EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ramon Fernandez, deputy CEO and group CFO at Orange, is “absolutely convinced” the company’s ambitious targets for growth in Africa and the Middle East are achievable.

Orange is looking to increase revenue across the regions by 5 per cent every year up to 2018, and increase operating profit faster than sales growth. For the Orange Money service, Fernandez revealed it is aiming to reach revenue of €200 million by 2018, a significant increase from the €50 million it achieved last year.

Fernandez spoke to Mobile World Live as part of our exclusive CEO interview series. Top of the agenda was the company’s operations in Africa and the Middle East, including an insight into the thinking behind the launch of a new separate business unit for the regions.

Fernandez said Orange set up the separate entity as an acknowledgment of both regions’ importance to the group, while revealing the company is “open to collaborating with strategic and financial partners in MEA, which could eventually lead to listing the group”.

Elsewhere in the interview, Fernandez talked about how the landscape of telecoms in Africa and the Middle East could change, and explained the make-up of Orange’s executive committee.

To read the full interview, click here.