If You Build It, He Will Come

If you build it, he will come

A passion for greenfields and love of challenges, dtac CTO Khalid Shehzad has traveled the world building networks, with dtac’s network swap at the top of his list. This is his story.

It was pure accident that Khalid Shehzad ended up in telecom. A college job fair landed him a job with a Motorola-driven network attempt in Pakistan. Khalid was one of a handful of guys sitting in Ireland trying to name this new company. Together they built what is now called Mobilink. The decision to be a part of building a network in Pakistan launched Khalid into a telecom career trajectory, driven by his passion for greenfield operations. What started in Pakistan led him to New York, Croatia, Slovenia, Pakistan again, Tanzania, back to Pakistan and finally to Thailand. Khalid has been around the world contributing to the technological development of some of the most known telecom companies in the world. “I’ve been very lucky in my career. I’ve made a few very key decisions that have shaped my career path and I’ve taken a few risks. I would say that my decision to go to Croatia at the time of the war in Kosovo was one of the most surprising. I fell in love Zagreb and I wanted the excitement of a greenfield. Today this operation is now known as Vip Croatia, and it was one of the most successful launches I’ve been a part of,” says Khalid.

Meet Telenor

It wasn’t until 2004, when new licenses were given in Pakistan, that Khalid first encountered Telenor. While in discussion with Telenor, he was simultaneously offered a position with Ufone in Pakistan, a part of the Etisalat Group, which he decided to accept. But Telenor didn’t give up. An invitation to meet management in Norway and the allure of another greenfield challenge was enough for Khalid to change his mind. “Everyone told me to go for the Ufone job…everyone except my wife. She knows me and knows I won’t be happy unless I’m challenged, which is the nature of a greenfield” explains Khalid. “A greenfield operation means finding the right people, building up a team and helping them to succeed. The decisions you make have an impact, there’s immense pressure, the pace is quick and you are held responsible for results. And through all this, you have the opportunity to leave your legacy,” he adds.

A new CEO

Khalid was with Telenor Pakistan as the Head of IT until 2009, when Jon Eddy Abdullah came on board as the new CEO. Khalid had long aimed for the position of CTO in Telenor Pakistan, but due to rumor that Abdullah would bring his own CTO into the operation, Khalid made plans to move to Indonesia, to the great enthusiasm of his wife. “I was all set for the move to Jakarta and the kids were even signed up for school. Then Jon called. I was offered the position of CTO in Telenor Pakistan. I couldn’t refuse…this was an offer to be CTO of a company I felt I had built with my own hands. But my wife didn’t speak to me for a month after this decision,” chuckles Khalid. During Khalid’s tenure as CTO of Telenor Pakistan, there were enough big projects to keep him challenged, from consolidating the technology department to Asia billing to solar-powered base stations. The innovations piled up. In 2010, Jon Eddy Adbullah announced his move to dtac as their next CEO. “Jon said to me, ‘you’re going to dtac,’” says Khalid. “I wasn’t quite sure about this move, but the offer came in and I accepted. In hindsight, all the decisions I

Telenor Group is one of the world's major mobile operators. We keep our customers connected in our markets across Scandinavia and Asia. Our more than 30,000 employees are committed to responsible business conduct and being our customers' favourite partner in digital life. Connecting the world has been Telenor's domain for more than 160 years, and we are driven by a singular vision: to empower societies. made led to this point, and they were the right ones.”

His dtac legacy

Khalid has been CTO of dtac for 2.5 years, and in that time he has replaced an entire network. Every single piece has been swapped and the company now boasts a two network operation. “Whatever we do, we do for the customers. We needed to maximize the asset we had and make sure that our network was ready to roll out 3G. A key part of achieving Internet for All is a good network, but it’s about more than just network. It’s about enabling people to use what they want, when they want…and our swap was the foundation. Without the swap, we would not be able to keep up with increased data demand,” says Khalid. Khalid may no longer be in the midst of a greenfield operation, but he shows no signs of restlessness as of yet. “My work in dtac is not done. We have not yet achieved our vision of Internet for All…we’re not there yet and I want to see it through,” adds Khalid. The challenge of internet for all seems to be a suitable substitute for Khalid’s passion for greenfields. He sees dtac’s new network as the foundation for this great ambition, which may very well be a part of his new legacy. He’s built it…and they will come. Internet for All.