Safaricom appoints two new directors

As part of its strategy to enhance shareholder value, Safaricom has announced the appointment of Mohamed Shameel Aziz Joosub and Linda Watiri Muriuki to its board as Non-Executive Directors, effective immediately.

Through a press statement the two appointments were announced following a Safaricom Board of Directors meeting held on Thursday 31st August.

Mohamed Shameel Aziz Joosub Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Vodacom Group

Mr. Joosub is the current Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Vodacom Group as well as the Chairman of the Vodacom Group Executive Committee & Vodacom (Pty) Limited.

Prior to joining Vodacom Group in 2012, Mr. Joosub was the former CEO of Vodafone Spain. He has held several high-level positions at Vodacom, and served on the Vodacom Group Board from 2000 to 2011. He was reappointed to the board after his return from Spain.

On her part, Ms. Muriuki currently serves as the Senior Partner at LJA Associates, where she is a practicing Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 27 years of experience, ranked by Chambers and Partners in 2015 and 2016.

She has previously served as a Non-Executive Director of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited from 2004 to 2010 and the Capital Markets Authority from 2015 to 2017. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of East Africa Reinsurance Company Limited.

Safaricom also announced the resignation of Gianluca Ventura as a substantive Director of the Company. Mr. Ventura will now act as an Alternate Director to Vivek Badrinath.

Till Streichert, the current Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director of Vodacom Group, has been appointed as Alternate Director to Mr. Moosub. Mr. Streichert is also a Member of the Vodacom Group Executive Committee and is a Non-executive Director of Vodacom SA.

Linda Watiri Muriuki, Senior Partner at LJA Associates

The move comes a few months after, Vodafone Group transferred 35% of its indirect interest in Safaricom to its sub-Saharan African subsidiary Vodacom Group Limited. The new shareholding reflects the interests of the new shareholding structure. Safaricom will hold its Annual General Meeting on Friday 15th September, at the Bomas of Kenya.