News / National
Telecel Zimbabwe gets Zimbabwean CEO
04 Jul 2012 at 01:17hrs | Views
Mobile network operator, Telecel has appointed a Zimbabwean, Francis Mawindi as chief executive officer, effective from this month, Zimbabwean news agency New Ziana reported.
A subsidiary of Orascom of Egypt, Telecel had come under fire for favouring foreigners ahead of locals to head the mobile telecommunications firm.
Mawindi replaces John Swaim, a Swiss national appointed to the position last year.
Swaim was replacing Aimable Mpore, a Rwandese and Canadian citizen.
In a statement on Tuesday, Telecel said Mawindi, a University of Zimbabwe graduate, was previously head of business operations for global services in the Americas for France Telecom Orange.
Mawindi, who has more than 20 years experience in the telecommunications industry, also worked for Verizon and Sprint, both United States based telecommunications firms.
He started his telecommunications career at the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, now Tel-One, and Brightpoint, an outsourcing company operating within the supply chain of the Zimbabwean telecommunications industry.
Mawindi holds a BS Engineering (Honours) degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, a Graduate Diploma in Marketing and Marketing Management from the European Marketing Confederation and an MBA in finance from Howard University in the US.
Zimbabwe has the highest number per capita in Southern and East Africa of nationals working in the Diaspora, including some who are managing African telecommunications giant, MTN operations in some African countries.
A number of Zimbabweans also head Barclays and Standard Banks operations in several countries across the continent.
The other two mobile network operators Econet and NetOne are headed by locals.
A subsidiary of Orascom of Egypt, Telecel had come under fire for favouring foreigners ahead of locals to head the mobile telecommunications firm.
Mawindi replaces John Swaim, a Swiss national appointed to the position last year.
Swaim was replacing Aimable Mpore, a Rwandese and Canadian citizen.
In a statement on Tuesday, Telecel said Mawindi, a University of Zimbabwe graduate, was previously head of business operations for global services in the Americas for France Telecom Orange.
Mawindi, who has more than 20 years experience in the telecommunications industry, also worked for Verizon and Sprint, both United States based telecommunications firms.
He started his telecommunications career at the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, now Tel-One, and Brightpoint, an outsourcing company operating within the supply chain of the Zimbabwean telecommunications industry.
Mawindi holds a BS Engineering (Honours) degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, a Graduate Diploma in Marketing and Marketing Management from the European Marketing Confederation and an MBA in finance from Howard University in the US.
Zimbabwe has the highest number per capita in Southern and East Africa of nationals working in the Diaspora, including some who are managing African telecommunications giant, MTN operations in some African countries.
A number of Zimbabweans also head Barclays and Standard Banks operations in several countries across the continent.
The other two mobile network operators Econet and NetOne are headed by locals.
Source - New Ziana
