Bitange Ndemo and Vivek Badrinath Join Safaricom Board of Directors

Safaricom has announced the appointment of two new Directors in line with its commitment to building a sustainable enterprise.

At the Board of Directors’ meeting that was held on 2 March 2017, the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Vivek Badrinath as a director of the Company representing Vodafone Kenya Limited, with effect from 12 January 2017 and noted the resignation of Ms. Serpil Timuray from the Board of Directors’ with effect from the same date.

The Board also appointed Dr. Bitange Ndemo as a non-executive and independent director of the Company with effect from 2 March 2017. Mr. Badrinath and Dr. Ndemo are seasoned telecommunications professionals.

“Both Board members will bring vast talent and understanding of the global business landscape, as well as unique insights into the world of telecommunications to our business. Our Board will be enriched by their knowledge which will enhance Safaricom’s ability to navigate an increasingly multifaceted industry,” said Mr. Nicholas Ng’ang’a, Safaricom Chairman.

Mr. Badrinath is the current CEO, AMAP Region for Vodafone having joined Vodafone and the Executive Committee as CEO of AMAP in October 2016. In his current role, he oversees Vodafone’s operations in the Vodacom Group, India, Australia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Qatar, New Zealand and Turkey.

Prior to that, he was the Deputy Chief Executive at the international hospitality group AccorHotels where he was responsible for marketing, digital solutions, distribution and information systems. He was previously Deputy Chief Executive with Orange and has a long career in telecommunications, Technology, and Enterprise Services within Orange.

Between 2000 and 2004 he ran the Indian operations of Thomson.  He was a Board member of Nokia between 2014 and 2016. Mr. Badrinath is a recipient of the French National Order of Merit and was appointed a member of the National Digital Council by the President of France.

Dr. Ndemo is a noted ICT industry expert who currently lectures on entrepreneurship and research methods at the University of Nairobi’s Business School.

Most of his research centers on the link between ICT and small and medium enterprises in Kenya. Prior to that role, Dr. Ndemo served as the Permanent Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication between 2005 to 2013. During his tenure in Government, he initiated several transformative projects including infrastructural and development programs, as well as marketing Kenya as a destination for Business Processing Outsourcing.

He has spent more than two decades in the classroom and lecture halls with over 20 years of experience lecturing at the university level.