On June 8, 2026, Bakcell officially announced the appointment of a new CEO. Gunnar Panke, who has over 35 years of international experience in the telecommunications sector, has been appointed as the company's CEO.
Gunnar Panke has extensive experience in customer-centric business transformation, strategic development and sustainable growth in the telecommunications sector. He has held various leadership positions in leading telecommunications companies in Azerbaijan, Germany, France, Romania and other countries.
Gunnar Panke holds a PhD in strategic management from the University of Poitiers, France, and an MBA from ENSPTT University. In addition, he has successfully completed management programs at prestigious higher education institutions around the world, such as INSEAD (France), Oxford University (England), London Business School (England), IE (Madrid), ESMT (Germany) and Darden Business School (USA).
“My appointment to Bakcell, which plays a significant role in the country’s digital development, is a great responsibility and honor for me. My goal is to further strengthen Bakcell’s position in the telecommunications sector and expand its strategic role in the country’s digital development by creating more value for our subscribers through innovation, artificial intelligence and customer-centric solutions,” Gunnar Panke emphasized.
The new appointment will further accelerate Bakcell’s long-term strategic priorities in the direction of customer-centric innovation, artificial intelligence and digital services. Under Gunnar Panke’s leadership, the company will continue its activities to further improve the customer experience and expand the application of artificial intelligence-based solutions.
About Bakcell
Bakcell is the first and largest private telecommunications company in Azerbaijan. Currently, the company provides more than three million customers with high-quality and fast telecommunications services. Bakcell, one of the largest investors in the non-oil sector of the country’s economy, contributes to the sustainable development of Azerbaijan with innovative solutions based on artificial intelligence.
Bakcell is part of Azerconnect Group, which is part of the NEQSOL Holding international group of companies operating in various countries and sectors.
