Dubai-based telecoms company Veon has appointed Vitaly Shmakov as its acting general counsel, replacing the outgoing Omiyinka Doris.
The firm, which is listed on the Nasdaq and was formerly traded on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange, said that Doris had chosen to step aside from her role as of July 1, but would continue as a strategic advisor to the group’s CEO. She joined Veon in 2015 and has served in various legal and capital markets roles.
Doris ‘played a pivotal role in steering Veon to sustained success’ at a time of ‘intense geopolitical shifts,’ a press release from the company states, adding that she oversaw the consolidation of trading of the company’s stock onto the Nasdaq exchange and Veon’s relocation from Amsterdam to Dubai.
In 2024, the Financial Times recognized her as one of the world’s top 15 in-house legal leaders.
‘It has been an extraordinary journey with Veon over the last 10 years,’ says Doris. ‘I thank the board and the group executive committee members for the years we shared and the milestones we reached working together. I am deeply proud of the talents, tenacity and accomplishments of the legal team and all that we have achieved together in the last few years.’
Shmakov, meanwhile, comes to the role after spending nearly two decades in various M&A and corporate law roles. He joined Veon in 2016, holding a number of senior legal positions and most recently serving as group director of M&A and strategic transactions.
Prior to joining Veon, Shmakov was a senior associate for M&A and corporate law at Ashurst LLP, an international law firm based in London. He holds an LLM in international business and trade law from the NYU School of Law, an LLM in corporate and financial services from the National University of Singapore and is currently enrolled in an Executive MBA with the London Business School.
‘With a career spanning nearly 20 years in M&A and corporate law, Vitaly is a great candidate to lead our stellar legal team as our acting general counsel,’ says Augie K Fabela, chairman of Veon’s board and the company’s founder. ‘This appointment demonstrates the success of our talent strategy: we not only transform our business for accelerated growth, but we also grow our talent to meet the evolving needs of the company.’
Laurie Havelock
Laurie has been with IR Impact for over a decade, becoming editor in 2023 after roles as a reporter and research editor. He moderates events and serves as MC for global awards. Previously, he was acting business editor at the i newspaper and deputy...
