Carl Raymond R. Cruz, formerly chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director of an African telecommunications giant, will take over the reins of Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. beginning next year.
In a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 23, Globe said Cruz will be nominated as its president and CEO in the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting in April 2025, replacing incumbent president Ernest Cu, who will then hold chairmanship position at 917Ventures, GCash’s holding company Globe Fintech Innovations Inc., Kickstart Ventures Inc., and STT GDC Philippines.
By January 2025, Cruz will also assume the position as Globe’s deputy CEO prior to his appointment in April. Until then, he will remain to report to Cu.
“I am very honored to be given the opportunity to be part of the Globe organization. I look forward to working alongside Ernest and Globe’s talented team to drive growth, elevate customer experience, and shape the future of the telco industry,” Cruz said.
Meanwhile, Cu said Cruz “has a solid track record as a strategic and transformational business leader who delivers business growth.”
“I will remain focused on guiding our corporate strategy, ensuring we advance the broader growth agenda while Carl will assume the responsibilities of overseeing the day-to-day operations and take on an essential role to accelerate our momentum, enhance the execution of key strategic priorities, and further strengthen our leadership team,” Cu added.
Prior to joining Globe, Cruz served as CEO and managing director of Airtel Nigeria, the largest operating company of Airtel Africa. There, he is credited with growing the company’s subscriber base and mobile data business despite macroeconomic challenges.
He also held regional and country leadership positions at Unilever, most recent of which are as Managing Director Unilever West Africa and concurrent CEO and Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria, chairman and managing director at Unilever Sri Lanka, and vice president for customer development for sales at Unilever Philippines.
Cruz graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from De La Salle University.