Former CEO of MTN
Cameroon, Stephen Blewett has been appointed as the Operations Executive:
Markets for the MTN Group, effective July 1, 2023.
Stephen according to a
statement issued by the MTN Group, will be taking over from Wim Vanhelleputte,
who is departing to pursue new opportunities outside the company.
The statement noted that Mr. Blewett in his new role, will
assume executive responsibility for the WECA markets of Liberia, Guinea
Conakry, Guinea Bissau, and Congo Brazzaville, and provide general operations
support across the same region, reporting directly to Ebenezer Twum Asante,
Senior Vice President: Markets.
“Stephen Blewett brings a wealth of experience to his
new position, having most recently served as the Group Chief Operating Officer
of Digicel, based in Kingston, Jamaica. In this role, he oversaw 20 country
CEOs and spearheaded key areas such as marketing, information and technology, procurement,
financial services, gaming, and digital media,” the statement said.
Prior to his tenure at Digicel, Stephen served as CEO of
MTN Cameroon, where he made significant contributions to the company’s growth
and success. He had previously held similar leadership roles in the
telecommunications industry, including CEO of MTN Benin and Chief Commercial
Officer at Namibian mobile operator MTC.
In 2020, he was voted MTN
CEO of the Year by his peers. Stephen’s career also includes notable positions
such as Chief Executive of 3D Holdings, Managing Director of Autopage Cellular,
Marketing and Sales Executive at Telkom Mobile, and Executive Head for Sales
and Marketing at MCell in Mozambique.
Stephen Blewett holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from
the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He is also a published author
of marketing, sales, and business books, further demonstrating his expertise
and thought leadership in the industry.
“I would like to
express my deep appreciation to Wim Vanhelleputte for his significant contribution
to the company,” said Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and CEO.
“Wim joined MTN in 2009 as CEO of MTN Cote d’Ivoire, and subsequently moved to
Bharti Airtel in 2015. He returned to MTN as CEO of MTN Uganda in 2016, leading
the Opco’s impressive recovery and driving notable growth. His departure is
sincerely acknowledged, and best wishes are extended to him for his future
endeavours.”
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye