MTN Group Appoints Fatima Laher as its Group Executive: Group Legal

MTN Group has announced the appointment of Fatima Laher as Group Executive: Group Legal, which has been effective from 1 October 2022. Fatima re-joins MTN from Samsung Electronics, where she held the role of Head of Africa Disputes, for the past six years. 

Fatima is adept at providing expert strategic and innovative advice to senior leadership in the prestigious institutions she has worked for locally and internationally. 

As Executive: Group Legal, Fatima will provide support in overseeing all legal areas and managing legal risk, supporting strategic projects and initiatives across MTN Group, as well as supporting the implementation of the Group Legal & Regulatory strategy. 

Lele Modise, Group Chief Legal and Regulatory officer

Fatima is a seasoned multi-skilled Legal Executive with expertise across various disciplines, including but not limited to managing high value cross border litigation, legal risk mitigation and corporate investigations, mergers, and acquisitions, as well as commercial law. 

Fatima brings more than 25 years of legal experience to MTN, having held various roles at pan-African (Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Africa) and international law firms (Herbert Smith Freehills LLP (Dubai) and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (Dubai). Some of her previous roles include being Partner (Director) at Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group, responsible for corporate compliance and investigations and Executive: Group Commercial Legal, Regulatory and Compliance at MTN Group.

Fatima is an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. She holds Master of Laws, Honours in Law, and Bachelor of Arts degrees, all obtained from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.