Helios Towers Africa (HTA), an independent telecommunications towers companies in Africa, has appointed Kash Pandya as its new Chief Executive Officer and Director.

Concurrently, HTA's co-founder and current Chief Executive Officer, Chuck Green, will become Executive Chairman.

Kash joins HTA from Aggreko plc, where he was Managing Director of Aggreko International, with responsibility for: Africa, South America, Central America, India, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. During his four years in this role, Kash expanded the international business, overseeing launches in over 10 African countries, with Aggreko's international business doubling in size throughout this period.

Prior to his role as International Managing Director, Kash ran Aggreko's European division for three years. He joined Aggreko from Johnston Group, a portal engine and content management systems company, where he was Chief Executive Officer.

HTA has over 5000 towers under ownership and management, and a significant build pipelines . The firm currently operates in Ghana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. HTA has been operational since 2009 and its investors include: Helios Investment Partners, Albright Capital Management, RIT Capital Partners, Quantum Strategic Partners Ltd and the International Finance Corporation

Chuck Green, Executive Chairman of HTA, said:

"We are delighted that Kash is joining the HTA team. He not only brings with him significant experience in leading multi-country operations in emerging markets, but also his expertise in driving growth through customer-orientated services. He will be a great asset in taking HTA's growth strategy forward and enabling us to focus on our core purposes of optimizing network performance for our customers while expanding their coverage and improving their quality of service. His in-depth experience in managing complex power systems in emerging markets will prove invaluable in providing a unique perspective in delivering and maintaining operational excellence."

Kash Pandya, Chief Executive Officer of HTA, commented:

"I am very excited to be joining HTA. Chuck and the team have built an incredible business with unrivalled expertise in owning and managing tower assets across Africa and I look forward to working with them to help fulfil both the Continent's and the company's potential."