![[Kenya] Michael Joseph honoured for MPESA role](Michael Joseph Safaricom.jpg)
[Kenya] Michael Joseph honoured for MPESA role
Former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph has been ranked third in the premier edition of ‘Business Insider 100: The Creators’ list by online business platform Business Insider that recognizes the top 100 business visionaries creating value for the world.
Joseph who is currently Vodafone’s Director of Mobile Money was feted for his role in the development of MPESA, the mobile money transfer and payment services that has changed millions of lives in emerging markets.
He was named alongside global luminaries including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg who came first and Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz who came second.
"The more money you make, the implication is, the better and more successful you are. We believe this cheapens the mission and sense of purpose that many great business leaders bring to their companies and products.
And it certainly undersells their inspiring accomplishments. Over the course of several months, we scoured the business landscape for inventive leaders making bold moves to create value for four constituencies: shareholders, employees, consumers, and society,” said the CEO of Business insider Henry Blodget in a statement.
Started in 2007 as an alternative to millions of unbanked Kenyans to assist them in receiving and sending money the platform has now grown to have more than 21 million subscribers who transact $150million every day. It also boasts of over 100,000 agents spread across the country.
The platform has grown beyond sending and receiving money to being adopted as a mode of payment by utility companies, schools and banks. Michael Joseph was incharge of Safaricom when MPESA was rolled and is credited with overseeing its success.
The system has been feted globally and is replicated in several countries including Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Other luminaries who appear in the list include Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffet, M-Kopa CEO Jesse Moore, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson.
