Safaricom PLC Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Peter Ndegwa as the company’s Chief Executive Officer effective April 1, 2020. He joins Safaricom from Diageo PLC where he is the Managing Director of Diageo Continental Europe.
READ; Kenya’s Peter Ndegwa Named First African Diageo Head in Europe
“Peter brings a wealth of experience in General Management, Commercial and Business Strategy, Sales and Finance Operations, having spent over 25 years in various roles within the Financial Services and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors in Africa and Europe.” Safaricom’s interim CEO Michael Joseph said in a statement.
Corporate titan
Peter has been a corporate titan in a career spanning 25 years – moving through Africa and Europe to provide management and business strategy.
His stint at Diageo’s subsidiary, Peter oversaw East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) implement an affordable-beer strategy culminating in the introduction of low-cost Senator Keg beer that has revolutionised the beer industry. for instance, the supply of the beer in kegs reduces packaging costs with special mugs making the product attractive to low-income drinkers.
Furthermore, his stint at Diageo’s Nigeria and Ghana units saw double digits growth. In the statement, Safaricom said,” “In his current role, Peter oversees the operations of Diageo PLC in 50 countries in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, Middle East and North Africa region.”
Michael Joseph will take over as the Chairman of Safaricom board from long-serving Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a who is retiring. Joseph will guide Ndegwa for one-year as he gets to learn about the firm’s culture. The telco will release its half-year 2020 results on 1st November 2019 where the new CEO is expected to be unveiled to investors.
Ndegwa is a certified public accountant, holds an MBA from London School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi.