Hi Listers
As you are aware , Michael
Joseph (MJ) leaves the office of CEO on 31st of this
month after a 10 year career at Safaricom. As is tradition, we at
KICTAnet bid our members welcome/ farewell and
certainly this list is the tool of choice
supplemented by a bash when feasible . this is what we
want to do starting now – from 10 hrs today the 10th day of
the 10th month of the 10 year of the new century we wish to
take just 10 days to reflect on the MJ’s 10 year safari ---- . As usual
we expect fair and candid thoughts from our hearts and mind and the daily
prompting questions will provide a structure for our discussion
we shall present your candid
views in style to MJ at a suitable time shortly after the closure
of the list discussion----
To kick-start discussion , first
let’s look back over your shoulder - just recall when he
landed in Nairobi in June 2000 and went to work on/at Safaricom. At 17k
customers , with barely 9 base stations , the operator was the smallest
and in the eyes of the potential consumer, an appendage of
the towering TKL of the day . that was then , it’s no more
·
What still lingers
in your mind of MJ early days at Safaricom, his interaction with you ,
the customers , the media, the regulator , competition etc?
·
What factors
shaped MJ’s and Safaricom’s destiny – did
he create the opportunities or was he just smart enough to take advantage
of the situation?
·
In juggling
between competing technologies, customer expectation, staff demands,
government, market competition, what strikes you as MJ’s character that
produces the results we see
·
What do you think he
could have done differently?
·
What actions
did MJ take then that are still inexplicable and you would
want MJ to explain now?
cheers
Muriuki Mureithi