Collymore answers final call at 61

Former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph reacts during a media briefing following the death of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

When Bob Collymore took over at Safaricom, many people wondered whether he would fit in the shoes of his predecessor Michael Joseph.

Collymore did not seem to like the question and often told journalists he had no intention of fitting in anyone’s shoes but his own.

In the years that followed, the man who was born in Guyana proved that he was indeed his own man, steering Safaricom into a diversified growth path that not only guaranteed its survival in the here and now, but also in the years to come.

This is clear, not just in the numbers but also innovations that the mobile phone firm has churned under Collymore’s watch.

Management structure

He put in place a management structure that did not rely on the man in the corner office for direction.

Away from the boardrooms, Collymore also projected Safaricom as a humane outfit. Thus, while it had its own numerous battles with competitors, regulators and even subscribers, the CEO still managed to give the giant telco a human, caring face.

This was through efforts such as establishing the M-Pesa Academy, sponsoring regular jazz shows and channeling the proceeds to charity.

Collymore passed for the cool boss in town, being one to fly himself in a chopper on one day and play a matatu conductor in another.

In the words of Michael Joseph, who today serves in the firm’s board, Collymore achieved a lot while being different, perhaps a major lesson on succession in Kenya’s corporate world.

“Nobody expected this (his death) to happen so soon, although we knew he was ailing in the recent weeks. He took the company from where it was when he arrived in 2010 when he took over from me to another level. I think we have been fortunate and lucky that Bob understood what the company was all about, its DNA and took it to another level,” said Michael Joseph.

“We all experienced Bob – his largeness, his enthusiasm, his affinity with people and that is what has driven this company. We should celebrate the life of Bob, the achievements he had at Safaricom, which were in a very different way to what I did. He probably did it in a bigger, humane and open way,” he said.

Paid tribute

Nicholas Ng’ang’a, Safaricom’s board chairman, paid tribute to Collymore for the battle he fought, his attempts to intensify the fight at the country level, all the while making himself available for Safaricom whenever he could.

“It is a very sad day for us. It is not something that we were expecting, but we have to accept reality. Bob was very brave in telling the country what he was going through. It’s not easy to reveal such personal details, but Bob did it,” said Mr Ng’ang’a.

“He fought cancer with great fortitude and courage, with everything he had, and he continued to give leadership to the company, for which we are truly grateful,” he said.

Collymore was first diagnosed with cancer in October 2017 and sought treatment in London, which he underwent for nine months. He resumed work at Safaricom in July last year, and continued with treatment at different hospitals locally and more recently at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.

He spoke of the toll that the illness had taken on him and his relations both at personal and professional levels. Among the first things he did following his return to Kenya was a public talk, which was initially primed as a get together of sorts between the Safaricom Chief Executive and the firm’s partners.

Then he spoke of the need to do more for cancer patients in Kenya at a personal level, having gotten a different perspective from the diagnosis and treatment regime. It was perhaps because of this that he was appointed as a board member for the National Cancer Institute.

“I’m fortunate that my wife stuck with me, she went to London, stayed through the miserable winter and she was there every day. Wambui made a big sacrifice, and spouses usually do make big sacrifices, we cannot underestimate how important that is for the patient,” he said.

In a past interview with The Standard, Collymore said above the perks he got for making billions for Safaricom’s shareholders, working with the community had been more satisfying.

“Many people will not remember the profits a few days from now, but we will remember the school that we have built in one corner of the country or the Sh250 million dam we are putting up on another side of the country,” he said.

Succession plan

Safaricom’s board chair said the firm had started to put in place succession mechanisms before eventually hiring Collymore’s replacement.

While Collymore was seeking treatment, Sateesh Kamath, the firm’s chief finance officer, and Joseph Ogutu, director of strategy and innovation, were jointly overseeing operations.

“Although the details of his condition were not always public, the board was aware of the need to have a succession plan in place, and we shall be giving the way forward within the next 24 hours,” he said.

Collymore will be buried today in a private ceremony.