Executive Leadership Team

Joined 2010

Tom Greenwood joined Helios Towers in 2010, during the Company’s formation, and was appointed CEO in April 2022. He has held numerous positions since joining, including two prior executive positions (Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer).

Tom has overseen many of the Company’s key milestones, including all 15 major M&A transactions, the inaugural 2017 bond and IPO listing, as well as delivering record operational performance for customers. Since 2020, under Tom’s leadership the Company has doubled its tower portfolio.

Tom joined Helios Towers from PwC, and is a qualified Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

Joined 2016

Manjit Dhillon joined Helios Towers in 2016 and was appointed CFO in January 2021. In January 2025, he also took on the role of HT Oman Executive Chair. Additionally, Manjit is the Head of the London Office, with the Sustainability function reporting to him.

Previously, Manjit held the positions of interim CFO and Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Finance. Since joining the company, he has overseen transactions including capital raisings of approximately US$5 billion, significantly reducing the cost of capital, and the acquisitions of multiple tower portfolios across six new high-growth markets. He also played a key role in the successful IPO of Helios Towers on the London Stock Exchange in 2019.

Before joining Helios Towers, Manjit held various positions in the financial services sector, including roles at Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, and Lyceum Capital. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

Joined 2010

Philippe Loridon is Coach & Special Projects Director, responsible for guiding and mentoring senior leaders and emerging talents throughout the company.

Previously, Philippe has held several senior leadership positions within the company. He served as CEO of Helios Towers DRC from 2011 to 2014, then became CEO of Helios Towers Tanzania in 2015. In 2019, he expanded his role to Regional CEO, overseeing DRC, Congo Brazzaville, and Ghana, in addition to Tanzania. Alongside his management responsibilities, he also played a key role in integrating newly acquired markets during that period. From 2021 to 2024, Philippe was promoted to Regional CEO – Middle East, East & West Africa, managing operations in Tanzania, Senegal, Malawi, and Oman.

With 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Philippe has worked with MNOs in San Marino, Israel, and Papua New Guinea. His career includes a tenure as CEO at Equateur Telecom Congo, where he re-launched the company in Congo Brazzaville. He also spent 13 years at Hutchison Whampoa, holding senior roles in sales, marketing, and business development. Philippe first became CEO of Hutchison Sri Lanka in 1998 and later led Hutchison Telecommunications’ Latin American operations from 2000 to 2002. Philippe is a French citizen.

Joined 2020

Sainesh Vallabh is Group Chief Commercial Officer. Before this role, Sainesh held various roles on the Group Exco, including Regional CEO for Southern Africa and Regional CEO for Central Africa, where he led our operations in DRC, Ghana, South Africa, Congo Brazzaville and Madagascar.

As Group Chief Commercial Officer, Sainesh is responsible for the business’ group-wide activities in Sales, Business Development / M&A and product innovation (Digital Network Solutions).

Before joining Helios Towers in July 2020, Sainesh was the Managing Executive of Mergers & Acquisitions for Vodacom Group Limited, where he was responsible for developing and executing Vodacom’s expansion strategy across the continent, a role he held for over seven years. Prior to Vodacom, Sainesh spent approximately ten years as an Investment Banker at HSBC Bank Plc, HSBC Africa, and Rothschild, focusing on advising MNOs on their African expansion and related strategies. He is a citizen of South Africa and a certified Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt.

Joined 2012

Fritz Dzeklo expanded his role in January 2025 to become Regional CEO – West, Central & Southern Africa, overseeing operations in Senegal, South Africa, DRC, Ghana, and Congo Brazzaville.

Fritz had been the Managing Director of Helios Towers Ghana since July 2019 and was appointed as Regional CEO – Central Africa in January 2023, covering operations in Ghana, DRC, and Congo Brazzaville. He joined Helios Towers in October 2012 and has held various senior roles, including Projects Director for Helios Towers Tanzania and Head of Projects for Helios Towers Ghana. Prior to joining Helios Towers Ghana, Fritz worked at Vodafone Ghana.

