Selected Work · 2004–2014

Verizon Business to MTN Business

A period of operating inside increasingly large organisations, combining commercial responsibility, technology leadership, acquisition work and a complex transition into MTN Business.

OrganisationsVerizon Business, MTN BusinessFocusTechnology, integration, commercial strategy

Verizon Business

Keeping an African operation effective inside a global telecommunications company.

The global business changed ownership and identity several times before Verizon acquired MCI in 2006. The African operations were subsequently integrated into Verizon Business.

The South African operation had remained resilient, retaining strong technical capability and a clear focus on corporate services. The role combined commercial and technology responsibilities, covering costing, pricing, product business cases, customer specific designs, capacity planning and capital planning, alongside responsibility for technology teams.

Commercial and technology leadership

Bringing commercial judgement and technical delivery together.

The technology portfolio included Server Operations, Developers, Network Systems, Business Analysts and general IT infrastructure. At the same time, the commercial work required detailed understanding of costs, pricing, product economics, capacity and capital requirements.

A matrix reporting structure created links into different global functions, providing an opportunity to influence local market strategy while operating within a global organisation.

Technology leadershipProduct economicsCapacity planningCapital planningStrategy

MTN Business acquisition

From acquisition evaluation to integration.

Based on the growth and efficiency of the local operations, several companies expressed interest in acquiring the African business. The role included participation in the bid evaluation process, and the operation was sold to MTN SA to incorporate into MTN Business.

The subsequent migration became one of the most demanding technology programmes of the period. The development environment had to connect a highly varied ISP product portfolio with the systems and processes of a large mobile telecommunications business.

Integration

Protecting flexibility while moving into a different operating model.

The ISP business had developed many product sets, variants, monitoring systems and reporting systems. The migration therefore required substantial integration work, particularly within the development team.

The source account describes major projects, significant savings through bespoke development, and a largely seamless experience for customers. It also identifies a lasting lesson about agility. Flexible working practices and rapid decision making had been part of the organisation's culture long before they acquired formal labels.

Career archive

Two very different organisational environments.

The Verizon and MTN years provide a useful contrast with the earlier UUNET period. The technology remained central, but the leadership challenge shifted from rapid entrepreneurial growth to operating, integrating and transforming technology within much larger organisations.

Verizon Business article →MTN Business article →

Internet Africa to UUNET SA →