Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia has appointed Ermias Eshetu as chairman of its Advisory Board, strengthening the company’s push to expand Ethiopian leadership within its top governance structures.

Ermias assumed the role succeeding Peter Ndegwa, who remains chairman of the Global Partnership for Ethiopia, the consortium behind Safaricom Ethiopia. He joined the advisory board in March as its first Ethiopian member.

Safaricom Ethiopia said the appointment is intended to reinforce its localisation agenda at a time when the operator is scaling its investment programme and widening its presence in the mobile and digital-services market.

Peter Ndegwa said Ermias brings long experience in finance, governance, and institutional reform, noting his previous leadership roles across technology, banking, and capital-market development.

Ermias previously served as chief executive of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, where he introduced the country’s first electronic trading platform. He was also a founding member and later chairman of Zemen Bank. His work with FSD Africa and as founding chief executive of FSD Ethiopia focused on strengthening financial-sector regulation and market development. Earlier in his career he held roles with IBM, Alcatel, Orange, and MicroStrategy in Europe.

Safaricom Ethiopia said the advisory board, under Ermias’s leadership, will prioritise governance, job creation, and digital-market development in line with the company’s long-term investment strategy.