Pan-African telecommunications operator Paratus Group opened its doors in Rwanda recently and is now pleased to announce the appointment of Innocent Mutimura as its country manager.
Mutimura comes to the position with a wealth of relevant experience gained across the East African region, having held senior leadership positions with internet service providers and telecoms companies over the past two decades.
As a satellite engineer by training, Mutimura has garnered his sales, technical and managerial abilities having pioneered many businesses from start-up to going concerns and Paratus quickly pounced on securing a man of this calibre for the top position in their new operations company in Rwanda.
Having been country manager for Augere Rwanda and East Africa regional manager for Core2Africa in recent years, Mutimura has also handled a series of projects for various VSAT solutions companies and directed technical operations for New Artel, all of which has culminated in making him the right man for the job at Paratus.
“I love the opportunity that Paratus has given me here in Rwanda,” said Mutimura. Within a week of starting with Paratus, and with his feet barely under his new desk, Mutimura is already excited about the potential of rolling out Starlink and network solutions to a wide range of industry sectors, including healthcare and education.
“We have so many clients eager for our service, and of course Paratus Group, with its cross-border links and strong regional presence, can offer solutions way beyond mere connectivity,” he said.
Top-flight connections
Mutimura brings not only expertise, know-how and market experience but also a raft of top-flight connections. His industry contacts are already knocking on the door, and while he adopts a subtle pushiness in his sales approach, he is driven by the start-up hunger that has served him so well in the past to achieve great things for Paratus in Rwanda.
“While banking and insurance are surefire industries that we know well and will of course target, tourism is such a huge revenue generator for government we have a golden opportunity here for providing Starlink services – particularly in the more remote areas.”
Read: Paratus opens in Rwanda, launches Starlink services
His parents fled Rwanda in 1959. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, before attending school in Uganda. Now that Rwanda is enjoying greater stability, the whole family returned to the country in recent years and Mutimura could not be happier to be on home soil.
“I love this region and to develop the Paratus business here in Rwanda is really a dream position. I will be working hard to establish this business and make it as stable as the country now is – a place where connectivity and opportunity flourish to an even greater level. We’re on the upward trajectory and it’s great to have the backing of a major group like Paratus in making better, stronger connections and in developing a business that is needed here.”
Paratus Group CEO Schalk Erasmus welcomed Mutimura to the group. “It’s people like Innocent Mutimura who make Paratus great, because with the right people on the ground, the sky’s the limit. We wish Innocent great success with building our business in Rwanda and we will support him every step of the way in that endeavour.”
About Paratus
Paratus Group is committed to raising the bar on providing quality connectivity in Africa. With an eye on the future, the group is investing in infrastructure and establishing itself as a key player in delivering integrated network services across the continent. Among its many and diverse achievements, the group has invested in and launched the East-to-West Africa fibre route, the Express Route from Johannesburg to the rest of the world, and announced “Paratus 500”, which signals the company now has licences to reach half a billion people in sub-Equatorial Africa.
Paratus Group has operations in 16 African countries and employs over a thousand staff and contractors. It connects African businesses across the continent and delivers end-to-end service excellence. The group’s footprint extends beyond Africa to international points of presence in Europe, the UK and the US.
Born and bred in Africa, Paratus is thinking big as it grows its footprint to deliver Africa’s quality network. The group aims to deliver real value and services to communities across Africa while making a positive contribution to transformation in terms of both the people and the environment. Learn more at paratus.africa.
