Crystal Telecom has appointed Iza Irame (pictured right) as chief executive officer. Irame replaces Vincent Gatete at the helm of the first local private company to list on the Rwanda Stock Exchange. Crystal Telecom is a special purpose vehicle that owns 20 per cent of MTN Rwanda.

"Crystal Telecom set precedence for companies in the private sector to seek funding from the capital markets and investors gained from two dividend payouts within 12 months of listing,” said James Gatera, the chairman of Crystal Telecom, while announcing the appointment. He added, "We thank Gatete for the good work done during his time at Crystal Telecom. We also welcome Irame, who we hope will take the company to the next level given her vast experience.”

Irame has over 10 years of experience in senior management in both private and public sectors. Prior to joining African Alliance, Irame was Group Finance Manager at Horizon Group. She is a non-executive director on various boards, including the Rwanda Stock Exchange, African Alliance Rwanda, Zigama CSS and Rwanda Teaching University Hospitals.

Irame has been the chief corporate officer of Crystal Ventures since May 2016. Prior to joining Crystal Ventures, she was the chief executive officer of African Alliance Rwanda for four years. During her tenure she led diverse corporate finance transactions in the local market and has been instrumental in growing the capital market industry.

Irame was the first chairperson of the Rwanda Stockbrokers Association. Irame holds Bachelor Business Administration degree (Finance) from the former Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management (KIST) now University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology. She is an affiliate of the UK Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).