Lanre Kolade

Founder & CEO, Koltronics

Lanre is a visionary and accomplished tech industry leader; He is also the founder and CEO of Koltronics Nigeria Limited, where he intends to continue his advocacy on Africa's connectivity and digital transformation. Koltronics’ mandate is to primarily help governments and organisations close the digital divide whilst promoting equity and equality within the digital infrastructure space on the continent.

Lanre, through Koltronics, strives to work on intra and inter-country fibre optic terrestrial networks and enhance subsea fibre connections by encouraging investments in more robust routes to increase resiliency on these assets with linkage to Edge Datacenters on the continent.

Prior to Koltronics, Lanre served as the Group Chief Executive Officer for CSquared from November 2018 until April 2024. With a strong passion for innovation and success, Lanre guided the company to new heights and established it as a prominent player in the tech landscape. In only four years as group CEO of CSquared, Lanre negotiated and orchestrated the 1st landing of Google Equiano cable in Africa in 2022 in a deal worth 30 Million USD in conjunction with the government of Togo. He increased the footprint of CSquared from 4 to 6 countries, adding Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the operational countries. Lanre gained from world leaders when USA President Biden gave CSquared credit in his G20 speech in Bali in 2022.

To cement his passion and expand his influence, Lanre serves as the Chairman of ConnectedCompute, a Dubai-based data centre advisory company.

With a proven track record of driving growth and transformation, Lanre brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, spanning Francophone and Anglophone Africa. Before his role as Group CEO CSquared, he was Managing Director of Vodacom Business in Nigeria. He also previously served as Managing Director of Vodacom Business for Africa's West, East, Central, & South-East regions. He has held leadership roles in telecommunication firms such as GS Telecom and Gateway Communications.

Lanre is renowned for his exceptional leadership skills that foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within organisations. He inspires and empowers his team to think outside the box, push boundaries, and bring innovative solutions to clients. He is passionate about cultivating a dynamic, inclusive workforce environment to deliver excellence.

During the course of his career, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the industry’s intricacies and emerging trends. His expertise spans diverse domains from Broadband enabling infrastructure, cloud computing, cyber security and digital transformation. He is a Wits Business School, London Business School, and Obafemi Awolowo University graduate with a BSc in Electrical Engineering/Telecoms.

Beyond his professional achievements, Lanre is proud of his endeavours and commitment to actively support initiatives to bridge the digital divide, promote STEM education, and share knowledge with the industry as a thought leader. He was invited to collaborate with other leaders at the African Leadership in a Digital World Summit organised by the African Digital Academy (ADA) and Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) at the Thunderbird School of Global Management of the Arizona State University from December 5th to 9th, 2022, in Los Angeles and Phoenix, USA.

Lanre is passionate about Africa and firmly believes that increased connectivity and digital transformation can positively affect economic development and growth, especially for the motivated and vibrant youth in all parts of the continent.

With Lanre at the helm, Koltronics is poised for success, leading in innovation and shaping the future; his strategic vision, relentlessness and ability to inspire and lead others make him a true leader in technology.