Peter Ndegwa C.

Background

About Peter Ndegwa C.

Dr. Peter Ndegwa(CBS) is the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom Group PLC, a leading $2.5 billion technology company in Africa serving over 53 million customers in Kenya and Ethiopia, and the pioneer of M-PESA, the world’s most advanced mobile payment system. In April 2020 Dr. Ndegwa joined Safaricom as CEO and was appointed to its Board of Directors. He was later appointed a member of the Vodacom Group Executive Committee. Under his leadership Safaricom surpassed $1 billion in earnings in 2024. Dr. Ndegwa led Safaricom PLC’s expansion into Ethiopia, where Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC launched in April 2021. By December 2024, the network covered 48.5% of Ethiopia’s population, serving 7.1 million customers, with 1.4 million on M-PESA. A champion of sustainability and social impact, Dr. Ndegwa holds the position of Founder of Safaricom Foundation and is a Trustee of M-PESA Foundation. He has spearheaded major initiatives in health, education, and economic empowerment. With over 30 years of leadership experience across Telecommunications, Financial Services, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in Africa and Europe, he has expertise in business transformation, strategy, and finance operations. Beyond business, H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, appointed Dr. Ndegwa as Chairman of the National Steering Committee on Drought Response in 2022, leading private-sector efforts to mitigate the crisis. In December 2023, he was awarded the First Class: Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) for his outstanding service to the nation. In 2024, Dr. Ndegwa was inaugurated as the second Chancellor of Meru University of Science and Technology, amd later received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management. Dr. Ndegwa holds an MBA from the London Business School and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Nairobi. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of ICPAK. Before Safaricom, Dr. Ndegwa was a key executive at Diageo PLC, overseeing operations in 50 countries across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa. He previously served as CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC and Guinness Breweries PLC, where he led major business transformations. Earlier, he spent eight years at East African Breweries Limited (EABL) as CFO, Strategy Director, Sales Director, and Board Executive Director, helping double the company’s value and leading the development of Senator Keg, one of Diageo’s most successful innovations. Dr. Ndegwa began his career at PwC, spending 11 years in financial strategy and business transformation.