- The Managing Director of MTN Uganda, Sylvia Mulinge, has been recognized as the best CEO across all 20 countries in Africa where MTN operates.
- Julian Mulinge was honored with a prestigious recognition at the MTN Global Leadership Gathering gala dinner held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Prior to joining MTN Uganda, Mulinge held pivotal leadership positions at Safaricom, where she had a tenure of 15 years
SMT Uganda's Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Mulinge, has been recognized as the best CEO across all 20 African nations where the telecommunications giant operates.
Mulinge was honored with this prestigious award at the MTN Global Leadership Gathering (GLG) gala dinner, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the previous Thursday evening.
"On my own, I'm totally taken aback and holding on to see what the Lord has done; it's simply incredible to reconfirm," Mulinge said after the award.
During his tenure as head of MTN Uganda, which began in 2022, Mulinge has been instrumental in driving the company's growth, enhancing its innovative capabilities, and prioritizing customer satisfaction through improved service delivery.
Her leadership has established the company as a standard for other firms in the telecommunications industry, staying ahead in Uganda's highly competitive telecommunications market.
This recognition comes after another significant achievement in her career, as she was recently named Uganda's Leading and Most Admired CEO in CEO East Africa Magazine's 2024 survey.
She has earned widespread admiration in Uganda's business world, coming from both her industry colleagues and the local business community.
MTN Uganda has continued to excel under the leadership of the Chief Operation Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte's successor, Wim's boss, Yaw Afrifa, has reportedly been especially pleased with Mulinge's leadership, crediting his strategic connectivity vision.
Under Mulinge's guidance, MTN Uganda has not only solidified its market leadership but also received numerous prestigious awards at the GLG gala, including:
- Group President and CEO Award - Y'ello Care, which recognized the impact of MTN Uganda's '30 Days of Y'ello Care' employee volunteer programme, which has made a significant contribution to social development.
- Million Dollar Award, representing the Best Operating Company of the Year, highlighting the company's dedication to operational excellence, aligned with the Ambition 2025 strategy.
- A Value-Based Capital Allocation Award, which identified strategic investments that generate long-term, sustainable value for stakeholders.
Sylvia Mulinge's experience
Prior to joining MTN Uganda, Mulinge occupied various senior roles at Safaricom, the largest telecommunications company in Kenya.
She served as the Chief Consumer Business Officer, the Chief Customer Officer, and Director of Consumer Business, among other positions, that she held at Safaricom from 2006 to 2021.
Prior to joining Safaricom, she had also previously worked at Unilever. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a BSc in Food Science and Technology in 2000.
Mulinge took up his position as MTN Uganda's chief executive on October 1, 2022, following the departure of his predecessor, Wim Vanhelleputte, who assumed a regional role within MTN Group.
MTN operates in 20 countries across Africa, which include Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Zambia, Sudan, Rwanda, Malawi, Namibia, Benin, Togo, Chad, Zimbabwe, and South Sudan.