MTN Group and MTN South Africa have appointed David Behr as the new CEO for the ICT Centre of Excellence (CoE), effective 1 November 2023.

Behr will succeed Vaughn Naidoo, who held the interim position.

In the context of ICT enterprise, a CoE is a centralised unit within an organisation that’s responsible for developing and promoting best practices, processes and standards for the business.

MTN Group chief operating officer Jens Schulte-Bockum emphasises the value of high-performing Centres of Excellence for enterprise customers.  “ICT solutions specifically designed to service enterprises is undoubtedly one of the most fast-developing and ever-evolving sectors within business today.

“By pulling together best-in-class multidisciplinary specialists, we can drive thought leadership and guarantee fast task execution while enhancing our organisation’s capabilities. This is a powerful value-add to our customers who always expect cutting-edge solutions from us, to help their businesses thrive,” Schulte Bockum says.

Charles Molapisi, CEO of MTN South Africa, comments: “David Behr’s exceptional career and deep industry knowledge make him the ideal choice to lead our ICT Centre of Excellence. He will play a pivotal role in advancing our strategic initiatives, strengthening our partnerships, and driving innovation that enhances our customers’ digital experiences.”

Behr founded one of Zimbabwe’s initial Internet service providers (ISPs) in 1995. In 2012, he joined Liquid Intelligent Technologies. He is currently CEO of Liquid C2.

Behr holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bristol in the UK.