Update: Sylvia Mulinge is back as Safaricom after her appointment was blocked by Tanzanian authorities. Following this development, the giant telco has reappointed her as the director in charge of Special Projects.
Leading telecommunications operator Safaricom has announced the appointment of Sylvia Mulinge as head of Tanzania’s Vodacom effective June 1st, 2018.
Currently, Mulinge serves as the Director of Consumer Business at Safaricom, a position she had held since March 2015.
Announcing the appointment, Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer, Bob Collymore described Mulinge as an outstanding business leader, mentor, and go-getter.
She will be taking over from Ian Ferrao.
Mulinge has over 10 years’ experience in marketing, half of it being in the telecoms industry. She describes herself as having a “keen interest in consumer marketing and brand activation”.
She joined Safaricom in February 2006 after working for Unilever for 9 months and rose from the role of Prepay Product Manager to Head of Retail.
Collymore also announced that Charles Wanjohi will act as the interim Director of the Consumer Business Unit and report directly to him.Wanjohi has over 15 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry.
Her appointment is definitely a boost for gender equality campaigns. It can encourage young girls to aspire for leadership positions that were previously considered to be, or exclusively reserved, for men. Safaricom has been playing a pivotal role fighting gender equality through its various projects. The giant telco is among companies that have demonstrated a commitment to empowering young girls through the WIT program as well as looking into the welfare of young mothers by providing mother-friendly working space.
Sylvia Mulinge Profile
Sylvia Mulinge is currently the Director of Consumer Business at Safaricom, a role she took up after being promoted from the position of General Manager, Enterprise Business.
She began her career in 2004 in South Africa working for Unilever as the Assistant Regional Brand Manager in the laundry division. She was tasked with developing regional activation plans and overseeing rollout across various African countries. Nine months later, she was transferred to Kenya and promoted to the position of brand manager for Sunlight. She held this position for 9 months before officially joining Safaricom.
She joined Safaricom in February 2006 from Unilever and rose from the role of Prepay product manager to Head of Retail, then GM of Safaricom Business and eventually taking her current position as Director, Consumer Business.
Mulinge is a first class honors graduate in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi.
She is a member of the Marketing Society of Kenya and she has won various marketing awards in the industry.
Sylvia has been recognized as an influential figure given how she has risen through the ranks in various companies as well as through her notable accomplishments. In 2014, she was voted as one of the top 40 most influential women under the age of 40 in Kenya by the Business Daily, a daily business newspaper.
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