Hong Kong-based Barney (pictured) became chair of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) earlier this year, and is the founder and chairman of Asian Century Equity, an emerging markets private capital technology investor.
Barney said: “Africa is rapidly becoming an important growth hub and strategically positioned to play an even more significant role in the global digital ecosystem.”
IXAfrica was established in Kenya in 2021, reacting to soaring demand for Kenyan internet connectivity from a young and fast-growing population. The company soon secured a 17,300 square metre in the capital, Nairobi.
Helios Investment Partners last November bought a majority stake in IXAfrica for an undisclosed sum.
Guy Willner, chairman and CEO of IXAfrica, said: “We are pleased to have bill join our board to provide his expertise as we construct our cloud-ready facility to deliver high quality data centre solutions, serving both international and local data center requirements.”
Barney spent six years as chairman and CEO of Indian operator Reliance Communications (RCom) and of GCX, then a subsidiary, and earlier spent ten years as CEO of Pacnet, later acquired by Telstra.
Willner said of IXAfrica’s Nairobi plans: “This new facility will be a major milestone for IXAfrica as we continue to build our position as the digital transformation hub of east Africa.”
