Former Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Chief Executive Officer, Phyllis Wakiaga, has landed a global job at the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change.
Wakiaga joins the United States-based institution as a Senior Private Sector Development Advisor.
"I am excited to be advancing this vision at a regional level, in my new role as a Senior Private Sector Development Advisor - Industrialization Practice - at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change," Wakiaga announced.
The position was declared vacant on January 7 this year and has officially been filled after months of intensive interviewing and scrutinising applicants.
Her new job comes one month after she left KAM where she served as the CEO for nine years. She was replaced by Tobias Alando on July 1.
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change supports political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies in a globalised world.
For many government leaders, it represents a vision of economic and social transformation.
TBI’s industrialisation team is a central function that provides technical leadership and support to TBI’s embedded advisors supporting inclusive economic growth, job creation and industrialisation in Africa.
Its mission is to support the continent to establish or expand productive sectors, including manufacturing industries but also agro-processing and tradable service sectors like tourism and call centres, thereby creating jobs, know-how, net exports and tax revenues.
The main support functions provided are market analysis, industry coordination support, tools and frameworks, delivery for industrialisation, investment facilitation, policy and thought leadership, marketing, business development, fundraising and management of the sectoral network.
Wakiaga will be tasked to steer Africa's social-political and economic activities during her stay at the institution.
Her roles will include supporting African countries to develop critical industries that can foster the economic transformation of the continent.
She will also be tasked with product development of industrialisation offering and in building relationship with key industry players to build a strong pool of investors. This will include supporting the TBI team in developing business cases for investment in key sectors and providing the African governments tangible advice to attract foreign and domestic investment.
Wakiaga will also provide high-impact advisory support to TBI country teams – and in some cases where sanctioned by the country head – to senior government leaders such as Cabinet Ministers.
She will also lead TBI in collaborating with country projects and the investment team to accelerate manufacturing foreign and domestic investment in Africa.
Wakiaga studied law at the University of Nairobi and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2005. She graduated with a Master of Law degree, majoring in International Trade and Investment Law at the same university.
She holds a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Kenya Institute of Human Resources Management.
Her Master of Business Administration degree was obtained from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
She also studied at the Swedish Institute of Management.
