Kendi Ntwiga

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Kendi Ntwiga
Born
Kendi Ntwiga

(1980-05-30) 30 May 1980 (age 43)
Nairobi, Kenya
NationalityKenyan
Alma materAfrica Nazarene University
OccupationBusiness Executive
EmployerMeta (2023–present)
Known forInformation and Technology
Notable work
TitleGlobal director at Meta
Board member of

Kendi Ntwiga (born 30 May 1980), is a Kenyan business executive.[1][2]

Since October 2023, Ntwiga has served as the Global Head for Actor Solutions at Meta Platforms based in Dublin, Ireland.[3] Prior to that appointment, she was the Global Head of Misrepresentation at the same company since May 2022.[4] In 2015, Ntwiga founded SheGoesTech, an initiative started in Kenya with the aim of encouraging women to pursue a career in STEM.[5] She has served on the boards of Mercy Corps (since July 2021) and KCB Group.[6][7]

From 2005 to 2022, Kendi held various senior positions for international technology companies based in Africa. She served as Country Director for Microsoft in Kenya from January 2020 to April 2022, and as East and North Africa Regional Director at Check Point between 2017 and 2019.[8] Starting in 2011, she served for 5 years at Oracle Corporation in Kenya, as the director responsible for their East and Southern Africa market.[9] Between 2008 and 2011, Ntwiga was a manager at HP, responsible for software sales in East Africa.[10]

Early life and education[edit]

Kendi was born in Kenya on May 30, 1980. She joined Technical University of Kenya prior to attending Africa Nazarene University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in international business management in 2014.[11] In 2019, she obtained certificates in Babson College's Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. [12][13]

Career[edit]

From 2005 to 2008, Kendi served as the manager responsible for business development at Paynet Group (which was acquired by Interswitch in 2014).[14] Subsequently, she was appointed manager responsible for software sales in East Africa at HP Inc until July 2011.[15] In August of the same year she joined Oracle Corporation, serving in their Nairobi, Kenya location as a manager responsible for East and Southern Africa market. Kendi occupied this position for 5 years until August 2016.[16]

In May 2017, Kendi was appointed East and North Africa Regional Manager at Check Point.[17] She served this position until July 2019, when she was promoted within the company to become the General Manager of the East, West, and Central Africa cluster.[18] In January 2020, she joined Microsoft to serve as the country director for Kenya, a position she occupied until April 2022.[19] In May of that year, Kendi joined Meta Platforms, in Ireland, to serve as global head responsible for misrepresentation.[20] The position she left when she was appointed as global head responsible for actor solutions based in Dublin, Ireland in October 2023.[21]

Recognitions[edit]

  • 2015: TechWomen Emerging Leader by the US government.[22]
  • 2019: Top 40 under 40 women leaders in Kenya.[23]
  • 2021: Top 50 C-suite women in Africa.[24]
  • 2021: Top 25 Most Transformative Leaders Impacting Business.[25]
  • 2022: Top 15 Kenyan women CEO’s leading companies.[26]
  • 2022: Top C-suite women in Africa.[27]
  • 2023: Africa’s 30 most influential executives. [28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Remarkable Kenyan Woman to Run Bill Gates' Company - Kenyans.co.ke". www.kenyans.co.ke. 2020-01-07. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  2. ^ Kenya News (2022-06-09). "Kenyan Lady Heading Facebook and Whatsapp Operations". Ghanamma.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  3. ^ Taylor, Mildred Europa (2023-05-23). "How Africa's Kendi Ntwiga rose from the village to become one of the most senior women at Facebook, Whatsapp". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  4. ^ Mbego, Steve (2022-06-06). "Kendi Ntwiga Is Now Global Head Of Misrepresentation At Meta". CIO Africa. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  5. ^ Felix, Mr (2017-02-14). "USIU-Africa Alumni Association Hosts TechWomen Conference". KachTech Media. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  6. ^ "Mercy Corps Welcomes Four New Board Directors". Mercy Corps. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  7. ^ https://ke.kcbgroup.com/about-us/our-leaders#bod-9
  8. ^ "Microsoft appoints new Kenya country manager". The East African. 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  9. ^ Nderitu, Simon W. (2022-06-07). "Kendi Ntwiga Appointed Global Head of Misrepresentation at Meta". TechTrendsKE. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  10. ^ "Kendi Ntwiga, Trustee | ESSA". essa-africa.org (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  11. ^ Mahugu, Jacqueline. "Microsoft Lead Kendi Ntwiga on career and leadership". Evewoman Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  12. ^ "Kendi Ntwiga". Mercy Corps. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  13. ^ "Kenya : Kendi Ntwiga nommée Country Manager de Microsoft – Islam info" (in French). 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  14. ^ Ezra (2022-06-08). "Kendi Ntwiga: Meet Kenyan Techie With Plum Job at Meta, Facebook's Parent Company". whownskenya. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  15. ^ "Former Microsoft Executive Kendi Ntwiga To Head Misrepresentation Arm At Meta - Business Today Kenya". 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  16. ^ Biko, Jackson (2020-10-01). "Modest Kendi, the Silent Star". Business Daily. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  17. ^ Ajayi, Lekan (2018-10-01). "Africa Under Siege By Rising Mobile Threat – Checkpoint". BrandCrunch Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  18. ^ Biko, Jackson (2019-09-30). "Putting women in tech". Business Daily - Top 40 Under 40. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  19. ^ "Microsoft appoints Kendi Ntwiga – Nderitu as Country Manager for Kenya – Middle East & Africa News Center". news.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  20. ^ Onoja, Simeon (2023-08-23). "Kendi Ntwiga, a Global Head in Integrity Operations at Meta, shares Expertise in Leadership". Business Elites Africa. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  21. ^ Shiundu, Linda (2022-06-09). "Kenyan woman appointed by Meta to head Facebook, Whatsapp operations". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  22. ^ "Kendi picked as Meta Global head of misrepresentation". 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  23. ^ Quest Business (2022-06-15). "Kendi Ntwiga appointed Global Misrepresentation at Meta". Business Quest. Retrieved 2024-02-18. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ "15 Inspiring Women in Corporate Africa - Business Today Kenya". 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  25. ^ "Top 25 Most Transformative Leaders Impacting Business |". 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  26. ^ Okumu, Lynnet (2022-05-07). "Top Women CEOs In Kenyan Leading Companies". Soko Directory. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  27. ^ "2022 Definitive List Of Women CEOs In Africa - The Definitive List". thedefinitivelist.africa.com. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  28. ^ Onoja, Simeon (2023-07-12). "Business Elites Africa Magazine Unveils Africa's 30 Most Influential Executives of 2023". Business Elites Africa. Retrieved 2024-02-18.