Dhiraagu CEO Ismail Rasheed retires after 11 years of leadership

Dhiraagu Chief Executive Officer Ismail Rasheed retired from his position today, bringing to a close an 11-year tenure as the company's CEO.

His retirement follows more than a decade at the helm of the company.

Following his retirement, Valdemar Ferradaz, a South African national, assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer today. He joins Dhiraagu with more than 30 years of international leadership experience in the telecommunications and digital services sectors. The appointment was made by Beyon, the company's majority shareholder, under the oversight of the Dhiraagu Board Committee.

In a post shared on LinkedIn, Ismail expressed his appreciation to Dhiraagu's employees and partners. He also highlighted the company's position as the industry leader, providing services to every inhabited island, resort, and household across the Maldives.

Ismail has dedicated more than 40 years of service across a range of sectors throughout his career.

Having been with Dhiraagu since its establishment in 1988, Ismail played a key role in introducing GSM services to the Maldives, overseeing nationwide network expansion, and developing the country's digital infrastructure through the Dhiraagu-SLT submarine cable commissioned in 2006, as well as subsequent domestic submarine cable projects.

He also played a leading role in managing and promoting Dhiraagu's Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2011. After being appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in 2015, he led the company through a period of significant growth and technological advancement.