Telenor Pakistan announced that Areej Khan had been appointed the chief human resource officer. Areej has been associated with Telenor Pakistan since the pre-launch phase over 18 years ago.
Areej was heading the Digital Division as Vice President in her most recent role. During her tenure, she helped shape Telenor Pakistan’s digital strategy while the company emphasised growth through industry-leading initiatives, including launching the biggest esports platform, GameBird. Before her time in digital, Areej held leadership roles across several functions, including Communications and Sustainability in Corporate Affairs and Digital Marketing in the Commercial Division.
Areej is taking over from Oystein Bakken, who joined at the onset of COVID-19 two and a half years ago. His term comes to a close as he moves on to assume his next role in Telenor Norway, where he will be working with reshaping Telenor in transforming the Nordics in technology. Oystein has been part of Telenor for over 15 years. He took charge of the human capital division (HCD) at the onset of COVID and successfully navigated many people and engagement-related challenges.
Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO of Telenor Pakistan, remarked, “Areej’s appointment is a reflection of Telenor’s drive to cultivate and hone its home-grown talent. Her deep understanding of Telenor’s culture and people will continue to set us apart in the industry. We look forward to Areej helping us accelerate our people agenda even further. I extend my gratitude to Oystein for his many contributions as CHRO and the enthusiasm with which he drove the organisation forward. I wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Khawaja Shariq Mustafa will take the baton from Areej as VP of Digital, bringing his diverse multi-organisational experience in commercial segments, sales, brands and digital marketing to the division.
In her new role at Telenor Pakistan, Areej will drive the people policy and organisational culture, with Employer Branding, Rewards and Talent Acquisition falling under her domain. She will formally assume charge from August 1 2022.
