du today announced the induction of Hana Al Rostamani to its Board of Directors as per a nomination by shareholder Emirates Investment Authority as a representative to replace Younis Al Khoori. The Board will convene for a meeting on Monday, 3 June 2013, to ratify Hana’s appointment.
As a senior leader and a UAE national with a wealth of experience across key business sectors, Hana will apply her experience in providing strategic leadership and guidance as du continues its growth story in telecom.
Ahmad Bin Byat, Chairman of du, said: “On behalf of du and the Board, I would also like to thank Younis for his invaluable contribution as a Vice Chairman of du, and wish him continued success. We are pleased to welcome Hana onto the Board of Directors. I am confident that she will prove to be a strong board member capable of making significant contributions to du, with her strong business expertise and experience. Her knowledge of organizational transformation and change will prove vital as du enters its next phase of growth and further cement du’s reputation in implementing corporate governance best practices.”
Hana Al Rostamani has more than 15 years of experience in the field of core business sectors, especially banking and financial services. In her current role as the Head of Strategy and Planning at First Gulf Bank, a leading financial institution in the UAE, Hana is responsible for developing and defining the bank’s strategic direction in areas such as Corporate, Retail, Investment, Islamic, and International Banking. She is also responsible for initiatives on organizational change and transformation, such as engagement and customer centricity.  Her banking experience includes areas such as corporate communication, brand management, product development, branch management, consumer credit policies and operation, which included consumer behavioral scoring and customer portfolio analysis. She was appointed in 2012 as chairperson of the Board of Aseel Finance Company, an associate finance company of First Gulf Bank.  She’s also a member of the Dubai Art Board of Directors.
Hana’s appointment is in-line with the UAE leadership’s encouragement to appoint more women to Boards, as an empowering move that allows them to have a strong presence in decision-making positions. du fully supports this and has a dedicated strategy to empower women. Clear examples of du’s efforts to empower women including the appointment of Hanan Ahmad as du’s Company Secretary in 2012, taking up a pivotal role in the company’s Corporate Governance and Board Relations team; also in 2012, Hala Badri, du’s Executive Vice President of Brand and Communications, was appointed by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as a Board Member for Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI).

du was placed number one in the S&P/Hawkamah Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Index 2011.