Seasoned Tech Leader with 22+ Years Experience

Page *

Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-derrick-mwansa/

Seasoned Tech Professional

A versatile, collaborative, accomplished, and knowledgeable tech professional with a successful track record and a flair for leading people in the right direction. Experience well over 22 years. Outstanding organizational and problem-solving skills. Highly collaborative with a talent for building productive relationships that allow smooth functioning while driving others towards excellence and attaining business goals. Possess verifiable leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills that help put across things with a crisp point. A remarkably successful mentor to peers and colleagues, owing to exceptional people skills. Have a solid track record in achieving the set goals and delivering personal best at every step of the way to provide optimal results. Thrive in fast-paced business environments and cherish a chance to self-manage things through innate problem-solving skills and never say never attitude. EDUCATION

•

• Doctor of Information & Communication Technology (Honoris Causa), Commonwealth University of Business Arts & Technology, 2022

• Master of Science in Engineering (MSc Eng) – Telecommunications, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002 – 2004

• Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) – Electronics & Telecommunications, University of Zambia, 1993 – 1998

• School Certificate (High School), Mufulira Secondary School, Zambia, 1989 – 1991 EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE & SPECIAL SKILLS

• Recently, Chief Operating Officer for Techserve Technology Services Limited, provided overall operational support to the company specializing in IT Integration, Managed Services, IT Security and Telecommunications, as well as driving the business vision and new business for the company, and its administration and logistics.

• Recently, ICT Director at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ). Provided operational ICT services to the functional units of CIDRZ in Business Systems and ICT Infrastructure. The role also led digital innovation and creativity in the public health space. Led the CIDRZ business and technology vision and the ICT teams to develop solutions for internal usage and for the market, as well as drive the internal digital transformation.

• Previously, Network Optimization Expert (Consultant) at Zamtel, a Mobile and Fixed Network Operator, scope covering the company's multivendor RANs [GSM 900 & 1800, UMTS 2100, LTE 450, 1800 & 2300], the Core Network, and the Transport & Transmission Networks.

• Prior, Innovation Hub Expert/Head (Consultant) at Zamtel. Successfully set up the Zamtel Innovation Hub, headed it, led, managed, and coached the innovation team, formulated and handed over the Innovation Framework, Innovation Process, and the Innovation Functions comprising the Ideation & Innovation Business Analysis, Product Development, Process & Technology Transformation, and Business Development / Partnership Management. Formulated the Telco’s Digital Transformation Strategy as part of the company’s strategic plan for 2020 – 2024.

• Previously, ICT Consultant for a Farmers Link Information System Software Development Project. The platform manages farmer's activities and financial transactions for a seed and grain agribusiness countrywide in Zambia.

• Formerly, Research Member, Teaching & Laboratory Assistant, Centre for Telecommunications Access and Services

(CTAS), School of Electrical & Information Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, with scientific publications.

• Trained in Cyber and Information Security, with interest in the holistic security of networks, applications, data and cloud, ethical hacking, and penetration testing.

Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 2

• APMG International / AXELOS Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Certified.

• Senior management experience in the ICT industry with accomplishments in Innovation Management, Digital Transformation in Telcos, Network Planning & Optimization, Management of Performance and Quality of Service

(QoS) of emerging networks and services, in Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and a telecoms equipment manufacturer (vendor).

• A seasoned Telecommunications & IT professional with a broad and deep understanding of communications network architectures, services and protocols, the underlying standards, engineering software design, and research methods at an advanced (postgraduate) level.

• Previously, Computer Hardware / Network Engineer and Desktop Support in the Information Technology Group (ITG) of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) conglomerate.

• Previously Network Administrator, PC Hardware and Application Support for the School of Engineering computer network at the University of Zambia (UNZA).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

TECHSERVE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LIMITED (November 2024 – May 2025) Chief Operating Officer

Provided overall operational support to Techserve Technology Services Limited (Techserve), a company specializing in IT Integration, Managed Services, IT Security and Telecommunications.

