Douglas Mboweni
| Dr. Douglas Mboweni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 12, 1964 |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
|
| Employer | Econet Wireless Zimbabwe |
| Known for | Leading one of the most successful companies in Zimbabwe |
| Home town | Masvingo |
| Predecessor | Strive Masiyiwa |
| Website | twitter |
Douglas Mboweni is the current Chief Executive Officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He was the successor of Strive Masiyiwa Econet in March 2002 and has been at the helm of the company since then. Since taking over, Mboweni has overseen the growth of what is now the largest telecoms companies in the country, and one of the largest companies by revenue and profit in Zimbabwe. This is a unique case in Africa where, usually, the leading telecoms company is a foreign-owned firm.
Background
Douglas Mboweni was born on 12 December 1964[1]
Education
Among other qualifications, Mboweni holds a Masters in Business Leadership (UNISA) and a BSc Maths and Computer Science degree from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).[2] In 2019, Mboweni graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Business Leadership from the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU). Mboweni is also a visiting Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg since 2018.
In his PhD thesis titled “Key leadership factors critical to sustainable business viability in volatile operating environments (A Case Study of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited (1998-2017)”, Mboweni proposed what he termed the Leadership-Driven Resilience Model (LDRM), which theoretically proffers possibilities for business leaders to develop sustainable coping strategies in response to extreme business operating environments.[3]
Career
Mboweni was at Chemplex Corporation for 6 years as a Senior Systems Analyst before joining Econet. He joined Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in 1996 as a Billing Manager in April just as the company was starting. He was in the IT department. He was also part of the team that launched the Mascom Wireless network in Botswana and Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN) in Nigeria. He assumed various positions in Econet Wireless International before his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in March 2002.
Mboweni was once a Non-Executive Director by Kingdom Meikles Africa Ltd, and he also served on the board at First Mutual Life Ltd.
Awards
- Zimbabwe’s top manager for 2004 by the Zimbabwe Institute of Management (Zim)
- 2005 Manager of the Year Award, Zimbabwe
Books
- A Dusty Road To Success: Principles of An Extraordinary Life (2021)[4]
Arrest
In November 2004, Mboweni, executive director of customer services and billing, John Pattison, and Econet lawyer Anthony Eastwood, were arrested by the Zimbabwe Republic Police for contravening Section 5 (2) (b) (ii) of the Exchange Control (Regulations) Act (1996).
Mboweni and his co-accused were charged with failing to remit revenue raised through Econet’s roaming facility and raising hard currency on the black market. According to the regulations, a Zimbabwean resident who receives foreign currency should sell it to “an authorised dealer” or pay into “a foreign currency account as soon as is reasonably possible”.[5]
Police said that between March 2000 and September 2004, Econet bought US$1.3m on the black market and was owed over US$3m in deals not yet completed.[6]
References
- ↑ Mr Douglas Mboweni, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ Management, Econet Wireless, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ PhD for Mboweni, The Sunday Mail, Published: December 1, 2021, Retrieved: June 3, 2021
- ↑ Douglas Mboweni, Twitter, Published: June 3, 2021, Retrieved: June 3, 2021
- ↑ Godfrey Marawanyika, Econet bosses face forex charges, The Zimbabwe Independent, Published: March 17, 2006, Retrieved: June 3, 2021
- ↑ Zim nabs Econet execs, News24, Published: November 5, 2004, Retrieved: June 3, 2021
