Ericsson appoints new West Africa, Morocco VP

Swedish multinational Ericsson has appointed Majda Lahlou Kassi as the vice president and head of Ericsson West Africa and Morocco, effective from January 2024.

In its announcement, the company said that after nearly 25 years at Ericsson, Kassi would play a critical role in directing the strategic direction and operational excellence of Ericsson's business in the region.

"Bringing a wealth of experience, [Kassi] has spent over two decades holding various senior leadership positions, showcasing her expertise in technology, sales, strategy, operations, and customer project delivery," the company said.

In addition, it said Kasi was previously head of Networks Solutions at Ericsson West Africa and Morocco, where she led a team responsible for driving client network evolutions across 13 countries.

"I am excited to take on this new role, collaborating closely with our partners and customers to unlock the vast potential of digital transformation in West Africa," Kassi said about her appointment.

She takes over from Nora Wahby, who was appointed as head of Customer Unit Northern and Central Europe for Ericsson in September 2023.

Ericsson's African movements

Ericsson says it has always believed that diverse, inclusive teams promote performance and creativity to produce more business value, and Kassi's appointment aligns with this philosophy.

Ericsson's former vice president and head for West Africa and Morocco, Nora Wahby. (Source: Ericsson)

Furthermore, her appointment is in line with Ericsson's recent African movements and predictions.

In recent years, the company has been pushing further into the mobile financial services (MFS) space, providing the underlying technology to major fintech brands like MTN Mobile Money (MoMo).

According to the Ericsson Mobility Report released in November 2023, sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to have 1.1 billion mobile subscriptions by 2029, and 760 million – or 67% of those – will be smartphone subscriptions.

Ericsson has also been involved in other African markets and has partnered with MTN to provide mobile broadband services to remote rural areas in Benin using solar power solutions in July 2023.

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*Top image is of Ericsson's newly appointed vice president and head of West Africa and Morocco, Majda Lahlou Kassi. (Source: Ericsson)

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa