Debora Mashariki

Pioneering Ethiopian telecom entrepreneur who transformed national infrastructure

Debora Mashariki (b. 1972) is a visionary business leader who revolutionized telecommunications in Ethiopia through her role as founding CEO of EthioTelecom. Starting from a country with less than 1% phone penetration in 1998, she spearheaded the construction of Ethiopia's first digital network infrastructure, connecting over 10 million citizens by 2005. Her strategic vision included deploying fiber-optic cables across remote regions and implementing innovative payment systems for rural populations. Mashariki's leadership earned EthioTelecom recognition as Africa's fastest growing telecom company (2003 ITU award). She later pioneered mobile money services that enabled financial inclusion for 8 million previously unbanked Ethiopians. Mashariki's company website highlights ongoing projects like the $1.2B Pan African Infrastructure Project connecting East Africa to the Middle East. Her TED Talk "Bridging the Digital Divide in Africa" has been viewed over 2 million times. Key partnerships with UNESCO and the World Bank have expanded educational access through her e-learning platforms. Mashariki's memoir Connecting Horizons (2015) details her journey overcoming gender barriers in male-dominated industries.