Chief Executive Officer

Role Overview

As the senior leader for the Kenya business, you will set its direction and take responsibility for financial results, market growth and day-to-day execution. You will bring commercial, marketing, operational and people leaders together to strengthen the company’s presence in the market while balancing expansion with profitability and efficient use of resources.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and deliver the Kenya business plan in line with regional and global priorities, with accountability for revenue, profit, market share and long-term performance.
• Identify and assess growth opportunities across product categories, customer groups, sales channels and geographies, and direct resources towards the strongest priorities.
• Lead commercial and sales planning across modern trade, general trade, distributors and other relevant channels; improve coverage, outlet penetration, availability and sales productivity.
• Manage key customer, distributor and partner relationships, and guide decisions on pricing, trade investment, margins and promotions to improve commercial returns.
• Work with marketing leaders to shape locally relevant brand and category plans, act on consumer and market trends, and improve the reach and effectiveness of campaigns.
• Strengthen the route-to-market network by improving distributor performance and channel economics, expanding geographic reach and assessing new channels or partnerships.
• Coordinate with operations and supply chain teams on demand planning, stock, production or procurement, service levels and cost control, protecting margins and working capital as the business grows.
• Lead a cross-functional leadership team, build accountability and talent, maintain sound governance, and report performance, risks and strategic initiatives to regional leadership or the Board.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 16–22 years of professional experience, including substantial senior experience in FMCG or consumer products.
• Demonstrated success leading a country, business unit or comparably sized operation with responsibility for P&L and business performance.
• A strong record of growing revenue and profitability and expanding markets.
• In-depth knowledge of the Kenyan FMCG environment, including distributor networks, general and modern trade, and developing sales channels.
• Broad experience in sales, distribution, commercial strategy, route-to-market and brand or marketing leadership.
• Experience building and developing large, cross-functional teams, with the ability to foster accountability, performance and continuous improvement.
• Commercial judgement to balance growth ambitions with margins, operational efficiency and resource constraints.
• Strong strategic and analytical capabilities, paired with a practical approach to execution and performance management.
• Confident communication and stakeholder skills, including the ability to work with senior regional or global leaders, customers, distributors and external organisations.
• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Economics, Marketing or a related field; an MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification is an advantage.