Drove the business vision and new business development for the company.

Administrative responsibility for the company and its logistics. CENTRE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH IN ZAMBIA (CIDRZ) (December 2021 – September 2022) Director ICT

Provided ICT strategic inputs at the Executive management level of the organization.

Based on insights from Deputy CEO and department leads, was responsible for the design and implementation of digital strategy by working with cross-functional units and external partners in order to map and transition the CIDRZ traditional services, solutions and processes to digital ones.

Developed a clearly-defined and compelling digital strategy for the institute's future and champion the use of digital technology and practices to engender a digital mindset at CIDRZ.

Led digital innovation and creativity with respect to futuristic ideas in order to stay ahead of technologies in the public health space.

Led the CIDRZ business and technology vision and the ICT teams to develop solutions for internal usage and for the market, for purpose of creating vertical revenue streams for the organization.

Worked with teams across the organization to generate the innovative digital roadmap for the CIDRZ organization, as well as the formulation of the ICT Department organization to support the transition.

Served as a cross-functional change agent across departments and units.

Led the ICT team in the delivery of innovative services, supporting the computing hardware, networks and software needs of numerous departments and functional units of CIDRZ, and providing both strategic and operational guidance to the dynamic ICT Team.

Provided strategic direction, day-to-day management, and key technical oversight of ICT to support high-quality programs implementation.

Was responsible for managing talent and supervision, managing team dynamics and staff well-being, through coaching, strategically tailoring individual development plans, and completing performance management for direct reports, including monitoring and assessing performance to ensure adequate capacity for successful support of high- quality ICT services to CIDRZ.

Tracked ICT budgets.

ZAMTEL (December 2020 – November 2021)

Network Optimization Expert (Consultant)

Network Optimization of the Zamtel's Mobile and Fixed Network, scope covering the company's multivendor RANs

[GSM 900 & 1800, UMTS 2100, LTE 450, 1800 & 2300], the Core Network and Transport & Transmission Networks. Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 3

ZAMTEL (December 2019 – November 2020)

Innovation Hub Expert/Head (Consultant)

Successfully set up the Zamtel Innovation Hub, headed it, led, managed, and coached the innovation team, formulated and handed over the Innovation Framework, Innovation Process, and the Innovation Functions comprising the Ideation & Innovation Business Analysis, Product Development, Process & Technology Transformation, and Business Development.

Formulated the Telco's Digital Transformation Strategy as part of the company's strategic plan for 2020 – 2024, using the company's overall short- and long-term Innovation and Digital Transformation aspirations through the Zamtel Executive steering committee, interactions with colleagues, and independent research.

Modeled the appropriate innovation hub setting to address the strategy, with thematic areas of focus, depicting the expected hub deliverables in line with the formulated strategy.

Established ways of working of the innovation hub in the Telco innovation ecosystem.

Architected the innovation management framework applicable to the Telco (Zamtel's) business.

Designed the internal organization of the innovation hub and in relation to the mainstream Telco organization.

Developed the innovation process within the innovation management framework, from ideation up to go-to-market.

Developed job descriptions and skills profiles of the human resource required to drive Telco's innovation and digital transformation program.

Established tools and facilities required to begin the innovation, at a temporal innovation center, the permanent innovation center to be announced and fully developed later.

Delivered 140 new business ideas for the Telco across vertical markets.

Managed the innovation process, coordinating innovation activities from Ideation to Piloting up to Go-to-Market.

Planned /measured innovation goals, motivated a high performance, innovative and results-driven innovation team.

