The Ethiopian Securities Exchange has a new leader. Yodit Kassa steps into the Chief Executive Officer role after Dr. Tilahun Esmael Kassahun, the exchange’s founding CEO, resigned. The move marks the first executive handover at Ethiopia’s pioneer securities exchange since it opened its doors.
A Founder’s Exit After Building the Market From Scratch
ESX announced the transition in an official statement released Friday. The exchange credited Tilahun with carrying the institution through every early stage: from a project on paper to a fully functioning marketplace. Over four and a half years, he built the governance frameworks, raised capital, integrated trading technology, and forged relationships with regulators and investors that gave the exchange its foundation.
Tilahun shared his own reflections on social media, calling his time at ESX the greatest privilege of his career. He said the exchange had grown from an ambitious idea into a credible institution, and he voiced full confidence in Kassa as his successor, calling her an exceptional leader who helped shape the exchange’s early success.
Kassa Brings Continuity, Not a Clean Slate
Kassa is not new to ESX. She joined during the exchange’s project phase and has worked her way up through its leadership ranks, serving as Chief Business Officer before becoming Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she led market development and drove strategic growth initiatives, giving her a hand in shaping the exchange long before taking the top job.
Her academic background supports that trajectory. Kassa holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from Addis Ababa University and spent years in education and research roles, including as an Education Manager and Lecturer, before moving into capital markets.
What Comes Next for the Exchange
As CEO, Kassa will focus on three priorities: growing the number of listed companies, widening investor participation, and introducing new financial products. She will also work to strengthen the market infrastructure that underpins trading and settlement.
ESX operates under a license from the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority. It serves as Ethiopia’s central organized marketplace for equities, fixed income securities, and money market instruments. With its founding leadership now in Kassa’s hands, the exchange enters its next chapter with a CEO who helped build it from the ground up and knows exactly what comes next.
