MTN Group, has appointed Stephen Blewett, its former top executive as Operations Executive: Markets, effective July 1, 2023 responsible for the WECA markets of Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Congo Brazzaville, and provide general operations support across the same region.
Stephen will be taking over from Wim Vanhelleputte, who is departing to join Safaricom Ethiopia. Stephen will be reporting directly to Ebenezer Twum Asante, Senior Vice President: Markets.
“I would like to express my deep appreciation to Wim Vanhelleputte for his significant contribution to the company,” said Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and CEO. “Wim joined MTN in 2009 as CEO of MTN Cote d’Ivoire, and subsequently moved to Bharti Airtel in 2015. He returned to MTN as CEO of MTN Uganda in 2016, leading the Opco’s impressive recovery and driving notable growth. His departure is sincerely acknowledged, and best wishes are extended to him for his future endeavours.”
Stephen Blewett brings a wealth of experience to his new position, having most recently served as the Group Chief Operating Officer of Digicel, based in Kingston, Jamaica. In this role, he oversaw 20 country CEOs and spearheaded key areas such as marketing, information and technology, procurement, financial services, gaming, and digital media.
Prior to his tenure at Digicel, Stephen served as CEO of MTN Cameroon, where he made significant contributions to the company’s growth and success. He had previously held similar leadership roles in the telecommunications industry, including CEO of MTN Benin and Chief Commercial Officer at Namibian mobile operator MTC. In 2020, he was voted MTN CEO of the Year by his peers. Stephen’s career also includes notable positions such as Chief Executive of 3D Holdings, Managing Director of Autopage Cellular, Marketing and Sales Executive at Telkom Mobile, and Executive Head for Sales and Marketing at MCell in Mozambique.
He later joined 8ta, the mobile arm of Telkom and was formerly the CEO of Altech Autopage Cellular, South Africa’s largest independent cellular service provider. Stephen Blewett holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He is also a published author of marketing, sales, and business books, further demonstrating his expertise and thought leadership in the industry.