Safaricom hires former Equity executive to head M-Pesa

Safaricom has hired Ron Webb as its new Director of Financial Services, replacing Betty Mwangi who left the firm in March.

Mr Webb joins the listed telecom operator from Equity Bank where he had served as the in the bank’s mobile division Equitel, growing the bank’s mobile money platform. .

Commenting on the appointment, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore said the new financial services director will be expected to provide overall leadership for Safaricom’s financial services portfolio, which includes the mobile money transfer service M-Pesa as it approaches its tenth year of operation.

“Ron is passionate about the ability of digital financial services to transform lives though financial inclusion. This vision aligns very closely with our aspiration to create transformative mobile solutions for Kenya and to deepen the use of financial services as they continue to evolve,” Mr Collymore said.

Equity Bank has been stepping up competition, clawing to gain market share in the lucrative mobile money market. By March 2016 Equitel customers had transacted Sh62.5 billion on the platform. During the same period, the bank processed loans worth S14.1 billion.

Prior to joining Equity Webb also served as the group technology officer for the Paynet Group with over 30 years of experience.

Safaricom has over the years invested heavily in improving the M-Pesa system to process a higher number of transactions as well as settle bank transactions in real time.

Mr Webb will also be tasked with conceptualizing, creating and growing the company’s growing mobile payments ecosystem to ensure market leadership, while meeting customer requirements.

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M-pesa Safaricom equity bank Bob Collymore Equitel Betty Mwangi financial services division Ron Webb

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