David Behr will take over as CEO of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) on November 1, as the MTN Group has announced. Previously, Vaughn Naidoo served in an interim capacity for the role.
Behr, who possesses vast knowledge in the enterprise space, including enterprise cloud, cybersecurity, Internet of Things solutions, and platform development, as well as in establishing CoEs, amongst other things, will assist MTN in achieving the enterprise scale it required throughout its 19 operating markets.
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Why this appointment is important to MTN
A Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a centralised unit within an organisation that is responsible for developing and promoting best practises, processes, and standards for the business. This unit is also responsible for driving the development of platform and solution to deploy to business units for execution and client implementation.
Jens Schulte-Bockum, chief operating officer of MTN Group, adds that the ICT solutions are specifically developed to service organisations in one of the most rapidly increasing and constantly evolving sectors within industry at the present time. He emphasises the value of high-performing CoEs for enterprise clients.
“By pulling together best-in-class multidisciplinary specialists, we can drive thought leadership and guarantee fast-task execution while enhancing our organization’s capabilities. This is a powerful value-add to our customers who always expect cutting-edge solutions from us, to help their businesses thrive,” Schulte Bockum said.
According to Charles Molapisi, the CEO of MTN South Africa, Behr will play a vital role in the advancement of MTN’s strategic initiatives, the strengthening of its alliances, and the drive of innovation that enriches the digital experiences of the company’s customers.
Monday’s announcement from the corporation mentioned the following: “MTN’s Ambition 2025 hinges on the development of world-class ICT solutions, a crucial component of portfolio transformation and the creation of valuable digital platforms. Behr’s appointment perfectly aligns with these strategic objectives, particularly in maximizing its strategic alliance with hyper scalers and other essential partners.”
About David Behr
David Behr is one of the most influential internet pioneers and successful businesspeople in Africa. He is responsible for founding ZOL in 1995 and building the company into the most successful internet service provider in Zimbabwe. After Liquid Intelligent Technologies completed its acquisition of ZOL in January 2012, David started working for the company. At the moment, he serves as Chief Executive Officer at Liquid C2.
He is in charge of expanding the Liquid C2 company throughout Africa by forming agreements with international cloud providers, collaborating with local independent software vendors, and making smart acquisitions. He is the driving force behind the company’s idea that “Africa’s Cloud is Liquid,” and he has established an energetic team to deliver the company’s subsequent big growth phase.
Under his direction, his team generates long-term value for their customers by resolving the most pressing technological difficulties faced by those customers through the application of inventive products and solutions. David was brought into the world and brought up in Zimbabwe, although he currently resides in London. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in addition to his Master of Engineering degree from the University of Bristol, where he studied telecommunications and computer technology.