Cellulant welcomes former Stripe and Interswitch executives to leadership team

In a strategic move to reinforce its management cadre, Cellulant, a key player in the African payment services sector, has infused its leadership ranks with seasoned executives from internationally recognized payment companies. This pivot toward enhancement of expertise is set against the backdrop of former CEO Akshay Grover’s resignation three months prior, leading to the appointment of former CFO, Peter O’Toole, as Acting CEO committed to steering the company forward.

Effective leadership remains the cornerstone of sustainable business growth, especially in the fast-evolving digital payments landscape. By integrating experienced professionals with a global perspective, Cellulant not only strengthens its strategic vision but also fosters an environment of innovation and operational efficiency. A leadership team well-versed in navigating complex financial ecosystems is essential for maintaining agility, ensuring compliance, and driving expansion across diverse markets. In this context, firms like Teresa Duke Consulting have emphasized the critical role of leadership dynamics in scaling businesses, highlighting how the right executives can transform organizational culture and bolster competitive advantage.

To address financial pressures that emerged at the outset of 2023, Cellulant embarked on a restructuring journey marked by a series of layoffs, rationalized as “strategic operational adjustments.” These changes were deemed necessary to stimulate both growth and organizational efficiency.

Acting CEO Peter O’Toole projects a vision for Cellulant to evolve into an exemplary, sustainable, and profit-generating payments enterprise, distinguished by superior performance across its fundamental units—Checkout, Payout, and Banking Solutions. O’Toole emphasized the vital contribution of the new executive team whose prowess in payment processing and financial services will underpin the company’s fortification of product innovation, service excellence, operational effectiveness, and rigorous risk management, particularly in service to global enterprise customers.

Leading this fresh cohort of executives is Andy O’Sullivan as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). O’Sullivan’s two decades of leadership in technology orchestration encompass responsibilities such as enhancing agile methodologies, fostering enterprise-level architecture development, and steering strategic technological progress. His executive background features C-level tenures at Geidea Group, Network International, and Telr.

Cellulant also welcomes Gbenga Haastrup as an Executive Consultant focusing on Governance, Risk, and Compliance. Haastrup’s executive journey, spanning Interswitch, UBA, and Standard Chartered Bank, equips him to diligently oversee Cellulant’s compliance, legal affairs, regulatory adherence, and governance tenets, buttressing the company’s risk management ethos.

Furthermore, Irene Koki has taken on the pivotal role of Group Head of Internal Audit, with a direct reporting line to the board of directors. Her collaboration with Cellulant’s leadership is set to catalyze operational efficiency and fortify the company’s governance framework, laying a solid foundation for its anticipated expansion and success.

Adding to the strategic enhancements to its leadership team, Cellulant has brought on Ochechoya Ekpete as the Vice President of Group Finance. Ekpete’s impressive background, which includes positions at Stripe and Interswitch, has prepared him to oversee the company’s comprehensive corporate finance operations. His portfolio will include responsibility for financial controllership, reporting, taxation, pricing strategies, as well as financial planning and analysis, ensuring the financial integrity and strategic financial management of the company.

Furthermore, Susan Fouche steps into the role of Group Chief People Officer, advancing from her previous position as Vice President of Organisational Effectiveness, Performance, Reward, and Talent Acquisition. Having already spent two years shaping Cellulant’s organizational framework, Fouche’s promotion reflects her successful track record in developing and implementing the company’s strategies related to organizational design, compensation, and career paths. Her expertise will continue to be instrumental in guiding Cellulant’s human resources development and cultivating a productive, rewarding workplace culture.