Back in January 2021, payment firm Cellulant’s CEO Ken Njoroge announced his plans of leaving the company.
Njoroge cited the development as a transition, and according to him, 2021 is the best time to do so following years of growing the company.
“After 18 years of running Cellulant, I have decided that 2021 will be my last year as CEO,” said Njoroge in a blogpost published by the firm.
The time has arrived following the appointment of Akshay Grover as Njoroge’s successor.
The announcement was made by the Cellulant board, and according to a statement from the company, the firm has been making an executive search for Ken’s successor since the January announcement.
To note, Akshay has been CEO but in an acting capacity since April 2021.
“We are delighted to appoint an executive of Akshay’s calibre and experience to the role,” said Cellulant Board Chairman, Dr. Sam Kiruthu. “Akshay brings extensive and diverse industry experience in technology and finance. During the time that Akshay has served as Acting CEO, the board has been impressed with his commitment to openness, attention to detail, and an unrelenting focus on the future of the business. Akshay has demonstrated he possesses the skills, attitude and vision to lead the management team to deliver on Cellulant’s future and mission.”
Cellulant is well placed to lead and transform the payments landscape in Africa. Our deep connectivity with over 120 banks and 40 mobile operators in the continent enables us to have an unparalleled network on the African continent. We are reducing the amount of friction around payments and, by doing so, creating a seamless way for businesses to collect and make payments. – CEO Akshay Grover.
Akshay has more than 20 years of work experience in the Technology, Media, and Communication sectors across emerging markets. During the early years of his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility in the financial advisory teams at KPMG and EY. Prior to joining Cellulant as Group Chief Financial Officer in January 2021, Akshay was the Chief Investment Officer at iSON, a diversified technology group with a presence in 30+ countries in the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region.
