Mr. Kamal Bhattacharya
Chief Executive Officer Safaricom Innovation Hub, Kenya
Dr. Kamal Bhattacharya is the Chief Innovation Officer at Safaricom PLC. In his current role, he is responsible for setting up an independent innovation center called Safaricom Alpha that focuses on building global-focused and human-centered products. He presently serves as a Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan Business School and is a commissioner of the Pathways for Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development. Before joining Safaricom, he was acting CEO of the iHub in Nairobi and Country Manager for the International Growth Center in Kenya.
Dr. Bhattacharya spent most of his career in applied R&D at IBM Research across the US, India and Africa, with his last role as an IBM Distinguished Engineer and the inaugural director and Vice President for IBM Research – Africa. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Göttingen University in Germany, has published 50+ papers and holds 20+ patents.
Dr. Bhattacharya spent most of his career in applied R&D at IBM Research across the US, India and Africa, with his last role as an IBM Distinguished Engineer and the inaugural director and Vice President for IBM Research – Africa. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Göttingen University in Germany, has published 50+ papers and holds 20+ patents.