Bharti announces top level changes

In top level organisational changes, Bharti Enterprises today elevated Gopal Vittal to head Airtel's operations in India and South Asia.
Vittal is currently Airtel's joint MD & CEO (India).
Manoj Kohli will also relinquish his position as MD & CEO (International) Bharti Airtel and will take over as MD of Bharti Enterprises, the company said in a statement.
The statement said a new position of MD of Bharti Enterprises is created for professional and structured oversight of the non-listed group companies.
Kohli will also serve on various Bharti boards including Airtel and be the Chairman of Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) BV, that owns Airtel's African operations.

The company said this new organisation structure is designed to provide enhanced empowerment to top management teams and to further strengthen corporate governance.

The new structure will be effective April 1, 2014, it added.
Akhil Gupta has been designated as Chairman of Bharti Infratel and Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and will serve on other Bharti boards whereas Bharti Infratel CEO DS Rawat has been appointed as MD and CEO of the company.
The company said under the new structure, Bharti Corporate Office will be focused on and deal with matters of governance.
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal and three Vice Chairmen, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Rajan Bharti Mittal and Akhil Gupta, along with Managing Director, Manoj Kohli and four Bharti veterans, will form the Bharti Governance Board (BGB), it said.

"This is another step towards transforming the group from entrepreneur-led professional-backed to a professional-led entrepreneur-backed one. I wish my very best to the chosen leaders in their respective new roles," Sunil Bharti Mittal said.
As part of the restructuring, Airtel's Bangladesh and Sri Lanka operations are being brought back under South Asia, headed by Vittal.
Christian de Faria will be appointed by Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) BV as the Managing Director and CEO (Africa), and will assume full operational responsibility of the company's operations across 17 African geographies.