Safaricom finds a replacement to ‘unsettled’ Senanu

By Steve UMIDHA

Safaricom Plc. Last week hired Cynthia Karuri-Kropac as its new Chief Enterprise Business Officer, replacing Joseph Wanjohi who has been acting since May this year, following the shock exit of Kris Senanu.

Senanu – a seasoned corporate gambler and a serial entrepreneur who simply describes himself as ‘an avid investor and a salesman at heart’, lasted only 11 months into the position.

He called it a day in May ‘to pursue other interests, a surprise exit that one analyst reportedly described as “very unfortunate and unprecedented.”

Neither the firm’s Board Chairman at the time, Michael Joseph nor its Chief executive Peter Ndegwa provided a convincing explanation for the Ghanaian’s abrupt departure, who prior to his appointment to the role, had served as a digital director of a rival company, Telkom Kenya.

“He has been instrumental in implementing the Enterprise Business Unit’s first mission and development of the division’s second mission,” read a vague statement by Safaricom’s boss Peter Ndegwa, on May 17, while announcing his unexpected resignation.

But it is the unveiling of Ms. Karuri-Kropac last Wednesday, albeit via the Telco’s Twitter handle, that might have caught many by surprise.

The former employee of the US telco AT&T Inc – an American multinational telecommunications holding company based in Delaware, had worked in the company for close to two decades, serving in various management and leadership roles before accepting the high-pressure job at Safaricom effective September, 1.

“With over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, Cynthia has a wealth of knowledge in various crafts, including business strategy, industrial IoT, enterprise technology solutions, executive advisory and decision support, operational excellence and process reengineering,” read the tweet from Safaricom.

Sources familiar with her appointment believe that it was a careful thought-out decision, in which they say Safaricom was tapping an outsider with a reputable vast knowledge of the sector, and whose expertise would come in handy in readiness for the operator’s ambitious regional expansion drive.

Her appointment also coincides with the anticipated industry adjustments, with calls to declare Safaricom a dominant market player, always an unending topic.

Last month for instance, Safaricom announced that it had paid the International Finance Corporation (IFC) together with its Ethiopian partners, a transaction fee of $4 million or Sh474 million for services rendered for the entry into the new market.

The company stated that its phased launch would commence this month in the city of Dire Dawa and then accelerate to 24 other cities, including Addis Ababa in the subsequent months.

Her new role and influence will be very crucial in advancing the firm’s future undertakings behind the scenes, akin to the position previously held by Sylvia Mulinge who served as the Chief Consumer Business Officer for the operator, who will assume her new role as the CEO of MTN Uganda this week.

The new Safaricom darling has worked in several leadership positions in the telecommunications industry in the US as well as a management consultant at tax firm Andersen Consulting where she began her professional career.

Her passion and focus in bringing to life solutions that focus on customer experiences and not just products, as well as helping businesses navigate their digital transformation journey, will be crucial for Safaricom in the absence of Senanu.

In June last year, while unveiling Senanu, the Chairman of Blackrock Capital Investments, an investment company he co-founded, Safaricom thought it had landed on a highly prized asset in Senanu, betting big on his previous prowess in nurturing and transforming tech outfits, at least in the long-term.

Senanu, who has remained elusive since his departure from Safaricom, was instrumental in the startup of Access Kenya, now Internet Solutions, successfully helping the firm to become the first listed ICT firm on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) through an initial public offering (IPO)in 2007.

He would then help expand the business’s footprint into East Africa and steer its acquisition by Dimension Data in 2014, before exiting as its Deputy CEO, in 2016.

Senanu, the son of a former Ghanaian academic Kwadzo Senanu, has an extensive experience in Joint Ventures, recapitalizations, seed stage capital venture and business restructurings investment in addition to adding value to portfolio company operations, mainly fin-techs, pioneering his career Swift Global in 1996.

“I am a salesman at heart, with a focus on Technology solutions that will enable you to do more for your business and your life. I however remain committed to also invest in new entities that bring to the fore, disruptive uses of technology, and as a result, unprecedented efficiencies,” reads in part a quote from his seemingly un-updated blog, krissenanu.africa.

He is also the Vice Chair of alma mater’s University Council (USIU-A), the Chair of the Governing Council at the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), and the Chair of corporate marketing agency BTL Africa, headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

“For about 25 years now, my mission has been to offer insights and guidance towards the evolving narrative that is Africa’s Digital Transformation. I have focused on growing businesses, be they corporates, public sector and technology start-ups as well as the requisite capacity needed to ensure consistent digitization in these areas,” he says in his blog.