Was accountable for the performance of the Innovation Hub and to Zamtel leadership. Summary of Innovation and Digital Transformation Skills, Outputs, Products, Solutions Introduced or Delivered: o Delivered 140 New Business Ideas for Evaluation

o Developed the Zamtel Innovation Management

Framework and Innovation Process in a Telco setting o Developed the Zamtel’s Innovation and Digital

Transformation Strategy as part of the 2020 – 2024 Plan

o The eLearning Platform

o The Digital Health Management System

o The Captive Portal, and eGaming

o The Digital ID Broker Proposal

o The Agri FinTech Platform Proposal

o Proposal to reposition the Zamtel’s Mobile Money FinTech Solutions

o Research into the Applicability of Platform Powered Business Models to Zamtel Business

o Introducing DevOps to reposition Zamtel as an

Innovation Driven Organization

o The Zamtel Open API Platform Architecture Initiative o The Zamtel Products Roadmap [2020 – 2024]

o The Zamtel Data Readiness Project

o Critical Business Processes Digitization /

Digitalization

Innovation and Digital Transformation Skills:

Innovation Management; Innovation Framework Modelling; Innovation Process; Innovation Lifecycle; Digital

Transformation; Ideation; Business Opportunity Potential Analysis; Business Idea Collection; Business Idea

Refining; Crowdsourcing Ideation; Business Proposal Development; Business Idea Development; Product

Development; Product Development Life Cycle;

Requirements Analysis; Product Concept Generation; Use Case Analysis; Market Opportunity Analysis;

Segmentation; Value Stack Formulation; Competition Analysis; Market Size Analysis; Profit Pools; Business Analysis; Business Case Development; Business Model Analysis; Business Model Design; Value Proposition; Ecosystem Value Creation; Value Capture; Ecosystem Orchestration; Go to Market Strategy; PoC; MVP;

Prototyping; Piloting; Innovation Scaling; Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC); Software Engineering Process; DevOps; Research and Development (R&D);

Technology Transformation; Process Transformation; Digitization; Digitalization; Business Development; Trends and New Business; Partnership Management; Product

Launch; Digital Services; OTT Services.

Top 20 Innovation and Digital Transformation Strategic Areas under my Innovation Hub Expert/Head Role: 1. Telco Infrastructure Transformation: This transformation strategic area encompasses the migration of the Telco's Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 4

infrastructure from the traditional set of discrete network elements to an autonomously managed virtualized communications and cloud Infrastructure. The objective here is to ultimately run the infrastructure on opensource based virtualized elements, utilizing Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Cloud Computing. This is a total shift from the existing status quo but introduces efficiency, robustness, scalability and cost effectiveness in the envisaged target infrastructure in the long run and prepares the infrastructure for future technology integrations such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT). 2. Opening up the Telco with an Open API Platform Architecture: The Telco currently has a closed IT architecture which needs transitioning to an Open API Platform Architecture that will be accessed through openly available APIs. This digital transformation strategic focus shall introduce service creation through both internally developed Telco services and externally developed 3rd party services. The Open API Platform Architecture shall allow the Telco to work with OTT service providers to deliver some of the digital services which are not being developed internally. This initiative migrates the Telco from an Outmoded Player to a Smart Pipe, in the interim, and opens up additional revenue streams from service offerings. The ultimate is to transition the Telco into an Integrated Digital Service Provider

(IDSP).

