Sudatel axes CEO in wake of Expresso’s poor performance

Sudatel Telecom group has acted decisively to replace its chief executive at Senegalese unit Expresso as the cellco’s poor performance continues to trouble the parent group. Agence Ecofin reports that CEO Emmanuel Hamez has been replaced by Abdallah Said following a swift intervention this week by Sudatel at a board meeting in Dakar. The parent is concerned that Expresso is still losing ground to rivals, market leader, Sonatel (Orange) and in particular, Millicom International Cellular’s (MIC’s) Tigo Senegal. Expresso was in a comfortable second place in the local market in Q3 2013, ahead of Tigo, but as 2014 has unfolded it has been overtaken and left behind by the MIC-controlled rival. Indeed at the latest market rankings for end-August – as published by the regulator, the Agency of Posts and Telecommunications (ARTP) – Tigo, which has now launched a 3G network in Senegal, had a 22.03% share compared to 21.15% for Expresso. Ms Hamez has reportedly been criticised for her ‘poor implementation of the corporate strategy. She was focused on voice [services] at the expense of developing post-paid, or mobile internet value added services which could bring in more revenue for the company’.