Safaricom in August 2016 appointed Mr Webb from Equity Bank, where he was the director of payments, stepping up the mobile money rivalry between the two companies.
Prior to joining Equity, he was co-founder and chief architect of the Paynet and PesaPoint payment platforms in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Mr Webb replaced Betty Mwangi who left Safaricom last year.
Safaricom #ticker:SCOM has kicked off the tough search for a new M-Pesa head after Ronald Webb exited the telecoms company after just one year in charge of its mobile money division.
Mr Webb, who was poached from Equity Bank where he was in charge of the lender’s mobile money arm, yesterday stepped down as Safaricom’s director of financial services to return to the UK “for family reasons.”
Safaricom’s management now faces the uphill task of finding his replacement to head its mobile money business from which the company drew revenue of Sh55.1 billion in the year to March.
Mr Webb has left Safaricom at a time when the firm is undertaking an upgrade of its M-Pesa platform, promising new features, automation of others and a reduction in the need for customers to make requests at its call centre.
“Tuesday 25, July, will be Ron’s last day with Safaricom as he moves back to the UK for family reasons,” Bob Collymore, Safaricom chief executive, said in a memo to staff.
He added that Brian Wamatu would hold the position on an interim basis.
Safaricom in August 2016 appointed Mr Webb from Equity Bank #ticker:EQTY, where he was the director of payments, stepping up the mobile money rivalry between the two companies.
Prior to joining Equity, he was co-founder and chief architect of the Paynet and PesaPoint payment platforms in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Mr Webb replaced Betty Mwangi who left Safaricom last year.
