Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph is the former Chief Executive officer of Safaricom PLC, a position held from July 2, 2019 to March 31, 2020. He joined the board on September 8, 2008. Michael is employed by Vodafone Group Services Limited as the Director of Mobile Money.

He is also Vodafone’s Strategic Advisor appointed to the Boards of Vodacom Group South Africa, Vodacom Tanzania and Vodacom Mozambique. He is also the Chairman of Kenya Airways.

Previously, Michael was the CEO of Safaricom Limited from July 2000 when the company was re-launched as a joint-venture between Vodafone UK and Telkom Kenya until his retirement in November 2010.

During his tenure, he steered the company from a subscriber base of less than 20,000 to over 16.71 million subscribers. This phenomenal growth straddling nearly a decade was motored by the launch of many innovative products and services such as M-PESA. Today, Safaricom is one of the leading companies in East Africa and one of the most profitable companies in the region.

He has extensive international experience in company start-ups, the implementation and operation of large wireless and wire-line networks, including operations in Hungary, Spain, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Korea, the USA, Australia and the Middle East. Mr. Joseph a U.S. citizen has a B. Sc. (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and is a member of the I.E.E.E. and I.E.E. (U.K.).

He also has an Honorary Doctorate degree (Doctor of Letters) from Africa Nazarene University, bestowed to him in recognition of his contribution to the growth of Safaricom from very humble beginnings to becoming one of the most innovative, influential and profitable company in the East African region.