Attitude matters more than degrees.” — Wim Vanhelleputte Our guest for this episode is Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia. From nuclear engineering to leading telecom businesses across Africa, Wim has spent nearly three decades learning, adapting, and leading across diverse markets. In this conversation, we explore leadership, adaptability, decision-making, and the lessons Wim learned building businesses across Africa. He shares why leaders must listen before they act, why Ethiopia requires its own approach, and why humility, empathy, and attitude can matter more than qualifications in building a successful career. BoA: Visit the Bank of Abyssinia Official Website: https://www.bankofabyssinia.com/ Amibara Properties: You can reach their sales and corporate consulting teams via the following contact lines:- Line 1: +251 901 69 69 69; Line 2: +251 969 36 36 36 To advertise on Meri: https://meri.et/advertise +251974255555 info@meri.et Chapters 00:00 – Intro 03:38 – Origin Story: From Nuclear Plants to African Telecom 14:15 – Leadership Philosophy: "Don't Fix What Isn't Broken" 30:37 – Joining Safaricom Ethiopia 39:05 – Early Mistakes & Managing Expectations 56:27 – Safaricom Today: Growth, Network & Data Strategy 1:19:02 – Building Local Talent 1:34:00 – M-Pesa, Pricing & Competition 1:56:36 – The Future: Satellites & Connectivity 2:07:52 – Culture, Leading in Ethiopia & Personal Leadership Growth 2:53:20 – Rapid-Fire & Closing Thoughts Social Links https://t.me/MERI_PODCAST https://twitter.com/MERI_Podcast https://www.instagram.com/meripodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKNuQ80qNSpt2x-7dsazJg https://youtube.com/@Meriwoch?si=yIpJ3byprnVNwKi1 https://youtube.com/@mericlipset?si=wwa0KeQ_Nv2aPy9l https://www.tiktok.com/@meripodcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/meriethiopian/ Copyright Notice for Meri Podcast: All rights reserved. The content featured in this podcast is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of any portion of this podcast is strictly prohibited. For permission to use our content, please contact us at info@meri.et Thank you for respecting our copyright.