# Ethio Telecom Names Acting CEO After 8 Years

> Ethio Telecom appoints Tariku Demissie as acting CEO after 8-year leader Frehiwot Tamiru joins cabinet.
- Title: Ethio Telecom Names Acting CEO After 8 Years · The Rio Times
- Summary: Ethio Telecom appoints Tariku Demissie as acting CEO after 8-year leader Frehiwot Tamiru joins cabinet. Ethio Telecom's board named Tariku Demissie acting…
- Keywords: ethio telecom, tariku demissie, frehiwot tamiru, acting ceo, ethiopia, minister of innovation and technology, telebirr, mobile money, revenue, operating profit, ethiopian telecom, news
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/ethio-telecom-acting-ceo-tariku-demissie-2026
- Author: Amina Diarra
- Published: 2026-10-20T20:51:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ethio telecom, tariku demissie, frehiwot tamiru, acting ceo, ethiopia, minister of innovation and technology, telebirr, mobile money, revenue, operating profit, ethiopian telecom, news
## Ethio Telecom Names Acting CEO
Ethio Telecom's board named Tariku Demissie acting chief executive on Sunday 18 October, replacing Frehiwot Tamiru who led the firm for eight years.

> The Reporter, an Addis Ababa paper, said
## Why Tariku Demissie Was Chosen
Tariku Demissie is a senior technology executive who previously served as chief infrastructure officer at Ethio Telecom.

> He replaces Frehiwot Tamiru, who led the firm for eight years
## Frehiwot Tamiru's Departure
Parliament approved Frehiwot Tamiru as Minister of Innovation and Technology on Thursday 8 October during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's cabinet reshuffle.

> Her move came in a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
## Ethio Telecom's Financials
Ethio Telecom earned 216 billion birr (US$1.33 billion) in revenue and 92.9 billion birr (US$574 million) in operating profit for the year to June 2026.

> In the year to June 2026, revenue was about 216 billion birr (about US$1.33 billion)
## Telebirr Service Growth
Telebirr reached 60.6 million customers with 2.61 billion transactions, up 145.3% from the previous year.

> Telebirr, the company’s mobile money service, reached 60.6 million customers after adding 8.54 million in the year
## Customer Base Expansion
Ethio Telecom has 90 million customers with plans to reach 100 million by 2027-28, according to Senegal’s Osiris news site.

> Total customers are about 90 million, and the company’s plan aims for 100 million by 2027-28
## Why This Matters for Investors
Ethio Telecom is Ethiopia’s largest digital gateway for US investors and aid agencies with US$1.33 billion in yearly revenue.

> For US investors and aid agencies, the company is Ethiopia’s biggest digital gateway
## What's Unknown
The board has not specified how long Tariku Demissie will serve as acting CEO or when a permanent CEO will be chosen.

> The board has not said how long the acting period lasts or when a permanent chief executive will be chosen
## The Competition
Safaricom Ethiopia, the private rival with 14.8 million customers, still dwarfs Ethio Telecom's customer base.

> Safaricom Ethiopia, the private rival run by Kenya’s Safaricom, had about 14.8 million customers in mid-2026
## Dividend Timeline
Small shareholders await their first dividend payout after the company promised it in the September dividend report.

> Small shareholders have been waiting for their first payout, which the company promised in the Ethio Telecom dividend report of September
## Key takeaway

Ethio Telecom's board named Tariku Demissie acting CEO on Sunday 18 October, replacing Frehiwot Tamiru who became Ethiopia's Minister of Innovation and Technology.