Systems integrator Dimension Data has appointed Alan Turnley-Jones as chief executive officer (CEO) of Dimension Data Middle East and Africa (MEA), effective immediately.
In a statement, the company says Turnley-Jones joined Dimension Data MEA in 1999 and has served as the lead for the company’s Managed Cloud and Infrastructure Services since 2021.
According to the firm, he is a seasoned and highly-respected strategic leader who has held various roles over his 23-year tenure at Dimension Data.
He brings a wealth of global expertise to his role, including a strong track record of innovation and transformation, and leading cross-functional teams, says the company.
It adds that his experience across industries and in service delivery, managed services and digital transformation will support the region’s growth ambitions and deliver on NTT’s global business strategy in MEA.
The new appointment follows the departure of current CEO Werner Kapp. He was appointed as CEO in April last year, has been with Dimension Data for 22 years and oversaw the globalisation ambitions of parent company NTT during his term.
Kapp replaced Grant Bodley, another Dimension Data veteran who had been with the company for over two decades.
Since Bodley’s departure, other senior execs who have left include executive chairman Jeremy Ord, who left the company he started 39 years ago.
The other high-profile resignations were Saki Missaikos, chief strategy officer, and Steve Nathan, chief corporate finance officer.
“Since our commitment to the MEA region last year, we have made great strides in delivering on a strong digital backbone through our award-winning network services, multi cloud solutions and edge computing capabilities,” says Abhijit Dubey, group CEO of NTT.
“Alan’s entry into this role will continue to ensure we deliver the right innovation and transformation strategies for our clients in the region. His experience across industries, managed services and digital transformation will support the region’s growth ambitions and deliver on NTT’s global business strategy in MEA.”
“Any new chapter is always an exciting one. I am honoured to take the reins from Werner, who leaves the business in a strategically strong position. I am optimistic that as the new CEO, my team and I will continue to drive the execution of our strategy that will see Dimension Data realise the global ambitions set by NTT and our group CEO,” says Turnley-Jones.
In line with the succession plans of the business, Kapp will complete a handover to the incoming CEO to ensure a smooth transition, says the company.
Dimension Data recently brought its four brands of Dimension Data, Internet Solutions, Britehouse and ContinuitySA together into a single operating entity, trading under the Dimension Data name.
This, after in October 2010, Japan-based NTT, one of the largest global telecommunications service providers, acquired 100% of Dimension Data for £2.1 billion, or R24 billion, making Dimension Data a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NTT Group.
Following the acquisition, Dimension Data delisted from the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges.
In 2019, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation unveiled NTT, a global technology services provider that unites the capabilities of 28 companies, including NTT Communications, Dimension Data and NTT Security, into one $11 billion company.