Cellulant, a leading player in African payments has announced the addition of several prominent executives from esteemed global payment firms to its management team, marking a significant stride in its growth strategy.
Strengthening its leadership with top talent in technology, compliance, finance, and audit underscores Cellulant’s dedication to operational excellence and expansion of its service offerings to enterprise clients.
Andy O’Sullivan, appointed as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), brings a distinguished two-decade career in technology leadership within payment companies across the EMEA region.
With expertise in leading multicultural technology teams to scale agile delivery and drive strategic technology advancements, O’Sullivan has held various C-level positions at leading payment network firms such as Geidea Group, Network International, and Telr.
Gbenga Haastrup joins Cellulant as Executive Consultant for Governance, Risk, and Compliance, leveraging over 20 years of experience in these areas across fintech, technology, and financial services sectors.
With a career spanning executive roles at UMBA, ATB Financial, Interswitch, UBA, and Standard Chartered Bank, Mr Haastrup brings extensive sector-specific expertise to his new position.
Assuming the role of Group Head of Internal Audit, Irene Koki brings over 15 years of experience in risk and audit roles across financial services, manufacturing, corporate, and government organizations.
Reporting to Cellulant’s board of directors, Ms Koki will collaborate closely with the leadership team to enhance operational efficiency measures and strengthen organizational governance.
Ochebhoya Ekpete, appointed as Vice President of Group Finance, brings a proven track record of financial stewardship and strategic acumen to Cellulant.
With over a decade of experience in the payments industry in Africa and the UK, Mr Ekpete will oversee all corporate finance functions, including financial controllership, reporting, tax, pricing, and financial planning and analysis.
Susan Fouche, now serving as Group Chief People Officer, will leverage her deep understanding of Cellulant’s vision and people, drawing from her extensive experience at Visa, Barclays, and 10x Investments.
Ms Fouche assumes the role after successfully delivering on organizational design, reward, and career mobility frameworks during her tenure as Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness, Performance, Reward, and Talent Acquisition.
Peter O’Toole, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Cellulant, expresses excitement for these significant appointments, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome these new leaders to Cellulant. Their expertise in payments and financial services will play a vital role as we strengthen our capabilities in product growth, service delivery, operational efficiency, and risk management to better serve our growing clientele of enterprise businesses worldwide.”
These appointments coincide with Cellulant’s strategic refocus on achieving operational excellence, customer intimacy, and adherence to risk and regulatory compliance standards.
“Our overarching objective is to establish Cellulant as a highly sustainable and profitable payments company, renowned for the operational excellence showcased across our three core Business Units: Checkout, Payout, and Banking Solutions,” said Mr O’Toole.
Operating at the industry forefront, Cellulant facilitates payments for renowned global brands across diverse sectors, including Airlines, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Retail, Banking, and Remittances.