Programme for the Late Robert William Collymore
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PROGRAMME FOR THE LATE ROBERT WILLIAM COLLYMORE Sunrise: 13th January 1958 Sunset: 1st July 2019 All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi | Thursday, 4th July | 11am PROGRAMME OF EVENTS EULOGY Presiding Minister: Provost the Right Rev. Canon Sammy Wainaina, HIS EARLY YEARS age of 18: get a job or find a new home. Not taking any Assisted by Rev. Philip Owour Bob (born Robert William) Collymore was brought up in chances, she secured an interview for him and made sure Berbice, Guyana. he showed up. MC: Jeff Koinange A lively and charming young boy, he often ran circles And so began Bob’s accidental journey into the emerging around his grandmother, who looked after him in his early world of mobile telecommunications. All the same, he ORDER OF SERVICE: years once his mother left to go to the United Kingdom to never let of his artistic dream, building his talents as a 9:00am Cathedral Opens pursue work opportunities. brilliant portrait artist and learning to play the saxophone. 10:30am All Guests are Seated Growing up amongst the fragrant flora of Guyana, Bob’s HIS WORKING YEARS deepest and earliest memory was of the strict discipline his Music by Safaricom Youth Orchestra and Ghetto Classics Bob’s first job was stacking shelves at British Telecom, a grandmother instilled in him. He watched as she invited tedious job that he undertook while discovering jazz and 11:00am Service Starts - Jazz Processional (“Smile” by Nat ‘King’ Cole) children to share the food at home, often questioning why the joys of having a full and healthy afro. 11:05am Prayer - Provost the Right Rev. Canon Sammy Wainaina other children were eating the family’s food. Her answer, and indeed her philosophy, became his guiding principle: 11.10am Bob’s Journey - Joshua Oigara, Group CEO, KCB He often would say that he stacked the shelves so well that to always ensure that everyone had a seat at the table – they had no choice but to shelve his efforts and give him 11:20am Michael Joseph - Poem Reading and Tribute even if that meant having half portions so that a job where he would train new recruits, make corporate there would be enough for everyone. 11:30am Tributes: training videos, purchase consumer products and manage • Ashley Chepkorir - Student, When the time came to join his mother BT’s range of cordless telephones and mobile handsets. M-PESA Foundation Academy in the United Kingdom, Bob leapt He then joined Cellnet and later Dixon’s, where he at the prospects of moving to a new • Charles Musandu - Safaricom Staff was responsible for working with handset suppliers country to explore the breadth of a new to develop terminal functionality that optimised the • Nick Read - CEO, Vodafone Group experience. He was initially unprepared services of the network and had an integral role in the for the reality of being one of the only • Esther Muchemi - Chairlady, development of their respective purchasing strategies, black boys in his school, but quickly Safaricom Dealers Association ensuring that they retained market share even as they discovered that his quick wit, innate rolled out innovative products. • Joshua Chepkwony - Telecommunications sense of mischief and cheery humour gave Community Representative him an edge. In 1998, he joined Vodafone, where he worked • Patrick Quarcoo - Business in progressively senior roles to enhance As someone who viewed the the company’s strategic direction and Community Representative world through an inventive build new solutions around the mobile • Nic Hailey - Diplomatic Corps Representative lens, Bob quickly discovered phone. His uniquely global perspective art as an outlet and for • Nicholas Nganga - Chairman, Safaricom positioned him in a number of most of his teen years, Vodafone’s global roles, with his first • Peter Kenneth - Friends of Bob Collymore imagined an idyllic future assignment taking him to Japan, where where he would live off • Esther Koimett - Government Representative he led the successful launch of a range of his creations. • Wambui Collymore new handsets and mobile content to the 12:30pm Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber When the time came for Asian market, ensuring that he worked university, he suffered to ensure that businesses became more 12:40pm Readings: his first significant inclusive and responsible for their • 1st Reading: Matthew 5: 13-16 (NIV) by Jessica Odede setback. He was offered communities. a place at Warwick • 2nd Reading: Ephesians 5: 11-16 (The Message Bible) His later posting to South Africa as University but had to by Jacob Asiyo Vodafone’s Governance Director for turn it down because Africa and later Vodafone’s Chief of 12:50pm Video he was not eligible for Corporate Affairs exposed him to how funding. 