Mickael Ghossein pushed out of Telkom Kenya

Telkom Kenya (Orange) has announced the appointment of Vincent Lobry as the company’s new chief executive, taking over from Mickael Ghossein with immediate effect.

Lobry, who has been with the Orange Group since 1998, moves to Kenya from Poland, where he was the senior executive VP of Orange Polska, that country’s largest operator.

Ghossein, who has been at the helm of the struggling telco for five years, has been appointed senior VP of Orange Business Services, Middle East.

His departure comes months after the replacement of several other managers. They included CFO Yvan Ridard, CTO Alain Bridard, chief sales and marketing officer Xavier Villegas and head of marketing Bertrand Vuillemin.

At the time Ghossein denied reports he would be leaving by September.

Orange, which owns 70 per cent of Telkom Kenya, has been in talks with various suitors for months about a partnership in its Kenya and Uganda businesses.

Telkom Kenya has also begun talks on an out-of-court deal with former employees claiming Sh3.2 billion (US$33 million) in severance pay in a bid to clear the way for a sale.

The government of Kenya, through holds a 30 per cent stake in the Kenyan telco.