This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On October 24, 2019, Nairobi News reported that Safaricom was on the verge of appointing its first Kenyan Chief Executive Officer, a move that would mark a significant milestone in the company's history.
Fast forward to April 1, 2020, Safaricom officially appointed Peter Ndegwa as its first Kenyan CEO, replacing Michael Joseph who had been serving in an interim capacity following the death of Bob Collymore.
Mr. Ndegwa joins Safaricom from Diageo PLC, where he served as the Managing Director of Diageo Continental Europe. He has spent over 25 years in various roles within the Financial Services and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors in Africa and Europe.
"We are confident that Peter will carry on our vision of transforming lives while keeping us focused on meeting our customers' needs and holding us to our new commitment of being Simple, Transparent and Honest," the Safaricom Board of Directors said in a statement.
Mr. Ndegwa has a wealth of experience, having previously served as CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC and Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC, where he transformed the two operations to deliver a double-digit growth by investing in people, introducing new brands, and reorganizing the businesses.
He also served as the Group Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Group Strategy Director, Sales Director, and as an Executive Director on the EABL Board, where he was part of the team that saw the EABL business more than double in value and win the coveted Most Respected Business Award in East Africa for five years in a row.
