Key

People

Ahmed Bin Tarraf is Regional Managing Director – UAE for Network’s Acquiring business, responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to drive business growth in the country.

He joined the company in 2014 as Senior Vice President of Administration and has more than 18 years of experience in retail banking, branch operations, customer service, SME banking, sales and relationship management.

Ronen Spivak joined Network in 2022 to develop a broad suite of Value-Added-Services to merchants and financial institution clients across all the Middle East and Africa, including solutions in Data, Loyalty, Security, Financing, and Commerce Enablement – all now embedded in the core value proposition for Network’s clients.

Before joining Network, Ronen has taken on several general management roles in strategy, product development and sales across multiple markets in Asia and the Middle East. Most recently, Ronen headed the merchant verticals for Data & Services at Mastercard in Asia Pacific.

He is a former Management Consultant at Bain & Company and Category Manager at Amazon in the UK. Ronen graduated with a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from INSEAD business school (both with honors).

His passion for innovation ranges from new technologies such as Blockchain, Web 3.0 and Artificial Intelligence to other areas like medical sciences and astronomy.

With over 20 years of experience in retail banking and the payments domain across India, the Middle East and Africa, Pankaj is responsible for driving Network’s vision to serve large enterprise customers across the region and to forge strategic partnerships with FI, Fintech, PSPs and aggregators.

Pankaj has driven many innovative payment projects in the region and has a proven record of strategic planning, seamless execution, data and risk analytics, digitalization, and agile management. He has a strong understanding of the cards and acquiring business.

Prior to joining Network International, Pankaj was VP – Regional Head (India, Middle East and Africa) for IDEMIA’s Digital Business Unit. In his long tenure in the MEA region, he has also managed the payments business covering cards and acquiring at Mashreq Bank UAE and held several senior positions at Citibank.

He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  

Yazan Kharouf is Network International’s Regional Managing Director for the Levant, overseeing all facets of the company’s Acquiring business within the region. He is responsible for achieving revenue targets, managing both new and existing Merchant relationships, and ensuring the product development roadmap aligns with market demands.

He joined Network in 2000 and was previously the Chief Financial Officer for the company’s Jordan operations. Prior to this role he was the CFO of Othman Nasif Co. 

Drawing on this 20 years of rich experience in the Levant and Middle East, primarily in the Accounting and Finance sectors as a CFO within the Payment Solutions industry, Yazan has been instrumental in fostering collaboration among all Network departments.

He has effectively bridged Finance and Operations, enhancing productivity, efficiency, and net profit. Under his leadership, the Levant business has experienced an acceleration in cash flow, revenue growth, operational improvements, increased shareholder value, and the successful implementation of the company's comprehensive growth strategies.

Ahmed Samir joined Network in January 2017 and is currently responsible for all aspects of the company’s Acquiring business in Egypt. He oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to drive business growth.

His previous roles at Network include Issuing GM and Chief of Products and Marketing – both for the Africa business. He has worked for leading multinational and regional institutions including ALEXBANK, Barclays Bank Egypt, Commercial International Bank (CIB), and Citibank Egypt. 

Ahmed has more than 20 years of experience in banking and financial services management, with a proven track record in accelerating portfolio growth while boosting revenue and profit margins. His expertise covers retail banking, cards and assets management, portfolio management, profitability enhancement, digital payments, cost control, people management, identifying growth markets, and marketing and sales management.
  
 

Judy Waruiru is Network International’s Regional Managing Director for Eastern Africa, leading growth and market expansion in the region based out of Nairobi.

She has 20 years of experience in managing and identifying growth opportunities across different markets in Africa and globally. Her experience runs across fintechs, airlines, startups, media, and technology. She has a proven track record in setting and driving strategy across Africa where she has trained, inspired, and influenced teams to deliver desired objectives.

Judy previously oversaw operations across 19 African countries for Network, where she was mandated with building operations excellence through effective and efficient processes and simplifying complex business processes by embracing technology to create a best-in-class customer experience.

Oladipo Alabede is the Regional Managing Director for Acquiring in West Africa, responsible for managing Network’s business and client portfolio, identifying key opportunities, driving strategy, growth and market expansion, and building strategic partnerships.

