After two years as MTN Uganda CEO, Mazen Mroue has been transferred to MTN IranCell as Chief Operating Officer. Mroue joined MTN Uganda in 2012, at the height of a mobile money scandal, where the company lost close to 20 billion Uganda Shillings.
He came in to bring back confidence in a company that had been going through bad press at the time. His exit makes him the shortest serving MTN Uganda CEO since the company started operations in 1998.
In his two years, the subscriber base has grown from 7million to 8.8million. MTN Uganda also remains Uganda’s largest telecom company, dominating voice calls, mobile money and internet. MTN Uganda also remains the only profitable telecom company in Uganda.
According to the MTN Group, MTN Irancell is the second largest subsidiary in the 21 countries they operate in. Charles Mbire, the Chairman MTN Uganda described Mroue as one whose “role in Uganda has no doubt been a key catalyst for his ascent” to MTN Irancell.
Irancell has been particularly controversial. The MTN Group was accused by a rival bidder, Turkcell of bribery and solicitation in acquiring a 49percent stake in Irancell.
Mroue will be replaced by Brian Gouldie who has been the chief marketing officer of MTN South Africa.
Describing his time in Uganda Mroue said MTN Uganda has all the right assets and resources available to maintain the steady growth in leading the delivery of a Bold, new Digital world in Uganda.