Airtel Africa has announced that it has appointed Carl Cruz as the new CEO of its operating unit, Airtel Nigeria.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Cruz replaces C Surrendran, who led the company for the past two years.
Cruz’s appointment is set to take effect from May 5, 2023 (today).
Airtel Africa, a prominent provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, which has a presence in 14 African countries, stated in a press release that Carl Cruz, the new MD and CEO of Airtel Nigeria, has extensive experience in business and corporate affairs spanning over 31 years across Africa and Asia.
Prior to his appointment, Cruz served as CEO and MD of Unilever in West Africa, with responsibility and oversight of three listed operating companies, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Francophone Africa. He was also a board member in the role of executive director in Unilever Nigeria Plc and a non-executive director on the board of Unilever Ghana representing Unilever as a shareholder.
Mr. Cruz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from the University of De La Salle, Philippines, and throughout his career, he has held leadership positions in sales, distribution, customer and brand development, trade development, and commercial engagement.
As part of his new role, Cruz will also join the executive committee as the regional operating director, reporting to the Airtel Africa Group CEO, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, as well as the Board of Airtel Networks Limited (Nigeria).
Speaking on Mr. Cruz’s appointment, Airtel Africa Group CEO, Segun Ogunsanya said:
“Mr. Cruz brings to Airtel Africa a wealth of business experience, exceptional track record and strong values. He has a solid record of accomplishment as a strategic and transformational business leader who thrives on problem-solving and building strong teams to deliver business growth. We look forward to working with him to steer our largest region and to deliver on our corporate purpose of transforming lives.”
Airtel Nigeria, with 60.3 million active subscribers as of February 2023, is one of the largest operating units of Airtel Africa.