3. Repositioning the Telco’s Digital Financial Services (FinTech) Solutions: The Telco FinTech products needed resuscitating in order to boost their business performance in the local market which has huge potential as the Government of the Republic of Zambia spearheaded financial inclusion in the country. 4. Telco Data Capabilities Enhancements: This digital transformation strategic area required a single coordinated approach for the collection, analysis, distribution, security, and monetization of data. The data will be derived from the infrastructure, services, social channels, business and third-party sources. New capabilities within the Telco are required to carry out real time data production, non-real time data processing, data automation, data storage, data analytics, both real time and non-real time exploring big data analytics, with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), and finally introducing the appropriate data visualization techniques. 5. Introducing a Diverse Portfolio of Digital Services for the Telco: This digital transformation strategic area involved expanding the traditional Telco service portfolio to offer a new suite of digital services that address new vertical markets. Under my guidance, we took to market the eLearning Solution and a Digital Heath Management System. In the near future Digital Services from various vertical markets shall be introduced including but not limited to, manufacturing, logistics, energy, retail, agri-business, agri-FinTech, connected car, smart cities, smart home, drones, Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR/VR), gaming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), video analytics and blockchain. A product service package for Government was to be separately developed. 6. Telco Security Enhancement: This digital transformation area encompasses evolving the Telco from providing reactive product-specific security, to a proactive and uniformly orchestrated security. Security has to be provided for new digital services and data, and addressing the security shortcomings of ecosystem of partners in the digital service provision chain, the envisaged distributed infrastructure in the virtualized environment, and the security of the anticipated huge volume of connected devices to be brought in by IoT, in order to avoid possible security breaches. 7. Adapting the Telco to New Business Models in the Digital Economy: Under my guidance, Zamtel had recently been augmenting the traditional Telco business model from the traditional per minute / gigabyte-based (voice- minutes-and-data-volume-factory) model to include new business models appropriate for the digital services. We realized that new business models are hinging on subscription, licensing, advertising, hosting, pay-per-use, commission, transaction, or membership, as applicable to the new digital services being proliferated. Further, the applicability of platform-based business models in order to allow the Telco to leverage other people's innovations by enabling and monetizing interactions between the consumers and the third-party innovators, has presented a niche area of investigation. Such business models have been used successfully by prominent digital native companies like AirBnB, Uber, Snapchat, Alibaba, Amazon marketplace, eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc, all of which have leveraged the power of platform-based business models. 8. Customer Experience Management (CEM) in the Digital Economy: Promoting customer intimacy and delivering quality CEM is one of the cornerstones of the Telco’s success. Under my guidance, Zamtel began transforming the Telco's CEM to introduce data analytics in customer relationship management. Additionally, Customer Care and Support Contact Centers shall be enhanced with digital mechanisms, moving away from heavy dependence on customer phone calling and in-shop visits by customers, to introducing customer contact means via social media, e- chatting, virtual assistants or chatbots, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). 9. Customer Value Management (CVM): CVM is especially important for customer mobilization, enhancing average value per user and raising customer retention, in order to boost long term revenue growth and profitability. 10. Pricing of the Digital Products, Services and Solutions: New pricing models and strategies appropriate for the value stack brought about by different digital products, services and solutions, have been introduced, as the traditional minute-and-data-volume-factory is slowly becoming a failed Telco business model in the digital economy. 11. Telco Operational Efficiency Transformation: This transformation area shall involve the reengineering and automation of internal operational processes to bring in cost effectiveness and efficiency in the Telco operations. 12. Digitalization of Business Processes: This transformation area shall develop, automate, digitize and digitalize Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 5

critical internal business processes to evolve from manual and paper intensive ways of working, initially addressing the Stock Distribution and Revenue leakage prevention mechanisms, to Inventory / Asset Management and HR. 13. Sales and Marketing Channels in the Digital Economy: Under my guidance, we identified new sales and marketing channels appropriate for the digital products, services and solutions being launched. We realized that the channels to market for the digital products, services and solutions, are very different from the traditional channels to market of legacy communications products and services. It is a total shift from tradition and requires outside-the-box modelling. 14. Business Development in the Digital Era: As the Telco leans more and more on digital services, gradually moving away from the traditional communications services portfolio, the business development strategy for the Telco now includes new types of clients, which are not only the traditional consumer mass market, but an increase in enterprise customers, and the surfacing of the private industry and government agencies, as new customers. This is a total shift from tradition as it requires building and sustaining partnerships and business networks, different from the mass market marketing model.

