Ahmed Kellow

Ahmed Kellow
Born (1944-09-12) September 12, 1944 (age 80)
Harar, Ethiopia
NationalityEthiopian/British
Alma materAddis Ababa University
(Bachelor of Commerce)
State University of New York
(Master of Business Administration)
University of Manchester
(Doctor of Philosophy in International finance)
OccupationCorporate Executive
Known forManagement, Leadership
TitleChief executive officer at Ethiopian Airlines Group
Political partyNone formerly Harari National League

Ahmed Kellow is an Ethiopian businessman and academic. He served as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines and later Chairman of Coca-Cola Ethiopia.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Ahmed Kellow was born into a Harari family on September 12, 1944. He began his professional journey in 1972, taking on various management positions in state-owned enterprises, including the Imperial Highway Authority, Central Press & Paper Converting Company, and the Glass & Bottle Company.[5] During the Ethiopian Revolution, he emerged as a prominent leader in organizing the 1974 Ethiopian Muslim protests, which played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of Ethiopian Muslims to observe the Holy Month of Ramadan and to have Eid al-Adha recognized as an official public holiday in a country where Orthodox Christianity was constitutionally established as the state religion.[6] After escaping the communist regime in 1980, he sought refuge in the UK, where he earned his PhD. In 1986, he held the position of lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Cardiff Business School, which is affiliated with Cardiff University.[7][8]

Ahmed Kellow was also an adherent of the now defunct Harari National League.[9]

Career

In 1994, following the collapse of the Communist Derg regime, Ahmed Kellow returned to Ethiopia from the United Kingdom and was appointed as the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines by the ruling EPRDF government.[10][11] Subsequently, he held the positions of managing director and Chairman of Coca-Cola Ethiopia. In 2006, he took on the role of chairman at First Consult, a consulting firm established by his son, Nebil Kellow.[12]

Education

He earned his B Com in 1966 from Addis Ababa University. Ahmed would go onto receive his MBA from the State University of New York (1969). In 1980 he obtained a PhD in International Finance from Manchester Business School of the University of Manchester.[5]

Selected publications

  • 2006: "Decomposition of Stock Returns", Journal of Business Finance & Accounting 481-494 p.
  • 2020: "A Review of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in Ethiopia" with Nebil Kellow, Doing Business in Africa: Springer 191-211 p.

See also

References

  1. ^ DAHLBURG, JOHN-THOR. 90 Die as Hijacked Airliner Crashes Into Indian Ocean. LA TIMES.
  2. ^ Ethiopia: New Coca-Cola Bottling Company formed to develop Business in Ethiopia. Addis Tribune.
  3. ^ Getachew, Samuel. One year on, Ethiopian Airlines was set to recover from its worst tragedy—then coronavirus hit. Quartz.
  4. ^ News from Ethiopia Volumes 6-7. Embassy of Ethiopia. p. 3.
  5. ^ a b Verdier, Isabelle. Ethiopia The Top 100 People. Indigo Publications. p. 34.
  6. ^ The 1974 Ethiopian Muslim Rally. Badr newsletter. 2003. p. 3.
  7. ^ Milliot, Eric. Doing Business in Africa From Economic Growth to Societal Development. Springer International Publishing. p. xvii.
  8. ^ Country Report. p. 18.
  9. ^ Ethiopian register Volume 4. Ethiopian register. p. 12.
  10. ^ Guttery, Ben. Encyclopedia of African Airlines. Mcfarland. p. 68.
  11. ^ Demessie, Laeke. ETHIOPIA-TRANSPORT: Shake-up in the Skies. IPS.
  12. ^ Our Leadership. First Consult.