Fritz is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a citizen of Ghana.

Joined 2021

Allan Fairbairn was appointed as the Group Director of Delivery, IT & Business Excellence in January 2025, expanding his responsibilities from his previous role as Group Director of Business Excellence and Delivery, which he held since January 2024.

Allan plays a key role in executing our Sustainable Business Strategy while leading SHEQ and Property responsibilities. He also oversees the IT function, driving digital transformation and enhancing customer excellence across all services.

Before this appointment, Allan was the Director of Delivery and Business Excellence since April 2022. He joined Helios Towers as Director of Operations and Technology in June 2021, focusing on Performance Engineering and Delivery functions of the Group, including Operations, Supply Chain, and PMO. Allan came to Helios Towers from Aggreko, where he held several senior positions, including Area General Manager for West and Central Africa since 2016, and Operations Director for Africa in the EMEA team for four years prior.

Allan has extensive international experience in setting up and managing technical operations in markets across Africa and the Middle East. He is a Chartered Electrical and Electronic Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, an accredited Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and a British citizen.

Lara Coady was appointed Director of Operations and Engineering in April 2022. In this role, she oversees performance engineering, operations and technology of the company. She joined Helios Towers in 2016 as Group Customer Programme Manager and more recently had held the position of Head of Performance Engineering.

Lara has more than 13 years of work experience in the Africa and Middle East regions. She had held a number of technical positions including Principal Engineer – Performance Management at Aggreko, where she had spent five years prior to joining Helios Towers.

Lara is an accredited Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and is a British citizen.

Doreen Akonor has an extensive HR career having undertaken various roles within Telecommunications, Investment and Financial Services across the UK, EMEA and Africa.

At Vodafone Group, these included being Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Group Senior HR Business Partner for multiple functions in UK, Ghana and Europe and was one of 40 chosen globally for their HR Excellence Programme. Following her time in the telecoms sector, Doreen has worked in private equity focusing on Talent, Diversity & Inclusion, HR strategy and operational performance. With Leapfrog Investments, Doreen was the HR Director for their portfolio companies in Africa & Asia. With Varde Partners, Doreen was HR Lead (Value Creation Group) for their European region leading leadership and organisation initiatives. Doreen was also Chief HR Officer for a leading digital bank in Spain. Furthermore, in a consultancy capacity for Schneider Ross, Doreen has advised the likes of Vodafone and Safaricom on various D&I initiatives and programmes.

Doreen holds a Master’s in Human Resources Management, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development and has completed HR Executive Programme at Harvard Business School and is a member of International Coach Federation.

Joined 2020

Paul Barrett joined Helios Towers plc as General Counsel and Company Secretary in April 2020. Prior to joining Helios Towers, Paul was Director of Legal and Company Secretary at RAC Motoring Services, a position which he assumed in July 2018. Before this, he held interim positions as General Counsel of Helios Towers, Ltd. and Legal Director at Prudential plc. From 2006 until February 2017, Paul was Head of Legal Affairs at Home Retail Group plc, the then parent company of Argos and Homebase and the UK’s largest non-food retailer.

Paul has an LLB (Hons) in Business Law and qualified as a Barrister before moving into industry. He has extensive senior management and board level experience, domestically and internationally, in both listed and private companies. He is a British citizen.

Joined 2015

Gwakisa Stadi was promoted to be a member of Helios Towers Plc Group Executive Leadership as Regional CEO – East Africa in January 2025, overseeing operations in Tanzania, Malawi, and Madagascar.

In January 2024, Gwakisa took on additional responsibilities as Regional Director for East Africa and he had been the Managing Director of Helios Towers Tanzania since July 2021. Before this role, he served as the Finance Director for Helios Towers Tanzania from 2017, where he successfully led and transformed the Finance function, having initially joined as Financial Controller in 2015.

