Airtel Africa has appointed Carl Cruz as its
new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian subsidiary of
the firm, effective from Friday, May 5, 2023.
A
statement from the telco disclosed that Cruz will replace C Surendran, who was
named Airtel Nigeria CEO on May 5, 2021, noting that this appointment
qualifies Cruz to join the executive committee as the regional operating
director, reporting to the CEO of Airtel Africa, Segun Ogunsanya, who once
occupied the position before heading the parent company.
Commenting on the appointment, Ogunsanya noted that Cruz
brings to Airtel Africa a wealth of business experience, exceptional track
record and strong values, while stating that the new CEO 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.
Cruz has over 31 years of business and corporate
experience from multiple geographies across Africa and Asia. He served as
the chief executive officer and managing director 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.
Prior
to this, he was the chairman and managing director of Unilever Sri Lanka, in
addition to occupying leadership roles in Unilever Philippines and Hindustan
Unilever India.
Throughout
his career, Cruz has managed strategic and directional responsibility in sales,
distribution, customer and brand development, trade development, and commercial
engagement. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the
University of De La Salle, Philippines.
