Axiata Announces Appointment of Thomas Hundt as Group Chief Strategy & Technology Officer, to Further Accelerate its Group-wide Digital Transformation Ambition

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 October 2021 - Axiata Group Berhad ("Axiata" or "the Group") today announced the appointment of Thomas Hundt as its Group Chief Strategy & Technology Officer with immediate effect. Thomas will be pivotal in driving Group-wide innovation and technological advancement in the region and beyond and will be instrumental in securing new and long-term growth opportunities as the Group strengthens its top management to deliver its ambitious digital transformation agenda.

As CEO of Smart Axiata since 2013, Thomas' leadership has been fundamental in raising the company's performance in Cambodia in core areas of operations, customer centricity and financial standing despite highly competitive market conditions. In recognition of his consistent bid to outperform, Axiata appointed Thomas as Group Executive Vice President of Group Technology in 2020 with a deliberate focus to harness Group-wide synergies and efficiencies for enhanced operational excellence, among others.

Dato' Izzaddin Idris, President & Group Chief Executive Officer of Axiata said, "Thomas has been integral to the overall Axiata story of growth and excellence all these years. As CEO of Smart Axiata he has worked very hard quarter after quarter to deliver stellar results across all key metrics. He also took on the additional position of EVP of Group Technology to successfully lead our technology transformation in an effort to unlock Group-wide synergy as aligned with global practices."

In connecting Thomas' relationship with Axiata in Cambodia, Izzaddin added, "Thomas was first the CEO for Smart Mobile since 2008, and steered the greenfield company to where it successfully merged with Star-Cell in 2011 and subsequently with Hello Axiata in 2013, moving quickly from the number eight position to number three in the market. Under his capable stewardship, Smart Axiata grew rapidly to eventually become the number one player in the country."

"I am excited to welcome Thomas into his new dynamic role to help future-proof the Group as we navigate the ambitious path forward to become the Next Generation Digital Champion. As we continue to execute on the Axiata 5.0 strategy, Thomas' insights and passion will come to fore, especially in how we manage customer experiences and transition into the most efficient technologies in delivering digital services across our markets."

In accepting this position within the Group, Thomas will relocate to Kuala Lumpur and will step down as the CEO of Smart. Feiruz Ikhwan, CFO of Smart in the meantime will assume the role of Acting CEO.

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About Axiata

As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of its vision to be The Next Generation Digital Champion by 2024, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a Triple Core Strategy driven business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Within ASEAN and South Asia, the Group has controlling stakes in market-leading mobile and fixed operators in the region including 'Celcom' in Malaysia, 'XL' in Indonesia, 'Dialog' in Sri Lanka, 'Robi' in Bangladesh, 'Smart' in Cambodia and 'Ncell' in Nepal. Axiata is actively spearheading efforts to transform its mobile-centric operations into digital converged companies.

Axiata Digital, the digital services arm of Axiata is focused on two digital business verticals namely Digital Financial Services ('Boost', 'Aspirasi') and Digital Analytics & AI ('ADA').

'edotco', the Group's infrastructure company, operates in eight countries to deliver telecommunications infrastructure services, amassing approximately 41,705 owned and managed towers. Presently the top 10 of independent tower companies globally, it aims to be one of the top regional telecommunications tower companies and is committed to responsible and sustainable business operations.

As a committed and long-term investor, and in line with its sustainability goals, the Group actively supports and drives young talent development; disaster response and recovery; as well as green initiatives. Axiata's broader goal of Advancing Asia aims to piece together the best in the region in terms of innovation, connectivity and talent.