Ben Roberts Leaves Liquid Intelligent Technologies

Ben Roberts, Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, has stepped down from his role.

After 22 years with the company, Ben announced his sudden departure from Liquid on his LinkedIn page.

“Well, after 22 years, it is with immense excitement, and some sadness, that it is time to move on from this great company, Liquid Intelligent Technologies. I’m proud to have built and led great teams, and, with their hard work, built great products and perhaps the greatest network in Africa,” Ben wrote.

The influential tech leader expressed gratitude to industry peers and stakeholders he worked with during his tenure at Liquid. He gave a special mention to Nic Rudnick, his boss and leader for most of those 22 years, and Kevin Kinnear, the “godfather” of Liquid’s pan-African fibre network.

Ben has been instrumental in driving the group’s networking and product strategy, expanding its technology base and fibre network across Africa. His work has been central to Liquid’s mission of accelerating digital transformation and improving connectivity across African markets.

Besides serving as Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer since 2017, Ben previously held the role of Chief Technical Officer at Liquid Telecom from 2006. Under his leadership, Liquid Intelligent Technologies became a key player in providing faster, more reliable internet and cloud services to both urban and rural areas, significantly contributing to Africa’s digital infrastructure development.

Beyond his leadership at Liquid, Ben has been an active participant in the Kenyan and African ICT space. As a renowned thought leader and a member of various ICT lobby groups and industry associations, his contributions have played a key role in expanding the sector across the continent. He currently serves as the Chair of the ICT Sector Board at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), a body that engages with all three arms of government to ensure a favourable environment for doing business.

Ben has also been at the forefront of advocating for favourable ICT policies and has led efforts to oppose regulations, such as the contentious Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) Bill, that could hinder Kenya’s ICT sector prospects.

Before joining Liquid Telecom, Ben was responsible for electronics design and satellite systems at Ericsson UK Limited. He also worked as an engineer with Lotus Cars, the British sports car manufacturer.