Kenya’s top telecommunications company Safaricom appointed Thibaud Rerolle as the new technical director, completing the company’s reorganization plans that began last year in an effort to reduce management and increase efficiency.
Rerolle comes from rival France Telecom’s Orange Dominican and becomes the third non-Kenyan to be appointed to a leadership role since August. Orange Dominican is fully owned by France Telecom.
Rerolle, 41, is not the only recent appointment by Safaricom. The company brought in John Tombleson in November as the chief financial officer from Vodafone Qatar, where he was the acting chief executive and appointed Maurice Newa as director customer service from MTC Namibia where he was the chief operating officer.
CEO Bob Collymore said the new appointments will sharpen the company’s competitive edge in the voice and data market as well as its entry into new business.
“With this appointment, we have tapped into a resource with global experience on key elements like managed services, technical evolution in the telecoms field and ensuring network quality on both voice and data offerings,” said Collymore, in reference to Rerolle’s appointment.
The firm also did away with the title “chief” for senior managers, turning them into directors in the culmination of a business review aimed at a lean executive team with fewer reporting layers that can support the company’s growth in a competitive market.
Janan Yussif
