Avance Media, a leading African PR and Rating firm, has released the names of 100 most influential women across 34 African countries.
The 100 consist of women who have climbed the corporate ladder, started their own businesses, or have been at the forefront of decision making both locally and internationally.
The Kenyan women represented on the list include; Sports CS Amina Mohammed, Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo, Cummins Managing Director Racheal Njoroge, Chief Customer Officer, Safaricom Sylvia Mulinge and Vice President & Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute Wanjira Mathai.
1.) Rachel Njoroge
She has made it to the list under the business leadership category.
The current Managing Director for the Southern African region of Cummins was hired in May 2006 as an IT intern.
She worked in the position for a short time before she went to Columbus and worked as a systems analyst for the next three years.
When she returned in September 2018, she was appointed managing director and CEO of the Southern African regional office.
2.) Sylvia Mulinge
She began her career in 2004 at Uniliver, where she was the Assistant Regional Brand Manager in South Africa before she was transferred to Kenya to work in the same capacity for Sunlight until 2006.
In February 2006, she joined Safaricom as the company's pre-product manager. She worked in the position until 2007 and climbed through the ranks to be appointed Chief Customer Officer in 2018.
She has also been appointed in the business leadership category.
3.) Professor Faith Osier
She has been appointed under the CSO and philanthropy category.
Osier is the President of the International Union of Immunological Societies, an umbrella organization for many of the regional and national societies of immunology throughout the world.
She is also a TED fellow who has won numerous international prizes for her research in understanding the mechanisms of immunity against Plasmodium falciparum in man.
4.) Wanjira Mathai
Wanjira is the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at WRI.
Previosuly, she served as a co-chair of WRI’s Global Restoration Council and a Senior Advisor to the Global Restoration Initiative.
She has over 20 years of experience advocating for social and environmental change on both local and international platforms.
5.) Amina Mohammed
She is the current Cabinet Secretary for Sports who doubles up as a lawyer, diplomat and politician.
Previoulsy, she served as chairwoman of the International Organization for Migration and the World Trade Organization’s General Council, as well as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
6.) Raychelle Omamo
Omamo is the current Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
Before her current position, she served as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence and Chairperson of the Defence Council between April 2013 and January 2020.
She is also a lawyer by profession.
