DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 16, 2014 – Microsoft today announced Ms Sonia Bashir Kabir as the new Country Manager for Bangladesh. Ms Kabir’s appointment takes effect immediately, taking over the role previously held by Mr Pubudu Basyaneke, who has led operations in Bangladesh since 2012.
“Sonia’s leadership experience at Dell and her work with enterprise technology providers makes her a great fit for delivering Microsoft’s ‘mobile first, cloud first’ vision in Bangladesh. At the same time, her passion for making a difference through technology will be key in our commitment to raise the national competitiveness of the country,” said César Cernuda, President of Microsoft Asia Pacific.
“I am very excited to be given the opportunity to lead the dynamic and enthusiastic team at Microsoft Bangladesh, and continue the great work that we are doing to help the country achieve Digital Bangladesh 2021,” said Ms Kabir.
“Technology plays a critical role in realizing the government’s vision to bridge the opportunity divide around the country, and we continue to be committed to building a healthy and vibrant local IT ecosystem by encouraging and supporting local innovation,” she added.
Since Microsoft Bangladesh began operations nine years ago the company has worked closely with local community groups, enterprises, and the government to transform education, promote training, foster local innovation, and nurture entrepreneurship – all of which support economic activity and employment.
One such collaboration is through the Partners in Learning (PiL) program, which has trained 15,000 teachers and benefited 2 million students across the country since 2005. The Ministry of Education and Microsoft Bangladesh renewed the program in October last year, aiming to further modernize the country’s education system through technology by focusing on greater digital access for students, enhancing teacher effectiveness and ensuring efficient management of schools at all levels through the use of innovative technology.
Ms Kabir returns to Microsoft after more than two and a half years as the CEO and country director of Dell in Bangladesh. She was previously the Director of Business Development for South East Asia at Microsoft Bangladesh.
Educated and trained in Silicon Valley, Ms Kabir worked in the U.S. technology industry for 15 years with companies like Oracle and Sun Microsystems. She moved back to Bangladesh in 2005 and took on leadership roles in local and multinational companies such as Aamra Technologies, Microsoft and Dell.
Ms Kabir holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Santa Clara University, California, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Hayward.
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