Biography:

Robert (Bob) El-Hawary is a visionary Global Strategic Sales leader with over 25 years of commercial, technical, sales, and people management experience in the global telecommunications and IT industry. He has a proven ability to build and develop excellent long-term trusted relationships, as well as close major complex deals with partners and customers in the mobile and IT industries in challenging and constantly changing environments. Bob is a dynamic and driven leader with acute business acumen in creating actionable strategies, capitalizing on specific market opportunities, and positions in both start-up and mature business units for sustainable growth. His areas of expertise include strategic advisory planning and thought leadership; international sales and business development; sales; forecasting, and go-to-market execution.

Bob graduated from Dalhousie University in Canada with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering. He began his long career at Nortel Networks, where he rose through various roles and assignments to the position of Vice President – EMEA Carrier & Distribution. He was instrumental in increasing sales and profitability while also forging long-term strategic alliances. Bob then joined BlackBerry in the United Kingdom, where he led the Vodafone UK and Global accounts before moving on to lead all Mobile Operators and Global Accounts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During his tenure at Blackberry, Bob tripled the mobile operator footprint in Europe with BlackBerry devices in less than two years and closed the largest BlackBerry phone order in the company with a key global mobile operator. He leads all technology aspects of the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce as an active Board Director and Technology + Health and Life Sciences Forums Co-Chair, coordinating and moderating events for businesses from both countries.

Bob joined Cognitive in 2020, inspired by his passion for innovation and a desire to work with a start-up with a clear vision and strategy for success. Bob has been instrumental in developing and executing strategic business development sales plans to propel broadband home security, family awareness, and eldercare cloud and edge computing products and value-added services to operators and internet service providers since joining the team as Executive Vice President – Global Sales.