Giant telecommunication company Safaricom’s CEO Bob Collymore is set to retire from his lucrative position in August 2019 after nine years of service.
The influential CEO will be leaving after effecting series of successful projects for the company.
The telecommunication market which has very stiff competition is set to witness a mega merger between two rivals, Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya.
The move is however okayed by Collymore who said that “For the market it makes sense, too, to have a stronger player as competition to Safaricom.”
The top most executive is also hopeful that his successor will have an eye for mergers and a deep understanding of the financial services sector.
And he is clear that the company needs a successor with yet another set of skills, as the chapter of the ‘ubiquitous platform’ begins.
“I have never been a good mergers and acquisitions person, but we will need someone who can spot a deal and grab it,” said Collymore.
“[We need] someone who understands the financial sector a lot more, if we are to occupy the fintech space, and someone who is not going to be scared of going into other markets.” concludes Collymore.
Collymore says he is leaving with few regrets: a small number of missed opportunities and a regretted comment or two about the quality of Kenyan food, or about whether Kenyans trusted Safaricom more than the church.
His greatest triumph? The team he has assembled.