Vivek Badrinath appointed by AXIAN as a non-executive director.

AXIAN, a pan-African telecoms operator, has appointed Vivek Badrinath as a non-executive director.

The Mauritius-based telco announced the appointment yesterday, stating that Badrinath, an experienced telecom executive, previously served as CEO and board chair of Vantage Towers AG for three years.

During that period, he oversaw the formation of the towers company in 2020, its IPO in 2021, and its eventual sale to private equity in 2023. Under his leadership, Vantage Towers managed 88,000 telecom towers in eight European countries.

AXIAN said Badrinath has substantial leadership experience in the telecom industry. In 2016, he became CEO of Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific at Vodafone, where he also served on the executive committee. In this capacity, he also provided oversight to Vodafone’s operations across various regions including the Vodacom Group, India, Australia, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and New Zealand.

Hassanein Hiridjee, AXIAN chairman, commented: “Mr. Badrinath’s leadership in managing telecom infrastructure and driving strategic growth aligns perfectly with AXIAN Telecom’s vision of responsible expansion across Africa.

“We are confident that he will make significant contributions to our mission of enhancing connectivity and improving the lives of communities throughout the continent.”

Commenting on his appointment, Badrinath said he will draw from his experience to play a meaningful role with other AXIAN directors to achieve the company’s goals.

“I firmly believe that together, we can make a substantial and noteworthy impact across the continent,” he said.

AXIAN Telecom serves over 38 million consumers in eight countries: Madagascar, Comoros, Reunion and Mayotte, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.