Hardly a year into his new role as Operating Executive for the MTN Group’s WECA Markets of Liberia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, and Congo-Brazzaville, Wim Vanhellepute, has been picked by Safaricom Plc, to head its Ethiopian unit⏤ Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc.
The Ethiopian unit is owned by Safaricom Plc, Vodafone Group, Vodacom Group, Sumitomo Corporation and British International Investment (formerly known as CDC Group) and was licensed on 9 July 2021.
According to an official announcement by Safaricom Group on its social channels, Wim will replace Anwar Soussa as CEO, effective 1st September 2023.
It is not clear why Anwar, Safaricom Ethiopia’s first CEO is leaving so, soon. He only joined in July 2021 from Vodacom in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was Managing Director. Before that he was Managing Director of Airtel Uganda and Airtel Chad.
“Wim brings extensive leadership experience and deep industry knowledge, having worked in the telecommunications industry across multiple markets in sub-Saharan Africa for over 25 years,” Safaricom announced.
He joins Safaricom Ethiopia from MTN Group, where he was the Operations Executive – Markets since August 2022 and he was responsible for the performance and governance of four operating companies in West and Central Africa. Immediately before this, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Uganda, a role he held since 2016.
At MTN Uganda, Wim is remembered for, among other things, leading the company through many firsts, including its much-awaited listing on the Uganda Securities Exchange on December 06th 2021.
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During Wim’s 6 years at MTN, he grew MTN’s revenue by 57% from UGX1.308 trillion in 2016 to UGX2.060 trillion at the end of 2021- a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 8%. During this period, MTN Uganda’s net profit grew nearly four times, from UGX96 billion to UGX340 billion, a growth of 254% and a CAGR of 23%! He also transformed MTN Uganda from a UGX1.509 trillion asset company to well over UGX3.298 trillion at the end of 2021.
Between 2009 to 2015, Wim was the CEO of MTN Cote d’Ivoire. He joined Airtel Africa briefly between 2015 and 2016, first as Regional Director – Francophone Africa, then as Cluster CEO for Airtel DRC and Congo.
Wim has also held senior roles in various other telecommunication companies including Chief Executive Officer at Sentel GSM in Senegal, Managing Director of TchadMobile in Chad, and General Manager at Telcel Gabon.
He began his career as an Associate Engineer at Westinghouse Energy Systems Europe in Czech Republic, before joining Siemens Atea as a Project Engineer in Zimbabwe, and then as a Residential Project Manager in Gabon.
Wim is a Belgian National. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in General Engineering and a Master’s degree in Nuclear and Solid-State Physics, both from the State University of Ghent. He also holds a special degree in Power Plant Management from the Free University of Brussels.
Welcoming Wim, Anwar, wrote on his LinkedIn Page: “I would like to welcome my brother and friend Wim Vanhellepute to the Safaricom Ethiopia family. He is one of the best CEOs I know and definitely one of the best on the continent. He is both a great leader and a great person. Safaricom Ethiopia is in great hands”.
