Ethio Telecom Unveils Three Deputy CEOs in Major Leadership Shake-Up
October 21st 2026
New structure divides telecom giant’s operations into three divisions as social media falsely claims Takele Uma has been appointed CEO
Ethio Telecom has introduced a new leadership structure featuring three deputy chief executive officers (CEOs), marking a significant management shake-up at the state-owned telecommunications giant, ETBusinessView has learnt.
The restructuring comes amid mounting speculation over the company’s top leadership, after false reports circulated on social media claiming that Takele Uma, chief executive officer of Ethio-Djibouti Railway, had been appointed to lead Ethio Telecom.
According to information obtained by ETBusinessView from reliable sources, the new structure was communicated to the company’s leadership on Monday night, dividing its core operations into three major divisions covering technology and operations, commercial activities, and resource management and corporate services.
Tsegaye Emanuel, the former head of the Information Security Division, has been assigned as Deputy CEO of Technology and Operation, overseeing approximately five technical departments.
Seid Aragaw, who previously served as chief marketing officer, will lead the commercial division, responsible for marketing, sales and related operations.
Aynalem Albene, formerly chief facilities and fleet officer, has been assigned to head resource management and corporate services.
Sources told ETBusinessView that the three deputy CEOs will initially serve in an acting capacity under the current leadership arrangement. Their assignments follow the appointment of Tariku Demissie as acting CEO by board chairperson Firehiwot Tamiru on Friday.
Several functions, including finance, corporate affairs and communications, customer experience and transformation, and strategy and regulatory affairs, will remain directly under the CEO, according to sources familiar with the restructuring.
Sources said the changes go beyond the creation of the three deputy CEO positions, involving a redistribution of responsibilities and changes to several management titles.
The reintroduction of deputy CEO positions marks a notable shift in the company’s management structure. The positions were dismantled in 2010 when French telecommunications group Orange assumed a management role at the company, sources recalled.
During the tenure of Amare Amsalu, the last CEO of the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation before its rebranding as Ethio Telecom, Firehiwot served as deputy CEO, according to sources.
Firehiwot subsequently left the company following Orange’s involvement in its management and went on to establish her own technology business.
She later returned to Ethio Telecom as its leader before being appointed Minister of Innovation and Technology. She has since returned to the state-owned company as board chairperson, replacing the former chair, who is now Deputy Prime Minister.
Ethio Telecom remains one of the country’s most strategically important state-owned enterprises, playing a major role in government revenue generation, digital infrastructure expansion and national development.
Takele Uma CEO Appointment Claim Dismissed
Separately, social media posts circulating from Monday night claimed that Takele Uma, the CEO of Ethio-Djibouti Railway, had been appointed CEO of Ethio Telecom.
However, sources familiar with the matter dismissed the reports as fabricated, telling ETBusinessView that no such appointment had been made.
One source said Takele himself laughed after being shown the social media post announcing the purported appointment.
“I shared the Facebook post with him, and it made him laugh,” the source told ETBusinessView.
Sources within Ethio Telecom’s leadership also confirmed that the claims were false, rejecting the circulating reports as baseless.
The rumours emerged as the telecommunications giant underwent changes to its leadership structure, adding to speculation over its future management. The new appointments and division of responsibilities signal an important organisational shift, even as the company’s top executive arrangements remain in an acting capacity.SECO
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