Zain Zambia announced the appointment of David Holliday as the company’s new CEO at a press briefing in Lusaka on Monday.
“Following the listing on the Lusaka Stock Exchange in June and rebranding to Zain in August, the company is well placed to continue its leading position in Zambia. I look forward to using my particular skills to full advantage in this exciting market,” Holliday said.
Holliday replaces David Venn, who resigned shortly after the rebranding of the company from Celtel Zambia to Zain in August this year. Venn was the head of Celtel for five year and did not give a reason for his resignation.
The new CEO is expected to continue the expansion and growth of the company throughout the country, but he faces the challenge of improving the company’s network, which has been failing over the past two months. The failing network has prompted the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) to direct Zain to improve its service within three months or face penalties, including the possible revocation of its license.
Holliday, however, promised to make network quality a priority, while Zain CEO for Africa Chris Gabriel noted improvement over the past two weeks. The company will not rest, Gabriel said, until the network problem is resolved.
Prior to joining Zain Zambia, Holliday worked for several fixed-line and mobile telecom companies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, including the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, where he was executive vice president.
Zain is currently the largest mobile service provider in Zambia. The group operates in 22 countries across Africa and the Middle East.
