Frans Hiemstra

Frans Hiemstra was appointed Regional General Manager for Middle East and Africa at Uber, where he oversees operations across several markets in the region, driving business growth & development, operations, and sustainability with a focus on autonomous vehicles. Based in Dubai, his role focuses on working closely with in-market teams to help identify areas of growth, lay down regional priorities, and drive operational excellence.

Frans has been with Uber since 2015, holding a series of leadership roles across the business. His most recent role was as the company's general manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, where he was responsible for the development and sustainable growth of the business in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Tanzania. As GM of SSA, he successfully navigated the business through the pandemic, accelerating growth and recovery since.

Prior to Uber, he worked in management consulting, advising clients across various sectors including Energy & Resources, Manufacturing, Distribution, and African Economic Development. He is a Deloitte Alumni, a chartered accountant, and studied at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Career History

• Regional General Manager, Middle East and Africa at Uber
• General Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at Uber
• Head of Operations at Uber
• Head of Expansion for Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber
• Country Manager for South Africa at Uber
• Management Consultant in energy and resources, manufacturing, distribution and African Economic Development (pre-Uber)

What Frans Hiemstra could bring to his role as Regional General Manager for Middle East and Africa: Based on his documented career trajectory, Hiemstra brings deep expertise in scaling operations across multiple markets and regions, having successfully driven expansion and operational excellence across Sub-Saharan Africa while maintaining profitability through challenging conditions like the pandemic. His background as a Chartered Accountant combined with extensive management consulting experience positions him to identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and implement sustainable business practices. His decade-plus tenure at Uber demonstrates mastery of the company's culture and business model, enabling him to leverage this institutional knowledge to drive continued growth across 15 countries in his expanded regional mandate.