Dubai, UAE; September 26, 2012: GE (NYSE: GE) has announced the appointment of Aziz Koleilat as President & Chief Executive Officer of GE Iraq and Levant. Koleilat will be responsible for developing and leading GE's growth strategy in Iraq and Levant with a focus on strengthening partnerships, driving localization and promoting innovation-based growth.
Iraq and Levant are key markets of GE, where the company is currently further strengthening its footprint through public and private sector partnerships in energy, aviation, oil & gas, healthcare, transport and overall infrastructure development. GE opened three offices in Iraq in 2011 and has a strong presence in several Levant markets.
Nabil Habayeb, GE's President & Chief Executive Officer of the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: "The Iraq and Levant markets, which are central to GE's operations in the region, have a growing requirement for assured power supply, clean water, more access to quality healthcare and overall infrastructure growth. This presents a growth opportunity for GE, with the company already partnering with the public and private sector in supporting the developmental plans for the region. Aziz Koleilat has strong understanding of the region having worked earlier on our healthcare business, and will focus on strengthening our footprint in Iraq and Levant."
Koleilat added: "The development needs of Iraq and Levant are perfectly aligned with the competencies of GE. We will focus on further building partnerships to support the region to accelerate growth, enhance operational efficiencies and address pressing local requirements. Through our localization initiatives and partnerships, GE can further support the region to create new jobs, strengthen the skill sets of the talented youth and drive social and economic welfare."
Koleilat was previously the general manager for GE Healthcare, Middle East and Pakistan, managing the successful expansion of the business in the region through a combination of partnerships, turnkey project strategies and a focus on customer satisfaction and compliance. He joined the GE Healthcare team in 2006 as Zone Sales Leader, and has since then held several managerial Sales & Marketing positions within the Healthcare business. He started his career in the airline industry in Canada, and in 1996 joined Johnson & Johnson to run their Medical Business Unit from the Czech Republic. He holds an MBA from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
With over 40 years of presence in Iraq, GE supports the country's infrastructure needs in power generation, oil & gas, water processing, aviation and healthcare, through the company's diversified multi-business solutions and growing local presence. GE's investments in Iraq complement the Government's strategic goals of creating new jobs for Iraqi youth and driving socio-economic growth.
GE also has a growing footprint in the Levant region, where the company's healthcare technologies support several leading medical organizations. GE products like leading-edge wind turbines, photovoltaic cells, and Jenbacher engines are used by industrial customers and municipalities including in Lebanon, while GE Aviation's advanced jet engines are employed by Royal Jordanian, among other leading airlines in the region.
Kelly Home
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600
Mohamed Tawil
[email protected]
Caroline Wehbeh
GE Communications Leader, North Africa
[email protected]
+971 4 429 6318