Prior to his tenure at Helios Towers Tanzania, Gwakisa worked as an external auditor at Deloitte Tanzania Ltd. In this capacity, he provided auditing and assurance services to national and multinational corporations across various sectors, including Telecommunications, Financial Services, Mining, Energy and Manufacturing.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Auditing from the University of Dar es Salaam and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA(T)) registered with the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA). Additionally, he is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a citizen of Tanzania.

He is also a Certified Board Director with the Institute of Directors in Tanzania (IODT) and a seasoned finance professional

Joined 2021

Karim Ndiaye joined Helios Towers as Managing Director for Senegal in March 2021, spearheading the launch of operations in the company's sixth market. In his role as Regional Director, Karim also focuses on talent development across OpCos, working closely with our People team to enhance executive leadership programs.

Before joining Helios Towers, Karim was the Regional Asset Management Director for the Meridiam Investment Africa Fund, an infrastructure investment fund. In this capacity, he supported the opening of their Dakar office and managed several large infrastructure projects across West and Central Africa, spanning sectors such as Renewable Energy and Transport & Logistics.

Karim is an accredited Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt with nearly two decades of international experience in senior management roles at companies including Matforce, Ericsson, Aggreko, and Man Energy Solutions. He has delivered power projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and is a Senegalese national.

Joined 2019

Marinus Gieselbach has been the Managing Director of Helios Towers South Africa since June 2020. In his capacity as Regional Director Southern Africa, he also supports our operation in Madagascar.

Marinus joined Helios Towers South Africa as the Operations Director in 2019. Prior to joining Helios Towers, he held executive positions in operations, commercial and finance with Vulatel, Dimension Data Advanced Infrastructure and Plessey. During this time, he delivered various tower, fibre and data centre projects in 12 African countries over a period of 14 years.

Marinus holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Financial Management from the University of Pretoria. He is a citizen of South Africa.

Joined 2022

Maixent Bekangba took on additional responsibilities as Regional Director in January 2025, supporting the Group in delivering key regional objectives. This role is in addition to his position as Managing Director of Helios Towers Congo Brazzaville, which he has held since June 2022.

Before joining Helios Towers Congo Brazzaville, Maixent was CEO of Property Technology Africa, an infrastructure design company specializing in smart buildings and connected cities.

Maixent's extensive experience in the telecom industry includes Telecel, Vodacom and 13 years at Airtel, where he held several senior management roles across Africa. He also served as Chief Commercial Officer and later as Director of Merger and Integration in Chad and Congo Brazzaville, before moving to Madagascar to become Managing Director.

Joined 2010

David Dzigba was promoted to Managing Director – Tanzania in January 2025. Before this role, he served as Managing Director – Malawi from April 2023.

David joined Helios Towers in Ghana as Financial Reporting Manager in 2010. He then became Finance Director from 2014 to 2021. In 2021 April, David took on an international assignment as Launch Director in Malawi, where he successfully established the team and operations on the ground and helped launched the business in March 2022.

David is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ACCA UK, CA Ghana) and holds an MBA from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, as well as a BSc in Business Administration, Accounting from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Joined 2011

Colard Nkole Tshiyoyo became the Managing Director of Helios Towers DRC in October 2022. Previously Colard held the role of Managing Director for Helios Towers Madagascar and Helios Towers Congo Brazzaville. Colard joined Helios Towers in 2011 and has undertaken many roles including Project Manager, Project Director and Head of Performance Engineering. Colard is a Civil Engineer from the University of Kinshasa and, since 2009, has been a Professor Assistant in the Civil Engineering department at the University and a certified Project Manager since 2016.

Colard has over 17 years’ experience in the Telecommunications industry and before joining Helios, Colard was working for Airtel as the Site Supervisor in 2004 and then Project Supervisor in 2006. Colard is a Congolese (DRC) citizen.

Joined 2014

Ahmat Ousmane has been the Managing Director of Helios Towers Madagascar since October 2022. Prior to this appointment, Ahmat held the position of Launch Director, where he successfully worked setting up and integrating new markets in Senegal, Oman & Madagascar.

