Modupe Gbadeyanka
**As Mathen Becomes Airtel Tanzania PLC MD
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Former CEO of Vodacom Tanzania PLC, Mr Ian Ferrao, has been appointed as the Regional Director of Airtel Africa in East Africa.
The appointee, who holds a First Class Honours Degree in BSc Management Sciences from the Warwick Business School, has more than 12 years of experience in senior management telecommunications roles in Africa.
Before joining Airtel Africa, he was also the CEO of Vodacom Lesotho and Chief Commercial Officer at Vodacom Business Africa.
He is expected to use his experience to expand the footprints of the leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 14 countries across Africa in the region, having good knowledge of the terrain.
Also appointed by Airtel Africa is Mr George Mathen, who was picked to become the Managing Director for Airtel Tanzania PLC, with the appointment taking effect on October 1, 2019.
Mr Mathen, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and has done his Masters in Business Administration, has more than 20 years of experience in senior management roles, with experience in the telecommunications and FMCG sectors.
Prior to joining Airtel Africa, he was CEO – Homes, at Bharti Airtel In India where he designed and implemented the Airtel Home strategy. Before then, he has also been the CEO of various circles within the India business.
Before joining Bharti Airtel, Mr Mathen also spent a decade in Coca-Cola India in several capacities including Area General Manager and Sales Manager across various regions.
Commenting on the appointments, the CEO of Airtel Africa, Mr Raghunath Mandava, stated that, “We are excited to welcome Ian as Regional Director for East Africa, which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda.
“He brings a wealth of relevant telecommunications and mobile money experience within the region and will be an asset to the business. He will be part of the Africa Executive Committee based in Nairobi and will focus on driving growth across voice, data and mobile money in East Africa.”
Also remarking on Mr Mathen appointment “We are excited to welcome George as Managing Director for Airtel Tanzania PLC.
“He will be responsible for the profitable growth of the business and help Airtel be the preferred telecom brand to bridge the digital divide and preferred partner to grow financial inclusion.
“I would also wish to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Sunil Colaso, the outgoing Managing Director, leaving after 13 years of dedicated service to Airtel, including the last 6 years as Managing Director for Airtel Tanzania PLC. We wish him the very best as he starts a new chapter in his life.”