He brings over 20 years’ experience in digital banking, payments, and the financial industry, with a wealth of expertise in developing and implementing innovative banking solutions and leading high-performing teams.

Before joining Network, Oladipo played a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and expanding the market presence of Clane Nigeria. He has also held various leadership roles at Sterling Bank, Ecobank, and Stanbic IBTC bank.

Oladipo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Osun State and an MBA degree from Lagos Business School in Nigeria.

David Adams is Network International’s Regional Managing Director for Southern Africa, leading growth and market expansion in the region based out of Cape Town.

He has taken on leadership roles within the digital payments space for over 20 years, honing his expertise across South Africa, the UK, and the Middle East to foster strategic growth and innovation.

David has extensive experience in product, project, financial and operational management within the payment services sector. He previously worked for Mastercard Payment Gateway Services for over 15 years in various operational and product roles in online payments, fraud and risk, and client finance services.

He joined Network International in 2017 and has played a pivotal role in the organisation’s success, formerly serving as Group Head of Acceptance Products.

Somu Roy is Managing Director, UAE – Processing Middle East at Network International, focused on strengthening Network’s position as the payment partner of choice for FIs, Fintechs, Telcos and Corporates in the UAE.

He is a management professional with 20+ years of experience in the US, APAC and Middle East spanning P&L management, development and implementation of new strategies, execution of turn-around assignments, and introduction of new products and superior analytics. He has a proven track record of driving consistent growth across the Middle East & North Africa region. 

Somu was previously the Chief Business Officer at Paymentology, a Dubai-based global payment processing company with clients across 35 markets. He was responsible for the company’s global expansion, executing emerging payment technologies and deepening business alliances with global partners and stakeholders. 

Prior to that, Somu pent 10 years with Mastercard, most recently as General Manager of Qatar, Kuwait and Levant, and took on various  senior leadership roles in GE Capital

Somu holds an honors degree and a Masters in Economics and is an alumnus of Delhi School of Economics. He is also a certified Six Sigma professional.

Girish Nanda oversees Network International’s processing business for the markets of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. As Group Head of Partnerships, he is also responsible for managing the business relationship with international schemes and fintechs.

Girish was previously General Manager for Mastercard’s largest cluster in the Middle East - UAE, Oman & Pakistan, overseeing all the company’s activities in this region including business strategy, sales, business development, and relationships with card issuers, fintechs, governments and regulators, merchants, and merchant acquirers. Preceding this role, Girish was the General Manager for Mastercard’s business in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen.

Prior to joining Mastercard, Girish worked for over 12 years with GE Money India in various senior management positions; as Head of Country Collections – Credit Cards, and as Business Head of Auto & Consumer Finance, for the largest region for GE Money. He certified for Six Sigma (Green Belt) while with GE.

Girish has expertise in driving commercial strategy and performance, nurturing and growing fintech businesses, and maintains strong relationships with the C-suite of financial institutions and regulators.

He received an MBA from London Business School and an MSc. in marketing from Mumbai University.

Noora Ahmed is Network International’s Director for Strategic Accounts.

She has been with Network for 11 years, during which she has successfully led procurement and customer service initiatives that have optimized costs and improved supplier and partner relationships, ensuring that the organization maintains its competitive edge in the market.

Noora spearheaded the establishment of the Quality & Excellence Department, implementing robust management systems and excellence frameworks that have significantly enhanced service delivery and compliance with industry standards.

As a leader in the Group Customer Experience & Client Relationship Unit, she has developed and executed strategies that have transformed not only customer interactions resulting in improved satisfaction scores but also promising client loyalty.

Prior to her current role at Network, Noora worked in Dubai Bank, Dubai World, & DP World for several units including Finance, Bank Operations and Quality.

Noora holds a Master’s degree in Innovation and Change Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Management from Hamdan Bin Mohammed University.

Amjad joined Network International in March 2016 and is responsible for all aspects of the company business in the Levant region. He also oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to drive Network’s growth in the region.

