Vodafone Ghana appoints first Ghanaian CEO

Vodafone Ghana has appointed Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from April 1, 2019.

Mrs Obo-Nai is a member of Vodafone Ghana’s Executive Committee and the first Ghanaian to be appointed the CEO of the company.

She is an Engineer by profession and has 22 years of experience in Information Technology; and extensive commercial experience in the telecommunications industry.

A statement issued by the Communications Unit of Vodafone Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency said until her appointment, Mrs Obo-Nai was the Director of Fixed Business and Customer Operations of Vodafone Ghana and had led the company’s Consumer Business Unit.

It said she joined Vodafone Ghana as Chief Technology Officer and a member of the Executive Committee in January 2011 but prior to that, she had worked for 14 years with Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of Tigo.

Mrs Obo-Nai according to the statement said: “I am looking forward to taking up my new role and leading the company in the next phase of its development. My focus will be to continue to push the boundaries of innovation and position Vodafone as a key challenger in the market.”

“Together with the outstanding staff we have at Vodafone Ghana, I am confident that the company will remain a strong competitor in the industry here in Ghana,” she said.

Mrs Obo-Nai’s appointment follows the preparation of Ms Yolanda Cuba, the current CEO, to return to Vodacom Group in South Africa in April, after successfully serving her three-year tenure, the statement said.

It said during this period, Ms Cuba concluded the acquisition of 4G spectrum, the restructuring of the company’s balance sheet and drove enhanced commercial performance in the market adding that Vodafone Ghana’s shareholder relationships also benefited from her guidance.

The statement said during her period at the helm, Vodafone maintained network superiority and introduced a number of innovative products including the launch of the first ever fibre services To The Home (FTTH) in Ghana, “Ekikimi”, 10x and initiatives like Express WiFi with Facebook to improve connectivity for all.

It said she also helped to ensure a highly engaged customer base to keep Vodafone as the number two mobile operator in Ghana by revenue share, even after the merger of two operators in the market.

Ms Cuba according to the statement said: “I congratulate Patricia on her new appointment. I believe that Vodafone is well positioned and will continue to prosper under Patricia’s leadership. The adoption of 4G technology will bring new services to customers and propel the company to the next level. I have enjoyed my tenure in Ghana and I wish Patricia and the team great success.”

Mrs Obo-Nai holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, an Executive MBA in Project Management from the University of Ghana, Legon, an Executive Education from Insead, France and also from the Kellogg School of Management, USA.

She is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, and a passionate lover of movies.