Global Telecoms Business magazine has ranked WIOCC’s Chris Wood 46th in its 4th annual Power 100 list – a listing of the 100 most powerful people in the global telecommunications industry
The list is compiled each year from nominations by worldwide readers of the magazine - including CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives of the world's major operators, telecom vendors and industry organisations.
Over the last three years, Chris has led Nairobi-based WIOCC’s development into Africa’s carriers’ carrier - with investments in EASSy, EIG and WACS as well as access to some 50,000km of terrestrial fibre in Africa – providing international and African carriers with reliable, affordable and diverse connectivity into, out of and within Africa.
The publication cited Chris’s ‘initiative and determination in forging strategic partnerships with major international players including Bharti Airtel, Global Crossing and Interoute, which have extended WIOCC’s end-to-end services globally.’
Driving networks
He was also recognised for ‘relentlessly driving the interconnection of WIOCC shareholder and partner networks, creating the largest terrestrial fibre footprint in southern and eastern Africa.’
As well as leading WIOCC, Chris was appointed Chairman of EASSy in August 2011. He has been instrumental in securing the system upgrade that will make EASSy the largest provider of capacity into sub-Saharan Africa. This is expected to be operational at the beginning of 2012.
Chris is the highest-ranked executive from an African business in the Power 100 – the others are MTN’s Sifiso Dbengwa (#67), Hannes van Rensberg (#82) from Fundamo and MTN’s Christian de Faria (#83).
