After a year as CFO of M-Pesa Africa, Haytham Ammar has moved to South Africa to take up the position of CFO of Vodacom’s international business.
In his new role, effective June 2024, Haytham will be a portfolio CFO responsible for Vodacom’s finance teams in DRC, Tanzania, Mozambique and Lesotho.
Growing up in a family of doctors, Haytham’s interest in commerce was piqued by the entrepreneurial aspects of running a pharmacy. His initial forays into trading, facilitated by trips to Europe, laid the foundation for his passion for business and commerce. These early experiences shaped his career aspirations, steering him towards managerial finance during his university years.
Haytham’s professional journey began in the banking sector but quickly transitioned to the corporate world, joining Nestle as an accountant in 2005. This role underscored the importance of a robust understanding of accounting for finance professionals.
His move to Vodafone as a reporting analyst marked a significant shift, aligning with his university aspirations of managing business information and data analysis. At Vodafone, Haytham excelled in analysing performance metrics and network traffic, providing crucial insights for commercial and pricing teams, which further honed his financial and business acumen.
In September 2019, Haytham took on the role of CFO at Vodafone Ghana, a position that allowed him to integrate his expertise in accounting, business and managerial finance. Over three and a half years, he navigated a challenging business environment, focusing on transforming a non-performing entity into a high-performing one. His tenure saw significant achievements, including leading the transition to new technologies within budget constraints and overseeing the mergers and acquisitions process that resulted in new investment in the Ghanaian market.
Despite the personal challenges of relocating his family, Haytham values the multicultural experiences his children have gained. His career highlights include fostering a collaborative and passionate work environment and successfully steering Vodafone Ghana through the pandemic.
For Haytham, success is about evolving dreams, personal growth, and making a positive impact on society, encouraging younger individuals to embrace failure as part of their journey towards achieving their goals. His new role will allow him to have an even greater impact across multiple territories.
