Hendrik Kasteel is the new Chief Executive Officer of MTN Cameroon, as announced by Colin E. Mukete, President of the company's Board of Directors.

Kasteel, whose nomination is believed to have taken effect from 17 September 2018, replaces Saim Yaksan who has served the multinational mobile network service provider since February 2018.

Yaksan became MTN Cameroon's Interim CEO following the resignation of South African-born Philisiwe Sibiya.

The new boss of MTN Cameroon has been tasked by the Board to keep the company on the track of economic growth.

Kasteel will also have the responsibility of reinforcing the position of MTN Cameroon as leader of Cameroon's telecoms market where competition is increasingly intense with Orange, Nexttel and Camtel competing for market share.

The newly appointed CEO takes over the helm of MTN Cameroon when the company is in a legal battle with Express Union over mobile money transfer services.

The company will also have to up its game in mobile money operations as two operators – Nexttel and YUP Cameroun – were granted licences for mobile money services earlier this year.

Other operators, including YooMee, are gearing up to take over mobile internet service provision in the country.

Statistics from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications show that MTN Cameroon invested FCFA 39.5 billion in 2016 and had a total of 651 staff in the country same year.

Prior to his appointment Kasteel was Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Algeria.

He has also served as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer for Euronet Communications; a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.

The executive has over 25 years of experience in the telecoms, media and online sectors and holds an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland, and a Bachelors Degree in Economics from Utrecht University.