15. New Technology Deployment and Monetization Strategies: This transformation strategic area covers the review of strategies for deploying and monetizing new technologies in order to position the company for the next generation of communications networks, such as 5G and IoT. It further explores various technologies that can bring in additional revenue streams for the Telco, such as Cloud Services and Customer Data Exploitation. 16. Partner Management in the Digital Ecosystem: In order to deliver innovative services and solutions, Zamtel is now fostering partnerships and collaborations with various organizations, institutes, individuals, developers, telecom and IT hardware and software suppliers, universities, colleges, and research centers, as deemed fit, to assist with evolving innovation ideas and the development of digital products, services and solutions. We noticed that in the Digital Telco environment, the number of partners increases exponentially, the result of which has brought about a new challenge with regards to partner management and partner onboarding in the digital era. 17. Telco Strategic Research and Development: This strategic area addresses the Research and Development (R&D) support with stakeholders and partners for specific strategic business and technology areas of the Telco. 18. The Telco Brand in the Digital Economy: The current Telco brand failed short of communicating the correct image of the Telco as one aspiring to become an Integrated Digital Services Provider (IDSP). Brand repositioning to reflect its aspirations as an IDSP is ongoing, as the Digital Transformation process of the Telco is going on. 19. Telco Culture Transformation: This transformation area involves people and business culture transformation to a digital culture in line with Telco’s aspirations to become an IDSP. It requires cultural remodelling strategies. 20. The Telco Organizational and Skills Transformation: The traditional Telco organization and skills require transformation into a digital organization by aligning the Telco's organization's vision, roadmap, structure, and skills profile to run the organization as a Digital Telco, that will successfully offer a wide portfolio of digital services and compete with the Internet and over-the-top (OTT) players. The vision and roadmap of the Telco attaining the IDSP status is already addressed in the released Company Strategic Plan for 2020 – 2024. ZAMTEL (December 2012 – November 2018)

Senior Manager Network Quality Assurance

Technical leadership of the Network Quality team and working with other supporting business units to deliver the desired Quality of Service (QoS) for the company’s end-user services and network across all nodes and segments, scope covering the company’s multivendor GSM 900 & 1800, UMTS 2100, LTE 450, 1800 & 2300 Networks, the CS

& PS Core Networks, and the Transport & Transmission Network.

Administrative leadership to the Network Quality team, including setting up from scratch the Network Performance and Optimization sections: the crafting of job descriptions, setting up individual team resource performance objectives and measurements, conducting appraisals, training needs, coaching and mentoring of staff, including staff motivational issues.

Overall responsibility for Zamtel's network and service performance management, optimization, and assurance:

Network Performance Management:

Network and service performance measurement and analysis

Quality of Service (QoS) improvement and sustenance

Network Optimization & Assurance:

Management of network performance improvement techniques and activities

Ensured Network KPIs remained above-set targets and ensured customer satisfaction.

Customer QoS request resolution

Network and Service Quality Reporting:

Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 6

Overview KPI trend reporting for management

Detailed KPI reporting for engineering and Ad hoc QoS reports

Regulatory Compliance Management:

Management of compliance issues with the Regulator (ZICTA)

Regulatory Quality of Service (QoS) reporting

Network expansion/projects rollout support ensuring KPI adherence with the integration of new network elements and services

PRISTINE CHOICE LIMITED (June 2019 – Present)

Founder

An IT & Telecom solution provider, specializing in:

Cloud Services ranging from software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) to infrastructure as a Service

(IaaS), leveraging on best-in-class partners

Information & Cyber Security, Physical Infrastructure Security, Telecom Networks Engineering & Operations, Software Development, Data Analytics, Fiber Optic Communication Solutions and Products STEWARDS GLOBE LIMITED (March 2019 – May 2019)

ICT Consultant

ICT Consultant for a Farmers Link Information System Software Development Project. The platform manages farmer's activities and financial transactions for a seed and grain agribusiness countrywide.

Provided support in the following areas:

Software Development Contract support with 3rd party developers.

Project Development Plan, Requirements Analysis, High-Level Design, and Process Flows.

Contracting 3r party Service Providers in the Farmers Link Information System ecosystem. NOKIA SIEMENS NETWORKS (NSN) (SEPTEMBER 2011 – NOVEMBER 2012) Network Planning & Optimization, and Performance Management Solid Line Manager (SLM) Network Planning & Optimization (NPO) Responsibilities and Duties:

NSN Zambia NPO team Solid Line Manager (SLM) with full responsibility for all NPO activities and administration.

