Vodafone Qatar CEO passes away

Vodafone Qatar, has lost its CEO, Grahame Maher, who passed away in Qatar, it was announced on November 2.

Chief financial officer John Tombleson will be the acting chief executive, the company said in a statement.

Australia-born Maher died of a heart attack, a company spokeswoman said. He led Vodafone Qatar since 2008, managing the company through a US$1 billion IPO and the rollout of service to the public last year. Vodafone Qatar, which achieved a customer base of 600,000 in September 2010 out of a population of about 1.6 million, became the first domestic competitor to Qatar Telecom QSC.

“Grahame himself made a difference to the lives of everyone he touched,” the company said. “He was a great CEO, coach, mentor, and friend. We will all sorely miss his inspiration and vision, his passion and energy, and his love for all the people he worked with.”