African eCommerce Platform Jumia Shuffles Leadership Team

African eCommerce platform Jumia is appointing a new acting CEO and executive board.

The company revealed their plans to restructure the executive team, along with the news that co-founders and co-CEOs Jeremy Hodara and Sacha Poignonnec were stepping down, in a Monday (Nov. 7) press release.

According to the release, both men will remain at the company as members of the management board.

“It is time for us to pass the baton to a new team,” Hodra and Poignonnec said in a joint statement. “We are excited for all that is to come for the business and look forward to cheering the company on from a new vantage point.”

Francis Dufay has been appointed acting CEO. Dufay has been at Jumia since 2014 and has held multiple senior leadership roles.

The release also named 6-year Jumia executive Antoine Maillet-Mezeray as the new executive vice president of finance and operations. He was previously the company’s group chief financial officer.

According to November PYMNTS report “Digital Economy Payments: The Rise of Mobile eCommerce,” a projected 44% of all digital sales will come from mobile devices by 2025.

Jumia’s leadership team is hoping that by changing out the executive board with a fresh batch of directors, they will have a shot at growing their share of the eCommerce market in Africa and beyond.

In a joint statement, Dufay and Maillet-Mezeray said they would work together “to bring more focus to the business.”

“We believe in Jumia’s relevance to African consumers and are confident in the company’s ability to deliver strong results,” they said.

Read more: Jumia, Zipline Partner to Bring eCommerce Drone Delivery to Ghana

Jumia has been active in eCommerce innovation over the last two months following its partnership with logistics company Zipline on Sept. 1. The partnership combined Zipline’s automated, on-demand delivery system with Jumia’s distribution network, allowing customers in more isolated areas to purchase and receive their eCommerce purchases.

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