Airtel Kenya Appoints New MD & Chair

The Board of Airtel Kenya has appointed  Ashish Malhotra as Managing Director and Louis Onyango Otieno as Chairman.

Before transitioning, Ashish was previously the Group Head of Sales and Marketing at Airtel Africa, in charge of 14 countries where Airtel is operational. In this role, he is credited with doubling revenues, streamlining pricing principles and building strong unique selling propositions across the countries.

The new appointee holds an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), India and a Bachelor of Commerce from Sri Ram College of Commerce, India.

He replaces Prasanta Das Sarma, who has held the position since January 2017 and was instrumental in leading Airtel Kenya to become the fastest growing telecom company in Kenya, growing its subscriber base from 5 million to 16 million. Das Sarma is transitioning to a new role as the Fiber Company CEO for Airtel Africa.

Otieno, the new chair brings over 30 years of extensive leadership experience in ICT across private and public sectors. Currently, he serves as Chair of Absa Asset Management Limited. He is also an independent non-executive director at Absa Bank Kenya Plc and Nation Media Group Plc.

He began his career at EEC Financial Services in New York, rising to the position of Assistant Vice President. He later joined Microsoft Corporation in 1997, leading the business in Africa in different capacities for 21 years.

Otieno holds an MBA from Long Island University, Brooklyn in New York and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry in New York, he serves as Chairman of Absa Asset Management Limited and is also an independent non-executive director at Absa Bank Kenya Plc and Nation Media Group Plc

“We wish to congratulate Mr Otieno and Mr Malhotra on their appointment and wish them success in their new roles. We look forward to working with them to take Airtel Kenya to the next level, as we continue delivering innovative and relevant solutions for individuals and businesses in the country,” the Board said in a statement.