Digital payments and commerce company, Interswitch, has a new Chairman.
Ken Olisa OBE, FRSA, FBCS will take over Adedotun Sulaiman, MRF as of today, December 6.
Based in the U.K., Olisa is a business person who has devoted his life to IT. His career in technology started with IBM and spans over four decades. He was the founder and leader of Interregnum, a technology merchant bank. Also, Ken Olisa founded and chairs Restoration Partners, an independent boutique technology merchant bank. At the same time, Olisa is the current Director of Thomson Reuters.
Two years ago (2015), he became the first black Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London having been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen.
“We are delighted to welcome Mr. Olisa to the team. His immense experience in technology and banking makes him the perfect fit for our Fintech business, the strategic vision from Ken will be invaluable in this new phase of growth,” said Paul Ndichu, Interswitch East Africa CEO.
“Interswitch is a shining example of financial technology entrepreneurialism at its best. Unlike many of its global competitors, Interswitch is not only a fast-growing and powerful innovator, it is also profitable. This is a testament to the skill and drive of its founder – Mitch Elegbe – and I am delighted to be joining him and his team. As the son of a Nigerian father, I am particularly honoured to have been elected to fill the shoes of my distinguished predecessor – Mr Sulaiman – whose steady hand has helped steer Interswitch’s journey so far. They are big shoes to fill,” remarked Mr. Olisa during the appointment.
Olisa has the potential to contribute to Interswitch mandate and goals, including empowering small businesses, based on his creativity and entrepreneurial skills.
“Ken’s inspiring business leadership, vast experience and professional expertise will be great assets to Interswitch as he comes on board as chairman at a defining phase in our journey of transformation and international expansion. We are delighted to welcome him on board,” said Mitchell Elegbe, the founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Interswitch.
Interswitch was founded in 2002, and at the moment, it processes more than 4 billion unique transactions annually valued at over $38 billion. It also made a local presence when it launched Verve, a prepaid debit card in partnership with KCB back in 2015.
