Axiata Group and Sinar Mas proposed the management team for XLSmart, the entity combing their Indonesian telecoms units, with CEO of Bangladesh-based Robi Axiata Rajeev Sethi put forward as president director and CEO.

Sethi joined Robi in 2022 after leading Ooredoo’s operations in Myanmar since 2019.

Antony Susilo, Smartfren’s finance director, is tipped to become CFO, while Shurish Subbramaniam, director of technology and networks at the operator, is expected to take the CTO role.

The three, pending approval, will sit on XLSmart’s board, which will have nine directors.

XL director Gede Darmayusa was proposed to lead the integration team.

The two companies reached a deal in December to merge XL and Smartfren. The combined business will have a mobile subscriber base of around 94.5 million and a market share of 27 per cent, behind market leader Telkomsel with 161 million users and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison with 99 million.

The deal requires regulatory and shareholder approvals, and is subject to standard closing conditions, with completion expected by end-June.

Robi’s board appointed M. Riyaaz Rasheed, currently CFO, as acting CEO effective 1 February.