Richard Budel

CEO Beyon Connect

Richard Budel was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Beyon Connect in July 2026. He leads the company's strategic direction, driving innovation, digital trust and the expansion of Beyon Connect's digital identity and technology solutions across regional and international markets.

A former government official, Richard has held senior executive positions with leading global technology organisations, partnering with governments and public-sector institutions to transform the way they operate and deliver digital services. He has led public administration and digital transformation programmes in more than 80 countries, focused on delivering measurable outcomes through practical innovation. His work has consistently centred on creating sustainable value while strengthening the relationship between governments, citizens and the broader economy.

Richard is also an entrepreneur and executive advisor. He has co-founded technology ventures and advised business leaders, entrepreneurs and sovereign governments across sectors including space, defence and financial technology. As a global commercial executive, he has served as Chief Commercial Officer for technology and materials-science businesses, helping build new markets and accelerate growth. Earlier in his career, Richard held senior technology leadership positions, including Chief Technology Officer and Global Solutions Leader with organisations including Huawei and IBM.

In addition to his role at Beyon Connect, Richard serves as a member of the Board of Directors of BTC Sure Group Limited and is Chairman of the Audit Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Total CX and Post Connect, the joint venture between Egypt Post and Beyon Connect.

Neil Le Quesne

Chief Commercial Officer

Neil Le Quesne leads global commercial operations at Beyon Connect, overseeing sales, business development, marketing, public sector engagement, customer experience, customer service and global security.

With over 25 years of international experience, Neil has extensive experience in business development, sales strategy, partnerships, innovation management, strategic marketing and technology operations. His career spans multiple regions including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Far East, North America and Europe where he has contributed to the success of companies in diverse sectors including technology, software and advanced manufacturing.

Neil has held CEO and board-level positions in startups and multinational corporations, with an acute focus on driving growth, encouraging innovation and empowering individuals and teams to achieve their potential. His roles have taken him to over 40 countries, including 8 years in the Middle East before settling in Bahrain.

Neil holds a Master of Business in Information Innovation, a Postgraduate Diploma in Knowledge Management, a BA in Planning, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Regional and Urban Planning from universities in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Kaspar Bomholtz

Chief Technology Officer

Kaspar Bomholtz, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Beyon Connect, is responsible for spearheading the company’s technological innovations to drive the industry leading solutions and the strategic digital products and services roadmap.

Kaspar has spent over 20 years in a variety of software architect and development leadership roles across Europe and The Middle East, within boutique software companies and international digital communication organizations. He is a visionary architect, designing state-of-the-art secure microservice architectures and software for the future of digital societies.

Shaikh Mohamed AlKhalifa

Chairman

Shaikh Mohamed, as Beyon’s Chief Digital Growth Officer, has a remit to invest in and develop the Beyon portfolio of companies, aiming to grow the company’s technology footprint in scale and scope.

Shaikh Mohamed joined Batelco in January 2020 as the Company’s first Chief Digital Growth Officer and played a key role in the creation of Beyon.

Before joining Batelco, Shaikh Mohamed was Head of Strategic Projects, and of ICT Business Development at the Bahrain Economic Development Board where notable focus areas of his role revolved around public and private sector cloud adoption, Blockchain, startups and enhancing infrastructure development across the GCC. Previously, Shaikh Mohamed was advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Shaikh Mohamed holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics from the American University, Washington DC and an MSC in Middle East Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, UK. In addition to his mandate with Beyon, he is also a Board member of the Binance, Bahrain Internet Exchange, Bahrain Polytechnic and an ambassador of the GBBC (Global Blockchain Business Council).

Jehan Hasan

Deputy Chairwoman

Jehan Hasan was appointed as Beyon’s Chief Strategy Officer in June 2024 with responsibility for leading the organisation’s strategic planning process and governing the strategy execution.

Jehan has over 19 years of experience gained in investment and strategy and prior to her current position, held the role of Director Strategic Planning & Projects since joining the company in 2019. Before joining Beyon, Jehan was Assistant Vice President of Group Strategy at Bank ABC, and prior to that held corporate finance and equity investment roles in a number of companies in Bahrain.

Jehan holds a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business from Concordia University, Canada.

Shaikh Bader bin Rashid Al Khalifa

Board member

Shaikh Bader has over 27 years’ experience across diverse fields including People Management, Communications, and Sustainability which serve him well in his role as Beyon Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer.

Previously, Shaikh Bader held several managerial and executive roles in Batelco, having joined the company in 2010.  In his current role, he is responsible for Beyon’s Corporate and Marketing Communications, Beyon Creative Lab, and Sustainability Functions.

Prior to Batelco, Shaikh Bader worked in Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), where he led the Human Resources and Communication functions.

Shaikh Bader holds a BA in Business Administration from New England College and Master of Science in Management from Boston University, USA. He also completed leadership and executive development programmes in the Leadership Trust (UK), and Harvard Business School.

Michele Carpentieri

Board member

Michele Carpentieri was appointed General Manager – Financial Planning & Reporting at Beyon in January 2025, where he leads the Group’s financial planning, performance management and reporting activities.

With over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications, technology and media sectors, Michele has built a strong track record in FP&A, corporate finance, treasury management, and financial transformation. Before joining Beyon, he held senior leadership roles at Vodafone, Global Cloud Xchange (FLAG), Informa, Millicom (Tigo), and Lebara, supporting major operational and value-creation initiatives across multiple international markets.

Throughout his career, Michele has driven enhanced financial governance and strengthened strategic decision-making within complex multinational organisations.

He holds a Master’s in Accounting and Control from SDA Bocconi School of Management, an Executive Certification in Corporate Finance from Columbia University, and a Degree in Economics and Business Management from the University of Bologna

Nicolas Di Vara

Board member

Nicolas Di Vara is a Board Member of Beyon Connect and serves as Director of Digital Strategy & Ventures at Beyon Group.

Nicolas has more than 10 years of experience across digital strategy, technology ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and operating model design, gained through work in the Middle East and Europe.

Prior to joining Beyon, Nicolas worked at Alvarez & Marsal, supporting strategy, post-merger integration, and transformation engagements across the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he worked at Fortlane Partners, advising corporates, investors, and public sector institutions on strategy and transformation initiatives across multiple international markets.

Nicolas holds a PhD and MSc in High-Energy Physics from the University of Milano-Bicocca and was a Marie Curie Fellow at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

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