High-Profile Exit Rocks MTN SA as Chief Sustainability Officer Steps Down

MTN South Africa has faced another executive shakeup as Jacqui O'Sullivan, the telecom giant's Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, has resigned from her position. The news was disclosed to the staff in a message from MTN SA CEO Charles Molapisi.

O’Sullivan, who has been with the company for six years, played a pivotal role in growing and enhancing the reputation of MTN SA. Her exit marks another high-profile departure as the company has been experiencing a wave of executive turnovers since the stepping down of former CEO Godfrey Motsa in January 2022.

Charles Molapisi has acknowledged O’Sullivan’s significant contributions in his message to employees, emphasizing her success in building a competent team capable of maintaining the high standard of professional support that the business requires.

According to Molapisi, O’Sullivan is set to leave MTN at the end of February, while remaining available to the company until the end of June 2024, abiding by the executive notice period.

The departure of Jacqui O'Sullivan is seen within the context of an ongoing metamorphosis in MTN SA’s executive landscape, which has been ongoing for over a year. Other notable exits include the former CTO Giovanni Chiarelli and Supersonic CEO Calvin Collett, who both departed concurrently with Motsa. Collett's successor, Megan Nicholas, also left her role in April 2023, and in August of the same year, Chiarelli’s replacement, Michele Gamberini, resigned as the Chief Technology and Information Officer.

This pattern of departures suggests a period of significant internal changes within MTN SA. Each of these executives had been instrumental in shaping the strategies and operations of MTN South Africa, thus posing a challenge for the company in maintaining continuity and momentum.

As with any departure of this magnitude, the focus is now on how MTN SA will navigate this executive turnover and what the strategy will be moving forward. The company is likely to be seeking stability and continuity in its leadership to maintain its position in the highly competitive telecom market.

For now, MTN SA will continue to operate under the guidance of the remaining executive team while exploring potential candidates to fill the vacuum left by O’Sullivan's impending departure. The telecom company's next moves will be closely watched by industry onlookers and stakeholders as it continues to adapt to the evolving market and internal changes.