Yesterday, Safaricom posted the unfortunate news of the passing of their CEO, Bob Collymore. He had taken the reins of the company since 2010 and had a successful run at the company.
The next logical thing was for the company to appoint an interim CEO as they figure out how to hire a permanent CEO. Well, today the company has revealed who will be its CEO in the meantime.
Safaricom has appointed their former CEO, Michael Joseph as their Interim Chief Executive Officer as shown in a notice.
“Following the passing of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Robert (Bob) William Collymore on 1 July 2019, at a Special Board meeting of the Directors’ that was held on even date, the Board resolved to appoint Mr. Michael Joseph, a Board member of the Company, as the interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company with immediate effect.” the notice said. Mr Joseph currently is the Chairman of the Board at Kenya Airways.
The company also says that Michael Joseph will hold the position until the Board communicates in due course on a permanent appointment. The Board is confident in him that he will provide the ‘necessary guidance and leadership to the Company and its employees.’
A lot of Kenyans will remember Michael Joseph as Safaricom’s first CEO. He transitioned the company from being a department at Telkom into a powerhouse before Bob Collymore took over. He launched revolutionary products back in the day and made Safaricom a household name so this board appointment shows their faith in him.
[…] to fix the leadership gap by appointing the former CEO (MJ) on an interim basis. Michael Joseph’s appointment, and earlier on, the extension of Bob Collymore’s tenure for a year, were marked by pressure from […]