MTN Group announced today the return of Stephen Blewitt to the group as Operations Executive: Markets, effective July 1, 2023. Stephen will be taking over from Wim Vanhelleputte, who is departing to pursue new opportunities outside the company.
In his new role, Stephen will be the Executive responsible for our WECA markets of Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Congo Brazzaville, and also provide general operations support across the same region, reporting into the Senior Vice President: Markets, Ebenezer Twum Asante.
Stephen Blewitt brings a wealth of experience to his new position, having most recently served as the Group Chief Operating Officer of Digicel, based in Kingston, Jamaica. In this role, he oversaw 23 country CEOs and spearheaded key areas such as marketing, information and technology, procurement, financial services, gaming, and digital media. Under his leadership, Digicel achieved notable successes, including the highly acclaimed ‘Best Christmas campaign’ in three years, the introduction of a new market tier structure, and the successful turnaround of the French West Indies market.
Prior to his tenure at Digicel, Stephen served as CEO of MTN Cameroon, where he made significant contributions to the company’s growth and success. He had previously held similar leadership roles in the telecommunications industry, including CEO of MTN Benin and Chief Commercial Officer at Namibian mobile operator MTC. Stephen’s career also includes notable positions such as Chief Executive of 3D Holdings, Managing Director of Autopage Cellular, Marketing and Sales Executive at Telkom Mobile, and Executive Head for Sales and Marketing at MCell in Mozambique.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) in South Africa. He is also a published author of marketing, sales, and business books, further demonstrating his expertise and thought leadership in the industry.
“I would like to express its deep appreciation to Wim Vanhelleputte for his significant contributions to the company.” Said MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita.
“During his time as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Cote d’Ivoire, Wim led the Opco’s impressive recovery and drove notable growth. His departure is sincerely acknowledged and best wishes are extended to him for his future endeavors.”
