Jobs/Appointments
Strive Masiyiwa Becomes First African on Netflix Board

By Adedapo Adesanya
The global streaming platform, Netflix, has appointed the Group Executive Chairman and founder of Econet, Mr Strive Masiyiwa, to its board.
The appointment has made Mr Masiyiwa the first-ever African to join the board of directors of the company.
Mr Masiyiwa is Zimbabwe’s richest businessman with an estimated net worth of $1 billion and leads mobile telecom giant Econet Global’s operations in over 20 countries across Africa and Europe.
Currently serving on several international boards including the Global Advisory boards of Bank of America and Stanford University as well as chairing the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the Zimbabwean telecommunication mogul brings with him a wealth of managerial experience to the Netflix directorate.
Speaking on his appointment, Netflix Chairman and co-CEO, Mr Reeds Hastings, said, “We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board. His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world.”
His appointment comes a week after Ms Susan Rice, former US ambassador to the United Nations, disclosed she would be quitting her role on the Netflix board to join US President-elect, Mr Joe Biden’s administration in January 2021.
He also remains the only African member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Committee on Conscience.
Born in Zimbabwe, Mr Masiyiwa had his higher education at Edinburgh, Scotland before obtaining an Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Wales in 1983.
After working for about a year in the ICT industry at Cambridge, he returned to Zimbabwe in 1984 to work as a telecoms engineer for the country’s telephone company.
He later quit his job and founded his own telecom company, Econet Wireless in 1993. But Mr Masiyiwa’s Econet could not secure an operating licence until 1998 when it finally ended telecom monopoly in Zimbabwe after a five-year legal battle with the late Robert Mugabe-led administration.
In the same year, the telecoms tycoon listed Econet on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, making it a publicly-traded company. Since then, he has remained at the helm of affairs of Econet Group. He also owns a 50 per cent stake in Africa’s largest fibre optics business, Liquid Telecom.
Speaking on his appointment, he said, “Netflix is at the forefront of bringing great entertainment from anywhere in the world to everyone in the world, and I look forward to working with the board and all stakeholders to continue its traditions of innovation and growth.”
Globally recognised as one of Africa’s most prolific philanthropists, Mr Masiyiwa donated $10 million earlier this year in funding and support to over 1,700 healthcare workers to aid the response against COVID-19.
Jobs/Appointments
Onafriq to Accelerate Growth With Simon Black as Board Chairman

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A veteran in the financial technology (fintech) ecosystem, Mr Simon Black, has been appointed to the board of Onafriq to accelerate its growth.
Mr Black joins the board of the digital payments network as an independent non-executive director of Onafriq UK Holdings Limited, the parent firm of Onafriq.
His appointment underscores Onafriq’s commitment to assembling world-class leadership capable of propelling the company’s infrastructure across Africa and beyond.
His global perspective and proven success in forging partnerships with industry giants will prove invaluable as Onafriq cements its position as the definitive network of networks for African payments.
As the board chairman, Mr Black will work closely with the founder and chief executive of Onafriq, Mr Dare Okoudjou, as well the executive team, board, and the shareholder base to provide strategic guidance, focusing on cross-border scale, global partnerships, and long-term value creation.
He brings to the organisation over three decades of experience building and scaling payments and technology platforms to support Onafriq’s next phase of growth.
“Simon’s appointment comes at a transformative moment in Onafriq’s journey. To fulfil our mission of making borders matter less across Africa, we must build upon our strong foundations to create an even more resilient and innovative business.
“His exceptional track record of scaling fintech leaders and navigating complexity makes him the ideal chairman to guide this next phase.
“His strategic expertise will be instrumental as we strengthen our position as Africa’s payments infrastructure backbone and accelerate financial inclusion throughout the continent,” Mr Okoudjou commented.
“Joining Onafriq is not only a professional privilege, but a personal commitment to a mission I deeply believe in. The company has built what is arguably the most extensive and sophisticated digital payments infrastructure on the continent—connecting over 500 million wallets and 200 million bank accounts across 42 African markets. That scale, combined with a deep understanding of local markets, uniquely positions Onafriq to solve the continent’s most pressing payment challenges.
“I am excited to support the team in shaping the future of cross-border finance in Africa and enabling seamless commerce at a scale the world hasn’t seen before,” Mr Black said.
The new board chairman has earned industry-wide recognition for transforming high-potential fintech and software businesses into market leaders.
During his tenure as CEO of PPRO from 2015 to 2023, he steered the German-based payments infrastructure provider from an emerging start-up to a formidable global player, driving revenue growth beyond €100 million while expanding the team to more than 500 professionals across many markets.
Previously, as CEO of Sage Pay, Mr Black orchestrated tenfold revenue growth, establishing the company as a leading force in SME ecommerce payments.
Jobs/Appointments
Thibaut Boidin to Replace Hans Essaadi as Nigerian Breweries CEO

By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced the appointment of Mr Thibaut Boidin as its new chief executive, replacing Mr Hans Essaadi, who resigns from the position from June 30, 2025.
The brewer confirmed this development in a statement submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Thursday.
It was disclosed that Mr Essaadi is leaving the seat to take up another role in Poland as the head of Heineken in the European nation.
He drafted to head Nigerian Breweries on July 31, 2021, and his tenure has been marked by significant milestones, including delivering a net revenue of over N1 trillion amidst one of the most challenging economic landscapes in Nigeria in recent history.
His clarity and resilience steered the company through foreign exchange constraints, high inflation, and liquidity pressures, while keeping the organisation fundamentals firmly on track.
He oversaw the firm’s recent business recovery plan which included the raising of N550 billion via a rights issue, the biggest equity raising effort in the Nigerian capital market, and has helped to put the company back on the path of profitability.
His successor will be expected to build on these legacies, particularly because of his experience in the field.
He is currently the Managing Director of Heineken Romania, one of Heineken’s largest operations in Eastern Europe.
He joined the organisation in 2017 as Deputy CEO of France Boissons and added to his scope in 2020 the role of Heineken France Chief Transformation Officer. He was also the Chief
Transformation Officer of Heineken Europe based in Amsterdam before his current role in Romania.
Prior to joining Heineken, Mr Boidin had served as an Officer in the French Armed Forces across different continents before transitioning to the corporate world where he held senior/executive and Managing Director positions in French organisations, including Elis and Veolia.
Jobs/Appointments
Royal Exchange Appoints Idu Okwuosa-Okeahialam as MD

By Dipo Olowookere
Ms Idu Okwuosa-Okeahialam has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Royal Exchange Plc after successfully undergoing the necessary process prior to her appointment.
Her appointment was approved by the board of the company, a statement from the organisation to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited disclosed.
It was stated that Ms Okwuosa-Okeahialam will assume the new position from Wednesday, May 21, 2025. She is expected to support the company’s continued growth and success.
Royal Exchange expressed confidence that the new leader of the management team is armed with the requisite skills and experience to make a meaningful contribution to the board.
She is expected to provide strategic leadership while exploring new opportunities for the business.
Ms Okwuosa-Okeahialam is a finance professional with over 15 years’ core experience spanning across various industries including oil & gas; banking; and financial services.
She is experienced in funds management, compliance and risk administration, sales, client relationship management and customer experience.
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