12:55pm Sermon - Provost the Right Rev. Canon Sammy Wainaina innovative technology could transform 1:15pm Offertory for the Church / Safaricom Choir It was in that moment lives and leave a lasting impact. that he learned that 1:20pm Prayer for the Family It was his work in Kenya that catalysed he had to adapt if Bob’s belief that purpose was the 1:25pm Address by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the he wanted to create key driver for business and without a Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the more opportunities for sustainable vision, companies would not be Armed Forces himself. While initially able to attract the right people, or make any he thought this setback 1:40pm Vote of thanks - Joe Ogutu, Safaricom profits. These three P’s form the essential would mean that he could elements for any company, and were quickly 1:45pm Final Prayers and Benediction fully imagine a future of adopted by Safaricom. 1:55pm Second Line / Jazz Recessional by Ghetto Classics and travelling and being an Safaricom Youth Orchestra (“My Way” by Frank Sinatra) artist, that dream ended Bob often talked about his job at Safaricom abruptly when his mother being the best role in the world. “No one gave him an ultimatum at the knows how amazing this job is apart from 2 3 TRIBUTES “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” - Dr. Seuss Wambui often used to look at you and marvel at quickly reminded us that how you were at once mature for your age M-PESA was a success and at the same time, often the youngest not because of the people Isoul in room. It was part of your unique charm who could afford to carry – you could relate to anyone and everyone, of out large transactions, Michael and I,” he’d say. He attributed this to the fact that As part of his work on the board of Acumen, Bob hoped to any age and circumstance. but because of those who leverage the power of the private sector and private-public transacted the little amounts nowhere else in the world had he seen such transformation I can say with confidence that not many CEOs inspired by technology. partnerships to improve the lives of the poor. every day. You understood would stand up for people the way you did. that good business was not Whether it was for customers, employees, He was inspired by Kenya’s hard-working population Bob was appointed to the Global Commission on Business about purely selling, it was or beneficiaries of Safaricom’s community – that special entrepreneurial drive that powers the and Sustainable Development by the UN Secretary- about creating equal access projects: you loved people. And you were a nation. He firmly believed in the immense possibilities General and was a member of the UN Private Sector to the opportunities provided man of the people. of the country, but was equally concerned that there Leadership Advisory Council. His impetus as a UN Global by modern necessities such as mobile connectivity and data, and doing so with integrity was a significant risk that too many people would be Compact Member was instrumental to the development of You always fought for people to get a fair deal, whether it and transparency. marginalised if business did not change its outlook. a strong Kenyan chapter and was a Commissioner on the was for short term gains like salaries and bonuses, or for long Business had to have purpose if it was going to realise United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities term projects that would impact generations to come. You were a man who never shied away from admitting when profits. for women and children. you had failed, or when you were struggling to get things You remained committed to inclusion, and to ensuring that right. Not many people in your position would do that, and our business worked to reduce inequalities in whatever He was a Board Member of the Vision 2030 Secretariat, it’s a quality that endeared you to many and earned the HIS LATER YEARS way we could. I remember one instance in 2017, when a Founding Trustee of the National Road Safety Trust, confidence of the Board. Growing up, Bob was acutely aware that he had started Chairman and Founder of Kenyans for Kenya and he you insisted that we needed to launch M-PESA Kadogo. the race of life within set limits that he had no control spearheaded initiatives through the Diabetic Management We thought it was a crazy idea to make it free for people Nicholas Nganga, Chairman, Safaricom over. He spent the latter years of his life trying to make Institute (DMI). He was recognised as a Moran of the to transact anything below KES 100 on M-PESA. But you sure other people would never have to experience the Burning Spear (MBS) for his efforts to support Kenyan same limitations.