BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Jordaan is an Independent Chairman of Optasia. He joined the Board as a Director in April 2025. He served as CEO of First National Bank (FNB) from 2004 to 2013, where he led the bank’s transformation through innovative technology and customer-focused strategies.

After his tenure at FNB, he founded Montegray Capital, a private investment firm backing startups in fintech, data analytics, education and health. He is also the co-founder and chairman of Bank Zero, a digital mutual bank committed to affordable, transparent, and customer-centric banking.

Salvador was appointed as the Optasia’s Chief Executive Officer in 2025. He brings over 30 years of international leadership experience across the telecommunications, technology, and fintech sectors.

Prior to joining Optasia, Salvador served as CEO of e& enterprise, where he led the carve-out and rapid expansion of the enterprise arm of e& (formerly Etisalat Group). Under his leadership, the company executed an accelerated growth strategy built on targeted M&A and strategic partnerships.

Earlier in his career, Salvador served as Group Chief Business Officer at e& for eight years, following over a decade with Telefónica. There, he held senior leadership roles including CEO of Telefónica O2 in the Czech Republic and Managing Director of Telefónica Empresas in Spain.

Salvador currently serves on the boards of Bakcell and RAKEZ. He holds an Industrial Engineering master’s degree from UPM, an Executive MBA from IE, and a PDG from IESE Business School.

Mariusz joined Optasia in 2020 as the Chief Financial Officer. He has more than 25 years of experience in managing finance operations in various corporates and banking and insurance consulting firms globally.

Most recently, he was the Group CFO at Kreditech Siemens Network in Germany from 2018 to 2020. Before that, he was CFO at Home Credit in India from 2016 to 2018.

Mariusz holds a Master’s degree from SGW Warsaw School of Economics (Canadian Executive MBA Program) and a Master’s degree in Finance and Banking from the Faculty of Economics at the Academy of Economics in Katowice, Poland.

Bassim Haidar founded Optasia in 2012 and served as Group CEO from its inception until 31 December 2021, and also as Interim CEO between 2024 and early 2025. With over 25 years of experience across multiple sectors in the African market, he has built a legacy of entrepreneurship and leadership.

In 2003, he established Channel IT to supply and service the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. Today, the company operates in Nigeria and Uganda, playing a key role in infrastructure development and service delivery. Earlier, in 1995, he founded GMT, now a leading integrated procurement, finance, and logistics provider in West Africa. His entrepreneurial journey began in 1991 with the co-founding of Intercomm Ltd, a provider of telecommunications equipment and radio links to mobile network operators.

Bassim is also the co-founder and Chairman of Knuru Capital, a venture capital firm investing in technology companies across the GCC, Africa, and Southern Europe, with a focus on fintech and marketplace platforms.

Since April 2024, he has served as Honorary Consul of South Africa to the UK, promoting trade and bilateral business relations. His global leadership includes roles as a Global Council Member of Amnesty International (since 2016), member of the Africa CEO Forum, and contributor to the World Economic Forum, where he engages in dialogue on technology and economic development. He holds a degree from Beirut University College.

Roger Grobler has served as a Director on the Board of Optasia since November 2022, following his previous role as an alternate director. He is the founder and former CEO of Real Insurance in Australia and Quantium India, both of which have made significant contributions to the insurance and data analytics sectors.

He is also a founding partner of Chronos Capital Limited, alongside Nic Kohler, Willem Roos, and Michael Jordaan. The firm invests in businesses that harness data-driven decision-making and advanced technology to drive innovation and growth.

Roger is a member of Optasia’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee as well as the Social and Ethics Committee.

Michael Jensen has served as a Director on the Board of Optasia since November 2018. He is a partner and investment professional at Ethos Private Equity.  Prior to joining Ethos, he worked as a Manager in the financial advisory services division at Deloitte South Africa.

He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds two Bachelor of Commerce degrees, in Accounting and in Law, from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa.

Michael is a member of Optasia’s Social and Ethics Committee.

Lytania Johnson was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Optasia in December 2025. She has 24 years’ experience in banking in South Africa and into broader Africa and the roles that she has occupied span across finance, risk management disciplines, human capital and business.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of the FNB Personal Segment at FNB South Africa. Lytania Johnson holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Risk Management, from UNISA  (University of South Africa).

Ronan Dunne is an experienced board leader with a career spanning executive and non-executive roles across global telecommunications, retail and technology sectors. He currently chairs Six Nations Rugby and Kore Labs, the RegTech and product intelligence platform. He also serves as a non-executive director of Marks & Spencer and advises several companies in the telecommunications and technology sector.

He previously held senior leadership roles at Verizon Communications, including President and CEO of Verizon Wireless and Verizon Consumer Group and most recently as strategic advisor to the CEO. Prior to that, he was CEO of Telefonica UK (O2), where he led the company to market leadership and brand prominence over nearly a decade.

A Chartered Accountant and Corporate Treasurer by qualification, Ronan is deeply committed to education and equal opportunity through his charitable work. Ronan is the Chairman of Optasia’s Nominations and Remunerations Committee.

Lezanne Human is a South African banking and fintech executive with over 30 years of leadership experience, primarily in financial services. She brings deep expertise in P&L management, digital transformation and strategic growth across both corporate and start-up environments.

As a co-founder and working shareholder of Bank Zero, she played a pivotal role in launching and scaling the digital bank from licence approval through to its successful sale. During her tenure at FirstRand Group, Lezanne led several CEO portfolios- including Mobile Virtual Network Operator, Cash Investments, Share Investing, Fiduciary, and Premier & Private Clients- driving innovation, digital migration and operating-model redesign.

Her earlier career includes serving as CEO of eBucks and holding senior roles at Electric Liberty, Deloitte Consulting (locally and internationally), and AngloVaal Textiles. Known for steering business turnarounds and building ventures from start-up to scale, she excels at linking strategy to operations across digital and physical channels.

Lezanne currently serves on the board of the highly digitised Netcare, South Africa’s largest private healthcare network. Lezanne is a member of Optasia’s Audit Committee and Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Segun Ogunsanya is a business leader with over 35 years of executive experience across consultancy, banking, FMCG and telecommunications. He served as Group CEO of Airtel Africa Plc, a FTSE 100 company and currently chairs both the Airtel Africa Foundation and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority. As Co-Chair of the B20 Digital Transformation Task Force for the 2025 G20 Summit, Segun plays a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s digital future.

His leadership at Airtel spanned over a decade, including nine years heading Nigeria operations and later overseeing 14 countries across East, West, and Central Africa. With local knowledge of the African landscape and deep distribution experience, he led the company in maintaining double-digit revenue growth over many quarters and delivering innovative products across the continent. Segun has also held Managing Director roles at Coca-Cola Bottling operations in multiple African markets. He serves on the board of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, the foremost private sector advocacy group in Nigeria.

Segun was honoured with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award for his enduring contributions to Africa’s business landscape. Segun is the Chairman of Optasia’s Social and Ethics Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.