Peter Ndegwa (business executive)

Peter Ndegwa
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Kenya
NationalityKenyan
EducationStarehe Boys' Centre and School
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Businessman and Corporate Executive
Years active1993 - present
Known forLeading Safaricom as CEO & Previously as head of Diageo Europe
TitleChief Executive Officer of Safaricom
PredecessorRobert William Collymore

Peter Ndegwa is a Kenyan businessman, accountant and corporate executive, who is the chief executive officer at Safaricom,[1] the largest telecommunications company in the countries of the East African Community, with approximately 35.6 million subscribers in December 2020.[2]

Before his current appointment, he was the Managing Director for Continental Europe and Russia, at Diageo. He was responsible for Diageo's spirits and beer business across more than 50 countries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia, excluding the United Kingdom and Ireland. The business comprises six business units each with a General Manager.[3]

Early life and education

Ndegwa was born in Kenya circa 1969. He attended Starehe Boys' Centre and School, where he obtained a High School Diploma.[1] He was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics. Later, he graduated from the London School of Business with a Master of Business Administration. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.[4]

Career

Before EABL, he worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, based in the United Kingdom. Ndegwa joined East African Breweries (EABL) in 2004 as the director of strategy, based in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. After eight years at EABL, he was appointed as the Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), in December 2011. He worked there until August 2015, when he was appointed to head Guinness Nigeria.[5] Partly on account of his successes in Ghana and Nigeria, in July 2018, he was appointed General Manager of Diageo’s business in Western and Eastern Europe, including Russia. He was based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.[3][6]

On 24 October 2019, the board of directors of Safaricom appointed Peter Ndegwa as the next CEO, effective 1 April 2020. He is the first Kenyan in that role.[7][8] He took over from former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph, who has been interim CEO of Safaricom Limited since July 2019.[9]

Ndegwa is the next substantive CEO at Safaricom, since the death of Bob Collymore, who died on 1 July 2019.[10]

Personal life

Peter Ndegwa is a married man.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Paul Wafula. "Ndegwa takes reins as Safaricom's first Kenyan CEO". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  2. ^ Business Daily Africa (30 September 2019). "Safaricom market share at lowest level ever". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b Geoffrey Irungu (9 September 2018). "Kenyan picked to head Diageo in Europe, Russia". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  4. ^ Wandiri Gitogo (1 April 2020). "New Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa Takes Over". Nairobi: The Kenyan Wall Street. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b Jackson Biko (20 August 2015). "Corporate hack with leader's soul" (Interview). Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  6. ^ Angeline Mbogo (11 September 2018). "Kenya's Peter Ndegwa Named First African Diageo Head in Europe". Nairobi: The Kenyan Wall Street. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  7. ^ Brian Ngugi and Adonijah Ochieng (24 October 2019). "Safaricom names Peter Ndegwa as new CEO". Daily Nation. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  8. ^ Njiraini Muchira (26 October 2019). "Safaricom gains $40m after appointment of Kenyan CEO". The East African. Nairobi. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. ^ Maggie Fick (24 October 2019). Deepa Babington (ed.). "Safaricom names Peter Ndegwa as new CEO - Citizen TV". Reuters.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  10. ^ Omar Mohammed, Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa (1 July 2019). Keith Weir (ed.). "CEO Collymore, who built Safaricom into $11 billion telco, dies of cancer". Reuters.com. Retrieved 1 April 2020.