OXIO Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Zain A. Manekia as Board Member and Head of Strategic Investments

Accomplished executive brings over 50 Billion USD in transaction experience across Private Equity and Investment Banking in the U.S. and Latin America

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OXIO, the leading telecom-as-a-service (TaaS) platform, today announced Zain A. Manekia, a highly experienced investment professional and board advisor of 25 years, has joined as an independent Board Member and Head of Strategic Investments.

With a proven track record of over 50 billion USD in domestic and cross-border transactions and extensive background in telecommunications and technology business transformations, Manekia will spearhead OXIO's global M&A strategy, initially focusing on the Americas.

“The world of the vertically integrated Mobile Network Operator (MNO) is poised for disruption,” said Sean Hannan-Bobe, Chief Corporate Development Officer. “MNOs must embark on a transformation journey which takes them from telco to techco, by focusing on delivering unique experiences to subscribers and advanced solutions to enterprises.”

“The traditional black-box network, individually sourced and operated in each country and offering one-size-fits-all resale products, does not fulfill the needs of the market, for both retail and enterprise, in an increasingly global world. The current operating model has become unsustainable outside of a few markets, as demonstrated by the depressed valuations of MNOs and the divestiture of hard network assets,” said Nicolas Girard, OXIO’s Founder & CEO. “Zain’s strategic vision and experience navigating complex transactions will be instrumental in guiding OXIO’s next phase of growth.”

“I’m honored to join the leadership team at a company with world-class talent and innovation as we shape the future of mobile connectivity,” Manekia said. ”There is an exciting opportunity ahead as OXIO’s TaaS solution brings both new operating models to Telecom, transitioning from CAPEX-heavy deployments to asset-light SaaS, and new business models and diverse monetization streams through advanced AI-powered business intelligence. Over the last decade, substantial value has migrated from telcos to big tech, presenting significant opportunities for value creation in a redefined telecom landscape.”

Manekia joins OXIO’s Board alongside other independent Board members, including Frank Ianna, the former President of Network Services at AT&T and former Board member of Sprint and Clearwire, and Leticia M. Jáuregui Casanueva, the Head of Global Education Partnerships and Immersive Learning at Meta and Board member at Coppel and Alsea, both powerhouses in LATAM.

To learn more about OXIO, visit oxio.com.

About OXIO
OXIO is building the global network of the future as the first telecom-as-a-service (TaaS) platform. Our technology-first approach to telecom unlocks innovation and possibility while delivering actionable insights for customer-obsessed companies competing in a data-driven world. OXIO is headquartered in New York with offices in Mexico City and Montreal. For more information, visit oxio.com. To learn more about current openings, visit oxio.com/careers/.