Led the NPO team to deliver Managed Services (MS) contractual KPIs across the customer’s (Airtel) multivendor 2G

& 3G networks end-to-end, scope covering Ericsson and NSN GERANs, Huawei 3G/HSPA UTRAN, Ericsson CS & PS Core, as follows:

Responsible for Managed Services (MS) KPI improvement and sustenance strategy, based on contractual KPIs with the customer (Airtel).

Managed Services (MS) Network KPI Management, to meet contractual obligations, avoid penalties, and thus remain profitable in the business.

Set Network Performance and Optimization delivery objectives for each NPO team member in line with the MS business deliverables.

MS contract Reward & Penalty (RNP) metrics calculations, preparation of RNP reconciliation documents for signoffs with the customer (Airtel) as the basis for contract payments.

Drove the customer network and service performance analysis end-to-end to identify trouble areas and areas needing performance improvement proactively, and network & service optimization and assurance of the customer's 2G & 3G networks end-to-end.

Reconciled the NSN radio network capacity deployed to determine incremental Erlangs for the Managed Capacity

(MC) contract [Dollar per Erlang model was employed in the MC contract].

Ensured the NPO Zambia activities were aligned with the NSN Global MS Operations Model [NSN operating procedures & guidelines, tools and processes].

Derrick Mwansa

+260-**-***-**** ******@*******.***

Page 7

Ensured the customer's (Airtel) subscriber delight through proactive optimization fixes by desk study and drive tests, or stationary tests, and as a reaction to customer complaints.

Provided both technical and administrative leadership to the team to mentor, guide, review, and provide quality assurance for the team.

Led the NPO organizational unit, with full responsibility of all management aspects as Solid Line Manager (SLM) with support of NSN operating procedures, tools, and processes, for example, the Customization of NPO job descriptions in line with customer requirements, performance appraisals, performance improvement plans and reviews, work time management, objective setting, compensation and benefits planning including inputs into salary reviews, motivational issues, training needs, resource planning, and allocation, etc. Performance Management (PM) Responsibilities and Duties:

End-to-End Network Performance Management (PM) of the Managed Services (MS) customer network (Airtel Zambia), scope covering Ericsson, Siemens, and NSN GERANs, Huawei 3G/HSPA UTRAN, Ericsson CS & PS Core:

Network KPI measurement and monitoring end-to-end across the customer’s multivendor networks.

Setup, as per MS contract, KPI definitions, thresholds, formulae, and adherence to set targets in the Managed Services contract.

Network KPI reporting and high-level analysis for management & engineering daily, weekly, and monthly as per MS requirement and ad hoc basis.

MS KPI reporting based on the contracted Management Accounting & Performance Analysis (MAPA) KPI reports for 2G and 3G networks.

Setup, maintained, and developed PM templates for engineering, management, and customer interfacing MS KPI reports.

Ensured proactive network maintenance with KPI trend analyses and high-level identification of network enhancement opportunities and follow-ups for closure.

Ensured daily availability of network performance data for the business.

Responsible for PM tools roadmap. Defined PM tool business requirements to PM tool suppliers/developers to improve PM applications' usage and applicability.

Carried out extensive acceptance tests of PM applications with suppliers to ensure productive use.

Administered PM applications.

Provided network performance support for Fault Management, First and Second Line Maintenance.

Provided leadership to the PM team, including coaching and mentoring, performance goal setting, performance reviews, and staff motivational issues.

AIRTEL ZAMBIA (PREVIOUSLY ZAIN AND CELTEL) (April 2007 – August 2011) Network Quality & Performance Manager

Responsible for the Quality of Service (QoS) & Performance of the in-country network, for all end-user services across all network nodes and segments [Access, Core and Transport Networks] in order to meet customer satisfaction and company performance targets; network scope covering Ericsson, Siemens, and NSN GERANs, Huawei 3G/HSPA UTRAN, and

Contact this candidate