New Orange CEO�s growth blueprint
Isaac Pinielo | Friday April 3, 2015 11:53
BusinessWeek: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself?
Benon: I was born in Benin. Although I now reside in in Botswana, I have dual citizenship of France and Benin.
BusinessWeek: What are your educational qualifications?
Benon: I have a Masters Degree in Telecommunication Engineering and I obtained a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Computer Science from Telecom Paris-Tech in France.
BusinessWeek: What is your view on the telecommunications sector in Botswana in comparison to that of the Central African Republic and Benin?
Benon: In Botswana, the government is making direct investments to develop telecommunication infrastructures – Fibre optic links deployed via BoFiNeT (Botswana Fibre Networks) is a good example – and this is very good for the sector and customers.
BusinessWeek: What do you think about technology in this country considering that Botswana still seems to be lagging behind in terms of technological advancement?
Benon: I do not think the country is lagging behind even though there are areas that need improvement. The government of Botswana has dedicated resources to pave way for technology advancements and uptake. We see this commitment through the proposed broadband strategy, e-government initiatives, setting up BoFiNeT and the introduction of the Universal Access Fund.
The ICT Regulatory environment is accommodative as we have seen local operators launch 3G and now 4G while in some other countries the regulators have not or have only recently awarded 3G licences. However, there is a need for skills and competencies transfer on technology. Recent practices and trends need to be incorporated into the syllabus for ICT students in order to achieve innovation in technology.
BusinessWeek: What do you intend to bring to the organisation that you feel your predecessors did not bring?
Benon: Our brand is consistent and we have a global vision, which we must fulfil, this is embraced by all CEOs. My predecessors did their part; I have to take over from where they left. The main intention is provide innovative and relevant products and services coupled with world-class customer experience.
BusinessWeek: Any changes you intend to make in the company?
Benon: We completed a dialogue with our stakeholders through a stakeholder perception survey. This has informed us what to expect from our stakeholders and what they really need. This will now shape how we relate to our customers, how we integrate with the community, how we contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and how to become a more inclusive business.
BusinessWeek: Mobile phone customers are always complaining that mobile operators rip them off in terms of tariffs and fees. How do you intend to tackle such issues?
Benon: We intend to educate our customers on the products and services we offer, especially broadband services. We will also simplify our offers and continue to offer our customers flexible options.
BusinessWeek: What challenges have you faced so far since you took over as CEO and how do you handle them?
Benon: We regularly face network challenges due to electricity disruptions and theft of backup batteries. Our technical teams are always on standby to address the network disruptions to keep customers connected. We have also invested more in batteries to replace the stolen ones. We are also considering alternative power supply. In terms of battery theft, we are in contact with communities to see how best we can collectively curb this problem.
BusinessWeek: A leader must be equipped with a set of competences necessary to perform his/her role. Which one would you say is the most important ability a leader should have?
Benon: Being a visionary and forward looking.
BusinessWeek: Where do you think the most significant growth will occur in the company in the next few years?
Benon: We expect a shift towards data and Internet services. The demand will grow and this will be our focus for the next few years.
BusinessWeek: How do you expect to manage this growth?
Benon: We will continue to introduce affordable smartphones to allow as many people as possible to be able to access broadband Internet. Currently, we have the Orange Pixi and Orange Roya the most affordable smartphones on 3G and 4G respectively. Orange will also support local mobile application developers to encourage development and consumption of local content. We will continue innovating and bringing value added services to the nation.
BusinessWeek: Will this growth have any impact on any other areas of the business?
Benon: It will augment the business and enhance the technical skills of our employees as we launch new data products.
BusinessWeek: What are your top priorities?
Benon: Employees - We are going to create a sustainable environment to improve the motivation and happiness of our employees, and most importantly, we are going to work on developing their skills and leadership and making sure that they are taking more responsibilities. I am going to provide our employees with an international exposure, which is fundamental for their professional growth.
Innovation - My ambition is to make Orange Botswana the most innovative operator. And, for that, we will continue to be the first to introduce key technologies into the market. In the past, we have been the first to offer 3G services in Botswana.
We have been the first to launch a Visa card linked to mobile money services. And last month, I am proud to say that we were the first operator to launch 4G technology, another ground breaking innovation from Orange Botswana.
Customer experience - We aim to deliver world-class customer experience in the market. Orange Botswana will achieve this by focusing on providing the best network in terms of quality of service, providing the best customer relationship in our shops and through our call centre, and also, we are going to digitalise the customer relationship allowing our customers to access all features via Internet and via their mobile phone.