Africell DRC has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer charged with leading the next stage of Africell’s growth in Africa’s second biggest country.
Kory Webster, an American citizen, most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Africell Angola, a position he held for two years. Kory came to Africell with almost thirty years of experience in the telecommunications sector, including leadership roles at companies including Sprint and Claro in the United States and Caribbean. Kory began his career in the United States military, during which time he travelled frequently to Africa. He brings both a sharp understanding of the telecoms sector and the ability to design, implement and oversee efficient operational processes in frontier markets.
“I’m excited to be joining Africell DRC at this pivotal stage in its development”, says Kory Webster. “Africell is rightly known in DRC as the “reseau du people” – the network of the people. That speaks to the company’s character and culture, as well as the accessibility and affordability of our services. My objective is to maintain these values while continuing to expand our market share in Kinshasa and other critical cities and provinces”.
Africell is the only U.S.-owned mobile network operator in Africa. It is headquartered in London and recently raised $300 million through a debut corporate bond issue. Africell also operates in Angola, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. The company is positioned as the digital partner to the ‘Lobito Corridor’, and ambitious set of U.S.-backed infrastructure projects which promise to boost economic growth and integration in DRC and Angola, as well as neighbouring Zambia.
“DRC is a key growth market for Africell and we need a leader with the experience and capabilities to capitalise on the opportunity”, says Ziad Dalloul, Africell’s Chief Executive Officer, President and founder. “Kory has a deep understanding of commercial and operational aspects of telecommunications and boasts an impressive track record of managing big, diverse teams towards bold targets. As Africell DRC continues its expansion, Kory will deliver our strategy while maintaining Africell’s high standards of reliability, affordability and accessibility.”