When it was established in 1994 , three years after Azerbaijan ’ s independence from the Soviet Union , Bakcell quickly became known as a brand leader in the country ’ s telecoms space . Since then it has not ceased to evolve that brand positioning , always working towards greater customer orientation . “ Today we are very much the leader in mobile internet services in this country ,” said Richard Shearer .

Shearer has been CEO at Bakcell for four years , long enough to make his mark and set the strategy for the next phase of the company ’ s growth . And while effective connectivity and coverage remain at the core ( Bakcell ’ s network reaches 99 percent of the population ) the future belongs to the company that delivers the best user-friendly data services . “ While we were last to launch 3G , we are now the number one provider of mobile internet services in the country . More than 60 percent of our customer use data services , which is a very high proportion compared to any international benchmark .” Bakcell is in a competitive market , with two other players snapping for business . In terms of subscribers Bakcell is still around 12 percent behind Azercell though it has been relentlessly gaining market share during Richard Shearer ’ s watch . “ Our focus is on providing access to the mobile internet though your handset – the internet in your hand . So we have focused heavily on developing smartphone usage and ownership in the country .”

42 April 2015

Business Chief Europe Magazine April 2015 | Page 42