Zimbabwe’s second largest mobile network operator, Telecel, has for the first time appointed a local to become its chief executive officer, the company has announced.

Francis Mawindi, a veteran technology expert who has more than 20 years experience, has taken over Telecel from Swiss-born John Swaim on Monday. Mawindi has previously headed up business development roles at France Telecom Orange and Verizon in the US.

He holds a BS Engineering (Honours) degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, a Graduate Diploma in Marketing and Marketing Management from the European Marketing Confederation, and an MBA in finance from Howard University in the United States.

Telecel’s move to choose Mawindi as CEO comes after the government of Zimbabwe had for years fought verbal battles with Telecel Zimbabwe, demanding that the company be headed by a local instead of foreigners.