He became the CEO of MTN Ghana (the 4th largest operation in the MTN Group). Within his first year as CEO of MTN Ghana, Michael instilled a strong commercial business mindset which reversed a slowing top-line growth trajectory to 15% year-on-year topline growth in 2011 and culminating in a record 21% growth in 2012. He developed the Mobile Money business as a strategic differentiator and growth vehicle that inures till today. He also drove a culture change management project to provide a strong institutional foundation for sustained continuous operational excellence. In 2013, he was given the Telecom CEO of the year award at the Ghana telecom awards. In its 25th year anniversary, MTN Ghana celebrated Michael for his “visionary and exceptional leadership” and “contribution to the Organization’s 25-year journey”.

In 2008, he led the transformation of the Sales & Distribution operations to full FMCG regional operations. This transformed the telecom channel landscape by creating regional distribution models, enhanced value creation to the channel and significant increase in sales for the business (average 25% annual revenue growth between 2006 and 2010). MTN Nigeria won an award at its Group Leadership Conference in 2009 for this transformational programme. The new Regional distribution model became the Industry standard in Nigeria.

In an interesting and perharps unprecedented career move, Michael was transferred laterally in July 2005 to the commercial side of the business to become General Manager, Sales & Distribution (Northern Region). By November 2006, he was the Sales & Distribution Executive (Sales Director) responsible for consumer sales in the company and reporting to the CEO of MTN Nigeria as part of the Executive Committee of the company.

Michael was also part of the pioneer Regulatory team in MTN. Michael joined MTN as a Regulatory Adviser in 2001 and grew to be a General Manager in 2004 responsible for regulatory compliance/affairs and managing MTN’s relationship with Government In these roles, he built and managed the Institutional frameworks for MTN’s regulatory relationships and was actively involved in influencing legislative review of the principal Industry legislation in 2003.

Michael was part of the pioneer legal staff in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) that developed the legislative/regulatory framework and processes that birthed the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry. He worked in NCC between 1995 and 2001.