Frogfoot Networks, a licensed open-access fibre infrastructure provider, has filled several key senior executive roles that were introduced to reflect the level of maturity of the business and to position it for the next phase of growth.
According to Shane Chorley, Chief Executive Officer at Frogfoot, the new hires formed part of the natural evolution of the business, helping strengthen operations and governance while also affording the company founders the time to focus on identifying and taking advantage of new opportunities in the market. He adds that the roles that were traditionally carried out by the entrepreneurs within the business.
“We have appointed dynamic individuals who bring with them experience from a variety of industry sectors, which we felt would bring a fresh view into the business and help us go beyond ‘the normal’. This executive team will focus on how to make products that are profitable and how to use that profitability to expand fibre rollouts beyond major urban centres and high-income neighbourhoods, into local communities,” says Chorley.
- Chief Operations Officer – Llewelyn Hofmeyr: Hofmeyr started with Frogfoot in 2017 and has been critical to the growth of the business over the last 6 years. He has extensive experience in the fibre network build space and now heads up the whole of Operations.
- Chief Product Officer – David Coleman: Coleman will be responsible for monitoring the analytical data across the company’s network, how to make products that are profitable, and how to use that profitability to expand fibre rollouts beyond major urban centres into low-income areas. “This is a fast-paced industry and is the future – it’s an area where you can really make a difference in the country through expanding access to quality broadband connectivity,” says Coleman.
- Chief Sales Officer – Ulrich Sonn: Sonn has nearly two decades of experience in the telecoms industry, specialising in strategic sales management and developing and executing programmes for sustainable revenue growth through innovative solutions. “I have always thrived under the challenge of finding innovation in the bottom two Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layers. It is inherent in the Frogfoot DNA to use data-driven decision-making to strive beyond the obvious and this is what attracted me to the business. Apart from managing the go-to-market strategy, the success of my role will be measured on the ability to deliver an unrivalled customer experience. It is exciting and refreshing to collaborate with like-minded colleagues, each of which brings to the table a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success,” says Sonn.
- Chief Financial Officer – Javid Sarvan: Sarvan is a qualified chartered accountant and MBA graduate with well over a decades’ involvement in a variety of financial management roles. “There are ~13.5 million homes in SA that currently don’t have access to fibre and the honour of being part of a time that brings it to them is truly exciting. I look forward to bringing my experience and strengths to Frogfoot to help build on its already sterling reputation, and feel privileged to be part of this trailblazing team,” says Sarvan.
- Chief Information Officer – Deon Thirumalai: with over two decades’ experience in IT Thirumalai prioritises positioning IT as an integral and inseparable component of business, and has led the digital paradigm shift in previous positions. “Frogfoot is a well-oiled machine, staffed by enthusiastic individuals who take great pride in making a positive impact on the lives of our clients. Being a part of such a powerful group is a great privilege. With over 20 years of expertise, it’s my job to ensure that our IT strategies, governance structures, and technology support business goals without sacrificing innovation or adaptability. Since I joined the company, I’ve made it my mission to find and implement cutting-edge technical solutions that improve both internal workflows and the quality of the service we provide to our clients. My ultimate objective is to contribute to Frogfoot Networks’ expansion and success through optimising the company’s use of technology,” says Thirumalai.
Chorley points out that employees joining the company get to be part of an exciting growth journey that has contributed to growth in South Africa. Frogfoot is the third-largest fibre network operator in the country in the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) market, in the top five for the fibre-to-the-business (FTTB) market and we have our own National Long Distance Fibre.
“These developments have shifted us from a position where no one knew who we were, to a position where we are a major telco and a dominant provider in the last-mile fibre space. We’ve given South Africans the ability to believe that wherever they are in the country, if there is enough density, they should be able to get fibre. This was unheard of previously, but is now normal thanks to Frogfoot’s focus on secondary cities and towns,” says Chorley.
About Frogfoot Networks
Frogfoot Networks (Pty) Ltd (Frogfoot) is a licensed open-access fibre network provider. With 15 years’ experience in the telecoms industry and widely acknowledged for their technical excellence, Frogfoot intends to play a pivotal role in the growth of fibre to the business and home in South Africa. Funded by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), Investec and Metier Capital, group revenue exceeding R1 billion per annum, and one of the only true open access wholesale fibre network offerings in the market, Frogfoot is well positioned to build and maintain fibre networks that will enable service providers to acquire their own fibre backbones on a shared network.
For more information go to www.frogfoot.co.za.
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