Safaricom's Sylvia Mulinge appointed new CEO at MTN Uganda

Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Sylvia Mulinge appointed new MTN Uganda CEO. [File, Standard]

MTN Uganda has appointed Safaricom’s Chief Consumer Business Officer Sylvia Mulinge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mulinge, whose term starts in October takes over from Wim Vanhelleputte, who now moves to the new MTN Group role of Operations Executive Markets role.

South Africa’s MTN Group in a statement hailed the corporate executive as a passionate leader.

“Sylvia Mulinge becomes MTN Uganda CEO, joining from Safaricom, where she served as Chief Consumer Business Officer for the Group. A seasoned executive, she brings with her a passion for transforming customers’ lives using technology.”

Mulinge joined Kenya’s largest telco in 2006 and has served at various roles, scaling up the leadership radar.

She has held various senior roles including the General Manager Enterprise Business Unit, before assuming the role of Chief Customer Officer in 2018. She was appointed to head Consumer business in July 2021.

Mulinge previously also served as the Director, Special Projects.

“She has been an Executive Committee member (EXCO) for the last 9 years, where she has offered leadership and been part of many of Safaricom’s successes. More recently, she has been instrumemental in steering the agile transformation of commercial units,” the telco’s CEO Peter Ndegwa said in a statement.

Mulinge would in April 2018 be appointed as the CEO at Vodacom Tanzania, a position thwarted by Tanzanian authorities over their refusal to issue her with a work permit.

She holds a Bachelor degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi.