Safaricom announces major management changes

Safaricom chief executive officer Peter Ndegwa has annouced major changes at  the telco’s top management, eight months into the job, as he consolidates a team to help deliver his vision of turning the firm into a tech business.

The reorganisation will see two new members, both technology-oriented, join Safaricom’s executive committee (exco) with two others possibly edged out, among a raft of changes as Ndegwa establishes a grip of the corner officer.

This is part of several moves that will see employees, both old and new, change roles as Ndegwa tries to fit into the giant shoes of fore-bearers who moulded the telco into a Sh1.2 trillion corporate giant.

His choice of executive committee which comprises a clique of top managers whose title typically begins with the word chief, for instance, Chief Finance Officer will greatly inform his performance.

A lettter from the CEO to employees seen by The Latest, the Information Technology and Network departments have been merged into one with the head of the new unit joining the Safaricom exco.

Ndegwa said to deliver on the firm’s strategy and performance ambition, one key differentiator will be in the technology space. 

“In line with this intent, I have merged Information Technology and Network departments to form Technology and Information Organisation that will be led by the Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO),” he added.

Morten Bangsgaard, the current Chief Technology and Information Officer at Malaysian telco, Maxis Berhad, will take up the position beginning January 1, according to Ndegwa’s announcement.

With this new arrangement, it is highly unlikely that the current Chief Information Officer, a position currently held by George Njuguna, will continue sitting at the exco.

It is also not clear whether Sitoyo Lopokoiyot, formerly the company’s Chief Financial Services Officer, will continue sitting in the exco after he was appointed the M-Pesa Chief executive.

M-Pesa was acquired from Vodafone by a joint venture formed by Safaricom and Vodacom in April.

Also merged are Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and Fibre to the Business (FTTB) departments under the Fixed Business Unit (FTTX). This unit will be led by the Director, Fixed Business, also a member of the exco and reporting directly to the CEO.