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Network International, the leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) has appointed Simon Mark Haslam as Chief Executive Officer.

A seasoned veteran, Simon brings over 35 years of experience in the payment solutions and banking industries. He was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Elavon. Before taking on the CEO position, he was the President of International Markets at Elavon where he worked to expand Elavon’s presence to new markets in Europe, Mexico and Brazil. Prior to joining Elavon, Simon served with Citigroup International PLC as Head of Credit and Risk with responsibility for all credit and fraud related activities impacting Citigroup’s Pan European Merchant Acquiring Business. He previously held a number of positions with HSBC and Midland Bank.

Abdulla Qassem, Chairman, Network International commented: “We are delighted to welcome Simon on board. Simon has an exceptional track record and we are confident that his broad expertise, vision for innovation and proven success in new markets will strengthen Network International as we prepare for future growth.”

Simon Haslam, the newly appointed CEO of Network International said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to lead Network International through its next phase of growth as we continue to strengthen our product capabilities and gain market share across the MEA region. I look forward to working with the team to enhance our value proposition and continue providing innovative solutions and services to our clients."

Simon succeeds Bhairav Trivedi who will continue to serve as an Advisor to the Network International Board and also work on special projects for Network International during the transition period.

“I would like to thank Bhairav Trivedi for his significant contributions towards Network International’s growth and success. Bhairav provided excellent leadership skills in addition to the necessary strategic direction and organization capability enhancement through its remarkable journey to a market-leading position in the MEA region,” added Qassem.

Network International is currently the largest acquirer in the UAE, and a leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, operating across 71 countries, servicing over 200 banks as clients and more than 70,000 merchants, following its recent acquisition of Emerging Markets Payments Holdings (EMPH). The company is jointly owned by Emirates NBD group and private equity firms, Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic. Network International recently revealed a brand new corporate identity and logo consolidating its status in the global payments industry.