James Maitai

James joined Safaricom Ethiopia from Safaricom PLC, where his career spanned 16 years, with over 22 years’ experience within the technology sector.

As the Chief Technology Officer, James is responsible for the end-to-end performance of Safaricom Ethiopia’s network and all IT systems.

In his previous role as Director – Network at Safaricom PLC, he provided leadership and accountability for technology network and systems across strategy, planning, building and operating phases.

James joined Safaricom as a Principal Planning and Optimization Engineer in 2006, and has grown through the technology ranks, in the process developing a deep understanding of the Spirit of Safaricom. He possesses strong leadership skills as well as commercial and customer experience acumen, having also served as a Head of Regional Sales and Operations between 2015 and 2019.

Over the course of his career, James has earned industry distinction, and under his leadership, Safaricom PLC’s network was voted the best within Vodafone markets in areas such as availability, stability, reduction of major network incidents, and NPS. Together with his team, he has achieved these milestones while delivering year-on-year Capex and Nopex cost leadership.

He has also led transformation on fixed technology infrastructure, encompassing fiber and home, and overseen technology evolution, including the ‘4G everywhere’ strategy, and 5G rollout.

James holds a B.Sc. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the University of Nairobi, an MBA from JKUAT, as well as several industry certifications. He is also a certified coach and has undergone advanced management programs at Strathmore Business School, Lagos Business School and IESE in Spain.