Safaricom has appointed Fawzia Ali Kimanthi as chief consumer business officer effective March 15 to replace Sylvia Mulinge who left the telco in June last year to head MTN Uganda as CEO.
Ms Kimanthi has been holding the position in an acting capacity since July, with her responsibilities entailing growing the market share and consumer solutions through product development and customer insights.
At Safaricom, she has previously served as head of consumer planning and pricing within finance and as head of regional sales and operations for the coast region.
She would later be moved into commercial operations when she became head of consumer segments in 2018 before being appointed head of digital products and services the following year.
“With over 20 years of experience in finance, sales and commercial, Fawzia has a deep understanding of our market as well as consumer trends and economic landscape. She has been in Safaricom since 2007 when she joined as a Senior Manager – Reporting, Accounts Receivable and M-PESA,” said Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa in a memo to staff.
"Since then, she has grown her career and expanded her breadth through various leadership roles."
Prior to joining Safaricom, Kimanthi worked both in Kenya and Uganda with Unilever.
She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Business Administration from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
She is also a certified public accountant in Kenya.