Amjad brings over 30 years of diverse experience in the payments industry with in-depth knowledge of acquiring, bank processing services, operations, electronic bill payments, e-commerce, mobile payments, EMV, Fintech and security. He played a key role in building the main ATM switch in Jordan (JONET).

He was previously the Regional Director of Emerging Markets Payments (EMP) Jordan, which was acquired by Network International in March 2016. Prior to working with EMP, he was the Executive Manager for Visa Jordan Card Services (which was fully acquired by EMP in June 2011).

Amjad is currently a board member of Int@j, Al Alawneh Exchange, and UPI.

He holds a Master’s degree in business administration, a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, and a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Clay Oduor is the Regional Managing Director for Outsourced Payment Services, East Africa, responsible for managing Network’s business and client portfolio in the region based out of Nairobi. Clay brings extensive experience in the cards and payment sector and will spearhead our East Africa strategy, driving growth, innovation, and partnerships in the region.

Before joining Network, Clay was Head of Cards Business for Diamond Trust Bank in Nairobi. He has also held various leadership roles at Zambuko, Stanbic Bank, Equity Bank and Barclays Bank in Kenya, and Bank PHB in Uganda.

Clay possesses an MBA from Hult International Business School and is a Certified International Cards & Payments Professional (CICPP) from the International Academy of Retail Banking (UK). 
 

Chinwe Uzoho is Network International’s Regional Managing Director for West and Central Africa, based in Nigeria.

Chinwe brings nearly 30 years of experience in banking. She was previously the Group Head for Retail Banking at Access Bank PLC, reporting directly to the Executive Director of the Retail Banking Division. She drove both the sales performance of the Sector Heads for Retail Liability and Risk Asset Products and the Loyalty Scheme across various segments in West Africa.

A believer in the power of continuous improvement, Chinwe holds several qualifications - a graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) from Harvard Business School; a Post-Graduate Diploma in Digital Business Management from Emeritus Institute of Management; an MBA degree with distinction from Bangor Business School, UK; an MSc degree in Global Consumer Marketing from the University of Liverpool, UK; and a BSc in Economics from the University of Uyo, Nigeria. She also has certification from Wharton Business in Middle Management Program (MMP) and Senior Management Program (SMP) from Lagos Business School.

Chinwe is an alumna of the Harvard Business School and the Lagos Business School; a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria; a Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland (MCIBS); and an Executive Member of the Global Council for Women in Banking and Fintech. She is passionate about women in technology and leadership.

In her free time, Chinwe likes to cook, dance, and involve herself in various charitable works.

Mohamed Abu Gebba is the Regional Managing Director for Outsourced Payment Services, North Africa, leading Network’s business and client portfolio in the region based out of Cairo. He is also the Corporate Country Officer for Egypt.

Mohamed is a highly experienced business leader with extensive expertise in the payment, consulting, and technology sectors, driving strategic growth, strategy development, and execution.

He has been at Network for 4 years in different roles leading business planning and strategy, market development, and key strategic initiatives.

Mohamed earned his MBA degree with a specialization in Strategy and Marketing from Solvay Business School, Belgium, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.

Mohamed Elbelamachi is the Interim Regional Managing Director for Outsourced Payment Services, Francophone Africa, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to accelerating expansion across the Francophone region. He is also Managing Director for Morocco.

Mohamed has over two decades of commercial leadership in the payment industry spanning various geographies, including North Africa, Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. He has held key positions with globally leading financial services firms such as Societe Generale, Ingenico, Mastercard, and Visa. Mohamed holds an engineering degree from Ecole Hassania des Travaux Publics of Casablanca – Major GIS (Geographic Information Systems) as well as an Executive MBA from Ecole des Ponts & Chaussees of Paris.

Richard Kadiaka is the Regional Managing Director for Outsourced Payment Services, South Africa, overseeing Network’s business and client portfolio in the region.

Richard has been at Network for 5 years in different roles. He brings over 18 years of banking and consulting experience across the African continent, with a focus on business transformation, technology modernization, and program delivery to drive growth. His expertise lies in product innovation and delivering solutions that accelerate commercial growth, digital payments, and the digital-only payments experience.