Joe Ogutu, Safaricom’s Chief of Special Projects and Acting Chief Business Development & Strategy Officer, will be retiring at the end of this month after 17 years of service at the telco.
Joe joined Safaricom in May 2005 as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. In 2008 he was appointed to serve as Chief Human Resource Officer before taking on the role of Director – Resources, following a reorganization in March 2011.
In October 2012, he was appointed Director – Strategy & Innovation, where he worked closely with the CEO in formulating the strategic direction of the business with a focus on developing Safaricom’s position as an industry leader in driving innovation in products and services.
In his current role as Chief Special Projects and Acting Chief Business Development Officer, he was part of the team that coordinated the company’s successful bid for the second telecommunications license in Ethiopia. He also effectively steered the company alongside our former CFO, Sateesh Kamath, when the late Bob Collymore was on medical leave, and has been the Chairman of Safaricom Foundation since 2012.
Joe’s experience in the communications industry spans more than 35 years of which the last 20 have been at Executive Committee level. He is accredited with, among many other achievements, being actively involved in reforming of the telecommunications sector and establishing the institutional framework for the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy).
Throughout his career, and indeed the 17 years he has been at Safaricom, Joe has built a reputation as an outstanding business leader, mentor and coach to many; qualities that we at Safaricom have benefitted greatly from,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO. “Over the last 2 years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Joe and I have come to rely on his advice, candid feedback, and support.”
Joe’s career and contribution to the success of Safaricom as he always willing to step into an unexpected role whenever requested, even if it meant stretching his workload tremendously and he will continue to serve as the Chairman of Safaricom Foundation where he has been instrumental in driving partnerships that transform the lives of millions of people and enable communities to be self-sufficient.
