Sam Darwish

Sam Darwish[1] is a U.S.[2] entrepreneur active in the telecommunications industry.[3][4][5] He is Chairman and CEO of IHS Towers, which operates more than 39,000 towers across three continents and listed on the NYSE in October 2021.[6][7][8]

Sam Darwish
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBusinessman

Early life and education

Darwish was brought up and educated in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.[9]

Business career

He began his professional career in 1992, in Beirut, after joining MCI as an executive.[4] At the time, the company was one of the world's largest telecoms carriers. He then joined Libancell, now known as MTC Touch, where he assumed a leading role in establishing the first Lebanese mobile network.[10] Subsequently, in 1998, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Motophone, Nigeria's first GSM operator.[10]

Following the Nigerian government's 2001 plan to privatize its telecommunications industry, he set up a mobile infrastructure company, IHS Towers, which he has led since then.[11][12] Under his tenure as CEO, the company has been named one of the largest equity fundraisers in Africa, as well as one of the overall largest fundraisers of the past decade.[13][14]

During his tenure, IHS Towers became a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2021, and noted as the largest IPO of a firm of African heritage to list on the Exchange.[15]

In 2015, he was nominated Business Leader of the Year for West Africa as part of the All Africa Business Leaders Awards in collaboration with CNBC Africa.[16][17] In 2016, he won the award for his founding and continued leadership of IHS Towers.[18][19]

Other ventures

Darwish has founded additional businesses in the US and Middle East such as Vorex, a software provider for small enterprises across the US.[9] He is also the Founder and President of Singularity Investments, Dar Properties and Dar Telecom.[20][21]

Darwish has been involved in setting up incubator programs for aspiring tech entrepreneurs in Lagos and oversees local community projects throughout the emerging markets.[9] He has been a financier behind the establishment of educational facilities in underserved areas throughout Africa.[11]

In September 2015, he served on an entrepreneur judging panel for She Leads Africa, a venture which invests in promising women entrepreneurs from across the continent.[22][23]

Darwish is also on the advisory board of the Woodrow Wilson Center, a bipartisan think tank based in Washington DC, and also a Trustee of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.[24]

References
  1. Osmotherly, Kieron, ed. (November 2017). "The strategic vision of EMEA's largest independent towerco" (PDF). TowerXchange (21): 253.
  2. Flanagan, Ben (May 25, 2019). "INTERVIEW: Sam Darwish, Group CEO at IHS Towers - the accidental engineer who found his calling". Arab News.
  3. Nsehe, Mfonobong. "Nigerian Multi-Millionaire Tycoon Issam Darwish Raises $2.6 Billion For Telecom Towers", Forbes, 3 November 2014. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  4. "Sam Darwish", Bloomberg [profile]. Accessed 9 February 2018.
  5. "Sam Darwish, IHS Towers Founder". LinkedIn. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  6. "The Global Advisory Council". Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  7. Smith, Matt. "Africa phone tower firm IHS raises $2.6 billion", Reuters, November 3, 2014. Accessed 27 July 2015.
  8. "African mobile mast operator IHS Towers seeks valuation of more than $7bn". Financial Times. October 4, 2021.
  9. Darwish, Issam. Interviewed by Owolawi, Abisola. "Bus or Food? The First Crossroad on the Path to Being a Millionaire" [pdf], Forbes Africa, March 2014. Accessed 27 July 2015.
  10. Clémençot, Julien. "Issam Darwish a plus d’une tour dans son sac", Jeune Afrique, 24 September 2014. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  11. Darwish, Issam. Interviewed by Landon, Claire. "Q&A: Issam Darwish, IHS Towers co-founder", Telecom Finance, December 2015. Accessed 13 January 2016.
  12. Rice, Xan. "IHS: Local knowledge is important in fulfilling towering ambitions", The Financial Times, 27 November 2012. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  13. Thomas, Daniel; Blas, Javier. "IHS in biggest African fund raising since crisis", Forbes, 2 November 2014. Accessed 4 September 2015.
  14. "IHS CEO Issam Darwish talks towers", TMT Finance, 26 November 2015. Accessed 13 January 2016.
  15. "IHS gets $7bn valuation in New York". The African Business. October 25, 2021.
  16. "AABLA: All Africa Business Leaders Awards", All Africa Business Leaders Awards. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  17. "2015 All Africa Business Leaders Awards: The nominees are…", My TV News, 7 September 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  18. "IHS Towers CEO wins AABLA award". The Guardian. October 26, 2016.
  19. "The COVID-19 Crisis Taught Us That Whilst The World Could Survive With Less Planes, Cars and Trains, It Couldn't Survive Without The Phone!". Forbes Africa. February 15, 2022.
  20. "Africa", Singularity Invest. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  21. "President's Profile", Dar Telecom Consulting. Accessed 3 September 2015.
  22. Adebiyi, Deola. "Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Joins She Leads Africa for Live Entrepreneur Showcase", The Guardian, 21 September 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  23. "How two young West African women are creating Africa's next billionaires", CNBC Africa, 9 March 2015. Accessed 14 October 2015.
  24. "The Global Advisory Council". Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
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