Kyndryl Hired Former Cognizant Executive to Lead MEA
The IT infrastructure firm appointed Maged Wassim to oversee its regional operations in the Middle East and Africa.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in People
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Kyndryl has appointed Maged Wassim as Vice President and Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa region. Wassim is tasked with leading business operations and helping regional clients transition into AI-native enterprises.
Why it matters
The move reflects a push by global technology services firms to capture demand as businesses across the Middle East and Africa prioritize large-scale AI integration. Wassim's appointment underscores the need for leadership with deep experience in modernization projects.
Wassim brings two decades of experience from his tenure at IBM to the new regional leadership role. This follows his time as Vice President for the Middle East market at Cognizant.
The players
Kyndryl
A global IT infrastructure services provider that helps enterprises manage and modernize their technology environments.
Maged Wassim
An executive with two decades of experience at IBM and a former Vice President of the Middle East market at Cognizant.
Cognizant
A multinational information technology services and consulting company providing digital, technology, and operations services.
IBM
A global technology company specializing in hardware, software, and cloud-based services.
The details
In his new role, Wassim will manage Kyndryl's regional business operations and coordinate with local teams to execute technology modernization strategies. He leverages a technical background, holding a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Advanced Manufacturing Systems. His focus will center on supporting organizations as they adapt their infrastructure to become AI-native enterprises.
Timeline
Kyndryl announced the appointment of Maged Wassim on September 21, 2026.
Market Landscape
The appointment aligns with the broader industry transition toward AI-native enterprise models. It follows a pattern of global firms installing veteran leadership to navigate the complex infrastructure demands of regional AI adoption.
Operators in the region should monitor Kyndryl's updated strategy for AI-native service deployment, as it may signal shifting requirements for IT vendor integration. Assess how new leadership priorities from major infrastructure providers impact your own technology procurement cycles.
The takeaway
The appointment of a veteran with deep tenure at IBM highlights the premium firms are placing on leadership stability during AI-driven modernization cycles. Leaders should track how this change influences local service delivery benchmarks in the upcoming quarter.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership changes, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TahawulTech.
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