Calling Cards, Telkom Kenya & Building A Successful Career - Snehar Shah | Coffee Pump (E108)

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On E108, I sit down with Snehar Shah, CEO of IX Africa Data Centres in Kenya, a serial operator whose career runs from electrical engineering to chartered accountant to telecom CFO to four startups.He came back to Kenya in 2008 to turn around Telkom Kenya, where he was handed the job of cutting the workforce from 20,000 to 3,000. We get into the real origin of M-Pesa, how Vodafone built it on a UK government grant while everyone else scrambled to copy it, and the regulation fight the data centre industry just won this week. From Eaton Towers to solar to scaling Kenya's biggest edtech, Snehar has had a hand in a lot of what's shaped the market.We talk about:- Growing up in Eldoret and being schooled in the UK- Engineering at Imperial, then qualifying as an accountant at PwC- Turning around Telkom Kenya and cutting 20,000 staff to 3,000- The real origin of M-Pesa and why rivals couldn't copy it- Building Orange Money with Equity Bank, which became Equitel- Eaton Towers and selling 8,000 masts to American Tower- The solar business powering 300,000 rural homes- Scaling Moringa School into the region's biggest edtech- The data centre regulation fight and the win this week- The Helsinki trip and meeting President Ruto at Nokia HQ- Why Kenyan engineers keep getting hired abroad- ESOPs and why they are still rare in this part of the world- Running a full marathon at 50, sub five hours by five secondsHope you enjoy the episode.Best,Team Coffee PumpOur Coffee and Tea Is Launching Soon!! Keep An Eye Out On Our Website:https://coffeepumppodcast.com/shopJoin Our Membership and get access to videos early:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/joinFind Snehar Shah:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snehar-shah-cfa-798371- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seemasnehar- Moringa School: https://moringaschool.com- Music Beats Covid: https://www.facebook.com/musicbeatscovidFind our host Sajid Vayani:- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayaniCoffee Pump Spotify, Apple and Socials:- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/s