The Cellulant Board of Directors on Monday announced that Interim CEO Akshay Grover has been appointed Group CEO and Director of Cellulant effective October 1, 2021.
The appointment follows an executive search process following the announcement in January 2021 by Ken Njoroge, then CEO of the group, of his intention to step down. Akshay has been acting in his role since April 2021.
“We are delighted to appoint an executive of Akshay’s caliber and experience to this role,” said Cellulant Board Chairman Dr. Sam Kiruthu.
“Akshay brings a broad and diverse industrial experience in the fields of technology and finance.
“While Akshay served as Interim CEO, the Board of Directors were impressed with his commitment to openness, attention to detail, and constant focus on the future of the business.
Akshay has demonstrated that he has the skills, attitude and vision to lead the leadership team to achieve Cellulant’s future and mission.
Upon his appointment, Akshay said he looked forward to making Cellulant Africa’s most prolific and innovative payments platform.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Board of Directors and our exceptional leadership team to maximize this opportunity to generate additional growth and value for all of our stakeholders,” he said.
He said, “Cellulant is well positioned to lead and transform the payments landscape in Africa.
“Our deep connectivity with more than 120 banks and 40 mobile operators on the continent allows us to have an unmatched network on the African continent.
“We reduce friction around payments and in doing so create a transparent way for businesses to collect and make payments.
“Our integrated payment platform caters to both offline and online solutions that drive the success of businesses of all sizes while delivering a superior user experience for the end customer.
Akshay has over 20 years of professional experience in the technology, media and communications industry in emerging markets. During the early years of his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility within the financial advisory teams at KPMG and EY.
Prior to joining Cellulant as Group Chief Financial Officer in January 2021, Akshay was Chief Investment Officer at iSON, a diverse technology group present in more than 30 countries in the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
