Join us on the 3rd of December for our first-ever, WIRe Nairobi event! We will hear from Dr. Catherine Ngahu, a pioneer of the Nairobi market research market, who will share insight into her experience as a woman in research and help define the qualities we all must embody to foster a stronger, more resilient market research community for years to come. Stick around for networking, a private buffet dinner, and more! There is limited seating for this event so please register soon to ensure your spot.
Dr. Catherine Ngahu is a consultant, researcher, educator and entrepreneur with extensive experience in business strategy, marketing, branding, ICT policy, and corporate governance. She has been a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi for many years and is the founder and chairman of SBO Research Limited, a service provider with a footprint in 23 African countries. She has consulted for a wide range of organizations in banking, insurance, FMCG, energy, telecoms, ICT, health care and pharmaceutical sectors in Africa.
Catherine is the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Universal Service Fund for ICT in Kenya and a member of several Boards in the financial services and education sectors. She was the first Chairperson of Kenya ICT Board (now ICT Authority) and Chair of the Project Governance and Oversight Committee of the World Bank-funded Kenya Transparency and Communications Infrastructure Project.
As a consultant, Catherine is recognized for providing leadership in the implementation of numerous research and consulting projects in different public and private organizations and international agencies. She is passionate about enabling organizations’ understand and strategize around people’s behavior, particularly with reference to drivers of employee and consumer behavior.
She has supported many organizations in understanding consumers and finding market growth opportunities for their brands. She has carried out numerous projects on brand image/reputation, positioning, and repositioning; new product testing; brand development, advertising, pricing, distribution and market segmentation for a wide range of organizations.
She holds a PhD. in Business Administration, MBA and a Bachelor of Education (First class honors) from the University of Nairobi; and was a Business Research Fellow at Wharton Business School University of Pennsylvania, USA.
She was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2011 for devoted service, by the President of the Republic of Kenya.
Hilda is a trained lawyer and advocate of the High Court of Kenya, with 14 years of experience in the research field. During her career, she has held various roles in one of the major research companies in Kenya, where she started in media, market, and currently social research. She was one of the pioneers of financial inclusion studies in 2007 when the inclusion rate was under 25%, in comparison to currently, when the rate is over 85%. She has recently driven and is involved in research on constitutional reforms in Ethiopia, with a goal to witness stability in the Ethiopian governance.
Hilda is currently the Research Director at Ipsos and is passionate about using data to assess programmes, and provide insights that impact the lives of people and make a contribution to society. Her interests in the social research field include policies, financial inclusion and education, governance, reproductive health rights, and improving the livelihoods of marginalised and underprivileged communities and individuals. She is a member of and trainer at the Market and Social Research Association (MSRA). For fun, Hilda is a designer, makes clothes for self and others.
Jonathan has over 20 years of experience in market research and is a recognised authority on consumer insight and retail research across Africa. He is an insight-extractor and uses the power of data to drive business strategies in an innovative and multi-channel growth. Having held senior management positions across various research firms, his knowledge of Africa is greatly valued.
He is currently an entrepreneur, who oversees a growing pan-African research team, that is passionate about working with growing business seeking to thrive; particularly newbies to use data and analytics. Jonathan is a great supporter of marginalised youth, passionate and proud to work with local communities to promote academic hunger and excellence. He enjoys sharing learnings and insights in seminars and conferences.
Jonathan is a council member of the Marketing Society of Kenya and Market, ESOMAR, and Social Research Association. He has previously served as a Director of the Kenya Retailers Association (RETRAK), Chair of the Retail Measurement SACCO, and Chair of the Marketing and Social Research Association (MSRA). He is a committee member of AMRA, the Business Member Organisation Representative at Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and the Africa Lead for the Nielsen Social and Environmental Responsibility Initiative.
Jane Nzomo is a CO-founder and Managing Director at Consumer Options Kenya Limited, a full-service market research firm established in 2004, with a track record of providing data-based solutions across Africa. She brings to the industry over 19 years of market research experience, having worked across different markets and having partnered with private, public, and SME organizations.
Jane is passionate about Marketing, and the potential that Market research has, to fuel the growth of businesses and to create a positive social impact in Kenya and across Africa. She is keen on the advancement and growth of Marketing Research in Africa. She is a founding member of the African Market Research Association (AMRA), a former chairperson of the Marketing & Social Research Association (MSRA) in Kenya and currently serving as a board member of the Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK).
Kate is an enthusiastic and versatile leader with 15 years of strong practical experience in marketing research, client service, management, and leadership. She is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at Kantar East Africa, with a responsibility of driving client-centricity and impact, as well as commercial profitability and growth.
Her experience cuts across a range of local and international organizations, where she has supported clients to derive and action insights pertinent to the functions of marketing, brand, communication & advertising, media & digital, innovation & product development, retail & shopper, customer experience, employee satisfaction and data analytics.
During her career, Kate has worked across a wide range of industries covering fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunications, digital brands, banking, insurance, pharmaceutical, among others. She is passionate about personal development with a focus on emotional intelligence, leadership and coaching.
Mumbi Kang’ata is a seasoned customer experience professional and market researcher, with over 16 years of experience in the telecommunication industry. She has served at different capacities within Safaricom, such as overseeing research field work in the Consumer Insights division and held various roles within the Customer Management department. She is passionate about how a customers’ journey and experience with a company’s products, services, and touchpoints defines their relationship with the brand.
Mumbi is currently a research manager at Safaricom, with a major responsibility of overseeing customer satisfaction studies, and supporting the Enterprise Business Unit with its diverse research needs. Using her wealth of experience in C2B and B2B marketing, she uses data and analytics, and best practices in the industry to help the business make insight-driven decisions, that deliver unmatched customer experiences. She is a certified Net Promoter Score Master and as a trained teacher, she uses her expertise to play the role of both a trainer of trainers and trainer of end users.
