptian businessman and entrepreneur. He was known for his leadership in the technology and telecommunications industries. Khaled served as the chairman of link.net and the chief executive officer of Accelero Capital.
Before these roles, he was the chief executive officer of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology (OTMT). He also worked as the group president and chief operating officer of VimpelCom Ltd.. Khaled Bichara was also the executive chairman of Global Telecom Holding. He played a big part in merging two major phone companies, VEON and Wind Telecom. This merger created one of the world's largest telecommunications companies.
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Early Life and Education
Khaled Galal Bichara was born in Cairo, Egypt, on July 27, 1971. He went to The American University in Cairo. In 1993, he earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree there. His main subject was computer science, and he also studied business administration.
Khaled continued to learn throughout his career. He took special courses for growing companies at Stanford University. He also attended programs at the American University in Cairo's Institute of Banking and Finance.
Career Highlights
Starting LINKdotNET
In 1996, after working briefly at a software company called Microlab, Khaled Bichara helped start LINKdotNET. At first, it was called LINK Egypt. This company was an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Egypt. An ISP is a company that gives you access to the internet.
In 2000, Orascom Telecom Holding asked him to be their Chief Internet Strategist. This meant he helped plan their internet business. In 2002, Khaled Bichara worked with Microsoft and LINKdotNET. Together, they launched MSN Arabia, which was a big online portal for the region.
Under Khaled's leadership, LINKdotNET grew a lot. It bought eight other internet companies. This made LINKdotNET the biggest private ISP in the region, with over 1,500 employees.
In 2003, Khaled Bichara joined the board of directors at Orascom Telecom Holding. He was also named “Young Executive of the Year” by Business Today Egypt magazine.
Leading Wind Telecomunicazioni
In 2005, Khaled Bichara moved to Italy. He was appointed to lead the fixed phone line and internet portal business unit at Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A. This company was part of Wind Telecom S.p.A..
In 2006, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. A COO helps manage the daily operations of a business. Wind Telecomunicazioni was struggling at the time. But in just three years, Khaled helped turn it around. It became one of the best-performing mobile, fixed line, and broadband companies in Europe.
Role at Orascom Telecom Holding
Orascom Telecom Holding became the biggest investor in LINKdotNET in 1999. They owned 54% of the company. As mentioned, Khaled became their chief Internet strategist in 2000 and joined their board in 2003.
In April 2009, Khaled Bichara was appointed the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Orascom Telecom Holding. Later that year, in November 2009, he became the new group Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A CEO is the highest-ranking executive in a company. The company said that Khaled was "dynamic" and "energetic." They believed he would help the company grow and become more innovative.
Personal Life
Khaled Bichara was married to Marianne Bichara. They had two children, Sherif Bichara and Galal Bichara.
Khaled Bichara passed away in a car crash in Giza, Egypt, on January 31, 2020. He was 48 years old.
See also
- Orascom Telecom Holding
- Wind Telecom S.p.A. (former Weather Investments S.p.A.)
- LINKdotNET
