Alumni profile: Marion Mwangi, Group CEO, Standard Group
By Alumni Relations Department
Marion Mwangi has been appointed as Group CEO of the Standard Group which is a mainstream media group of companies with a strong heritage and archives that tell the story of the formation of a nation. This appointment is an amalgamation of the sterling career Marion has held since graduation from USIU-Africa in 1993.
Before her appointment, Marion was based in South Africa as Business Unit Director, Bulk and Onsites at African Oxygen Pty (AFROX), a Linde Company which is a leading global gases and engineering solutions business. Previously, she was AFROX Healthcare Director and Managing Director of BOC Gases Kenya Plc. She serves as a Non-Executive Director at BOC Kenya Plc, BAT Kenya Plc and Kenya Nut Company and at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). She has served as an advisory board member at several small and medium sized companies in Kenya and the Africa region. Marion is also a long-serving trustee of the Palmhouse Foundation. Marion is a member of Women Corporate Directors (WCD), Women on Boards Network (WoBn) and the Institute of Directors of South Africa (IODOSA). She has over 25 years’ experience in senior management roles with expertise in lean manufacturing, performance management and trade marketing. Over the last few years, she has a proven track record in transitioning business in turnarounds situation across industrial, FMCG, commodity, dairy and professional services sectors. She is also a part time Academic Director of the Women in Leadership program at Strathmore Business School (SBS).
During her career, she has held executive positions at Nestlé Foods (K) Limited and Bayer East Africa Limited and General Manager and Managing Director roles at Cadbury Kenya and East Africa (Kraft Foods), Unga Limited, Parmalat Botswana Pty (Groupe Lactalis), the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and BOC Kenya PLC. She has held full Profit & Loss (PnL) responsibility with business annual net revenues ranging from USD 100,000 to USD 1 billion and been the lead for process and business turnaround. As Director, Bulk and Onsites at AFROX, she served in the Africa Executive Committee and increased oxygen access in Africa and leading the South Africa industrial gas production and onsite generation business.
Marion holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Administration from USIU-Africa, Executive Education – Leadership for Talent from the European Business School, Executive Education–Women Directors Leadership Summit (WDLS) from Strathmore Business School and Cranfield School of Management, the Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaches (AoEC), International Systemic Team Coaching Certificate from AoEC systemic Coaching and Kaizen practionner from the Kaizen Institute
Marion is passionate about impact in society through her service in companies and believes that when companies do well, the people in a country do good. Marion was recognized as Top 40 over 40 for a period of four years by the Business Daily; she won the Global Community Service Award at Kraft Foods for impacting her community, and is a sought-after mentor, executive coach and public speaker.