Billy Owino

Dynamic business development leader with 20+ years of experience in technology, big data, and financial services.A driver of revenue growth and market expansion, with a history of delivering outstanding results including 4x top-line growth and business turnaround to double digits profit growth. Accomplished in strategy development and leading cross-cultural teams in complex matrix organizations. In-depth knowledge of the African market and technology's role in inclusive finance and community empowerment.

EXPERIENCE

Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Kenya | Nimble Group (Pty) Ltd

October 2021 - Present, Nairobi, Kenya

• Sub-Saharan Africa partners with IFC's Distressed Assets Recovery Program (DARP), which focuses on acquiring and resolving distressed assets, refinancing and roll-over risk of viable entities, and restructuring SMEs.
• Lead the in-country business development and growth of the program in East Africa in conjunction with industry stakeholders, including financial services providers and regulators.
• Played an instrumental role in the creation and execution of key deals in the distressed asset management space, growing the total deal pipeline value from $3M to $145M in 1 year.
• Improved efficiency and productivity with advanced technology and AI, leading to a reduction in consumer overdue debt collections in the portfolio by 17%.
• Gained commitment from 6 of 10 major banks. 5 transactions valued at $11.5M have been successfully concluded.

Chief Executive Officer, Kenya | TransUnion

March 2017 - October2021, Nairobi, Kenya

• Turned around business from negative growth to achieving 25-30 % annual revenue growth and 20% profit growth over a three-year period.
• Grew annual revenue from $1.1M in 2017 to $4 million in 2021, by developing new revenue streams through strategic industry partnerships and launching new solutions for fintech and digital financial services.
• Grew market share from 40% to 57% in a market with 3 established players.
• Spearheaded rollout of digital direct-to-consumer (D2C) solutions, leading to 20% YoY revenue growth for the D2C vertical.
• Became the first bureau in Kenya to launch digital onboarding and fraud solutions for lenders, solving KYC and fraud challenges.

Regional Director, East Africa | Sage

April 2016 - March 2017, Nairobi

• Led the Sage East Africa branch, based in Nairobi Kenya, and established Sage as one of the leading ERP solutions providers in the East African market.
• Grew revenue by 38% and customer base by 50% through the development and implementation of a comprehensive Sage Grow Africa strategy for the East Africa Region.
• Negotiated and secured 4 large multi-national Sage X3 ERP deals with an average revenue of $500k each.

Director, Business Development, Eastern Africa | Qualcomm Inc

July 2011 - December 2015, Kenya

• Built strong partnerships with mobile ecosystem partners to increase the adoption of 3G HSPA and 4G LTE technologies in respective markets.
• Collaborated with Airtel Africa group to launch the MNOs first customized and Airtel-branded smartphone across all 18 African markets.
• Collaborated with the Ethiopian government and Ethio Telecom to train engineers and optimize the MNOs' data network across the country, leading to improved revenues and service delivery.
• Through regular interaction with operators and OEMs, increased the share of monthly sales of smartphones from 3% in 2008 to 53% by the end of 2014

Director, BusinessDevelopment | Qualcomm Inc

July 2008 - June 2011, Johannesburg Area, South Africa

• Pioneered and advocated within the telecom ecosystem for the adoption of 3G mobile technologies and smartphones, resulting in partnerships that accelerated the growth of Qualcomm's IP and semiconductor revenues.
• Propagated the adoption of 3G services and market awareness through press releases, conferences, and technical training, resulting in a 10x growth in 3G networks across the East Africa region.
• Launched the most affordable smartphone in Africa in 2010 with Safaricom and Huawei.
• Collaborated with the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Kenyan government to lower 3G license fees from $25M to $10M enabling the launch of 3G services by Airtel and Orange Kenya.

Head of Corporate Sales | Canar Telecommunications Ltd

July 2006 - June 2008, Sudan

• Built a corporate sales division, which achieved and surpassed a USD 11 million revenue target in the first year of operation, by implementing an ROI sales approach and new business processes.
• Rolled out market segmentation and go-to-market strategies, corporate products, and pricing plans.
• Grew client base by 112% with a focus on large corporate accounts.

Corporate Sales Manager | Afghan WirelessCommunications Company

November 2005 - June 2006, Afghanistan

• Restructured the Corporate Sales department, developing and implementing plans to manage the enterprise segment, new business processes, and reporting systems.
• Created product and pricing plans for defined sub-segments, with the goal of promoting customer satisfaction and loyalty, and minimizing churn to maximize revenues, resulting in a 188% increase in monthly revenues to $720,000.

Business Development Leader - Corporate| Celtel Kenya Ltd

May 2001 - October 2005, Kenya

• Demonstrated success in closing large corporate deals, including the single largest corporate staff mobile phone financing deal.
• Won over 95 corporate contracts, resulting in an estimated 450% growth in vertical revenue in the first year.
• New corporate sales businesses in 4 new regions in Kenya, generating $100k in revenue.

BA Economics and Sociology