Ahmat joined Helios Towers in 2014 and has held several management positions in different functions, from SHEQ, Projects, Operations to Business Excellence.

Prior to joining Helios Towers, Ahmat worked as a Quality Manager at Norwest Group International, Glencore & Schlumberger in Chad and abroad.

He holds an Engineer’s degree in Geophysics & Environment from Doukkali University (Morocco) & Oklahoma State University (USA). He is a certified Lead Auditor from the British Standard Institution (UK) and certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Ahmat is a citizen from Chad.

Joined 2021

Jadawy Al Riyamy was appointed Managing Director of Helios Towers Oman in July 2023. Prior to this, Jadawy had held the position of Middle East Business Development Director at Helios Towers since February 2022, successfully engaging customers across the Middle East and supporting the acquisition Omantel’s tower assets as part of Helios Towers’ first expansion into the region.

Jadawy is an experienced Technical and Management Professional with a track record of over 20 years of success in overseeing and delivering strategic projects. He has worked for Emirates Airlines, Motorola, and consulted on Technical Services delivery industries. He attended the University of Strathclyde for his undergraduate engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics Technology and also holds a Masters Certificate from George Washington University in Project Management.

Joined 2016

Amani Keenja was promoted to Managing Director – Malawi in January 2025. Prior to this role, Amani served as the Head of Project and Regional Project Support at Helios Towers Tanzania. With a robust background in project management, Amani has led numerous initiatives that have significantly enhanced the company's infrastructure and service delivery.

Before joining Helios Towers, Amani held various leadership roles in prominent organisations such as Alcatel-Lucent, a Nokia company, and Huawei Technologies. These positions, spanning over a decade, have provided Amani with a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of the industry.

Amani is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a citizen of Tanzania.

Joined 2020

Sima Varsani joined Helios Towers in May 2020 as our first Group Sustainability Manager and helped to develop our sustainable business strategy. She works with teams across the business to drive our positive social and economic impact and to reduce our environmental footprint.

She previously held sustainability roles in consultancy as well as at the GSMA (the mobile industry association), Vodafone and Sainsbury’s.

Sima has a Classics degree from the University of Cambridge and is a British citizen.

Joined 2019

Craig James joined Helios Towers in October 2019, having previously been Head of Information Technology (‘IT’) at Ophir Energy, an African and Asian focused oil and gas exploration and production company. Craig has over 25 years’ experience in the field of Information Technology. He started his career at Barclays, has experience in the Telecommunications sector and previously held roles as Global IT Architect and Head of IT (Asia Pacific) at a FTSE 100 multinational mining organisation. Craig also has consulting experience with BP, AWE and Credit Suisse.

Craig holds IT industry qualifications and has over 18 years’ experience working across Africa. He also holds an MBA Essentials certification from the London School of Economics. He is a British citizen.

Joined 2023

Ravi Suchak became the Group Head of External Affairs & Public Policy in December 2024, leading the company’s engagement with external stakeholders and advocating for its position on key issues. He joined the company as Interim Group Head of Sustainability & Communications in August 2023, where he played a key role in refining its sustainable business strategy.

Before joining Helios Towers, Ravi was Vice President of Public Affairs, Sustainability & Communications - EMEA at American Tower Corporation, where he established and led the government relations, ESG, external communications and crisis management functions for the region. Prior to that, Ravi served as Associate General Counsel, Africa & Asia at VEON, and worked as a corporate and restructuring lawyer at leading international law firms. Additionally, he was a board member of the United States Telecommunication Training Institute, a non-profit, government-industry partnership dedicated to meeting the training needs of ICT policymakers and regulators in developing countries.

Ravi holds a bachelor's degree in Law and master's degrees in European Business Law, International Strategy and Diplomacy (London School of Economics and Political Science) and Sustainability Leadership (University of Cambridge). He is also admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales.