Airtel Kenya has announced a change in its top leadership after the Board of Airtel Networks Kenya Limited appointed Djibril Tobe as the company's new Managing Director.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 30, the company said Tobe succeeds Ashish Malhotra, who is leaving the role after four years to become the Chief Executive Officer of Indus Towers Africa.
According to Airtel, the newly appointed managing director brings more than two decades of experience spanning telecommunications, consulting, and the fast-moving consumer goods sector across several African markets.
Throughout his career, Tobe has been involved in driving business transformation and commercial expansion in multiple countries.
Before taking over the Kenyan business, he had been serving as Managing Director of Airtel Congo B since May 2023.
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Earlier within the Airtel Group, Tobe led Airtel Chad as Managing Director and also served as Commercial Director at Airtel Burkina Faso.
His previous experience also includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of Expresso Guinea, alongside leadership positions at Ernst & Young and Coca-Cola.
Tobe's appointment marks the end of Malhotra's four-year tenure, during which Airtel Kenya recorded significant growth in network expansion, subscriber numbers, and digital financial services.
Under Malhotra's leadership, Airtel Kenya undertook its largest-ever network rollout by deploying more than 2,000 sites nationwide, strengthening connectivity and supporting greater digital and financial inclusion.
The company also expanded Airtel Money's market presence, growing its market share from 2 percent to 11 percent during the period.
At the same time, Airtel Kenya doubled its revenues while increasing its customer base from 16 million subscribers to more than 24 million.
His tenure also saw the introduction of several customer-focused innovations, including 5G services, eSIM technology, fibre connectivity solutions, Spam Alert services, and the rollout of the Home & Office Smart Connect broadband platform.
The board expressed confidence in Tobe's ability to continue the company's growth trajectory while acknowledging Malhotra's contribution.
"We welcome Djibril Tobe to his role and we are confident that his expertise will steer Airtel Kenya to the next level as we continue delivering innovative and relevant solutions.
We would like to commend Ashish for his immense contribution to Airtel Kenya's growth journey, and we wish him success in his new role," the statement read.
This development comes barely a day after I&M Group PLC announced the appointment of Abdi Mohamed as the incoming Chief Executive Officer of I&M Bank Kenya Limited, with the appointment subject to approval by the Central Bank of Kenya.
In a statement on Monday, June 29, the bank confirmed that Mohamed joins the lender after leaving Absa Bank Kenya, where he served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
According to the statement, the seasoned banking executive brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, having held senior leadership positions across East and Southern Africa.
Before taking over the top role at Absa Bank Kenya, Mohamed served as Managing Director and CEO of Absa Bank Tanzania.
In that position, he spearheaded the institution's transition from the Barclays brand to Absa while leading a broader transformation agenda.
Mohamed's previous roles also include serving as Chief Operating Officer at Barclays Bank Kenya and Retail and Business Banking Director in both Kenya and Zambia.
Announcing the appointment, I&M Group Executive Director Sarit Raja-Shah welcomed Mohamed to the organization and expressed confidence in his leadership.
"We are delighted to welcome Abdi to I&M Group at an exciting and important time in our journey as we continue to scale our business, deepen customer relationships, strengthen our market leadership and create sustainable value for all our stakeholders," he said.
