Eliya Kwigeza
Dar Es Salamm
Summary
I am a seasoned Finance leader and Supply Chain Expert, with a proven track record in business planning, insightful forecasting, and continuous innovative process improvements. My substantial list of achievements is underpinned by my key areas of expertise, which include business performance management, supply chain & planning, risk & change management, and stakeholder management. I have demonstrated the ability to supervise and coordinate multiple functions within a company, implementing profitable growth strategies, cut waste, and ensuring seamless day-to-day operations. As a proactive professional, I am adept at handling tasks systematically, setting priorities, and paying meticulous attention to detail. I am recognized as a motivational and inspirational leader, skilled at managing high-performing teams, and leveraging individual strengths for optimum performance. Equipped with high numerical accuracy and proven business analytical skills, I exercise mature judgement, make effective decisions, and resolve complex problems. I utilize my strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with people at all levels, fostering enduring and mutually beneficial relationships.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Supply Chain, Planning and Partnerships
Africa Improved Foods
08.2019 - 05.2022
- Led the end-to-end procurement process
- Managed sales and operations planning (S&OP)
- Oversaw projects aimed at improving maize yields and providing post-harvest handling support to smallholder farmers
- Cultivated relationships with stakeholders within maize and soybean value chains
- Created and implemented a local sourcing strategy
- Achieved a 20% reduction in raw materials costs
- Fostered the growth of local SMEs into reliable suppliers.
Head of Finance
Zola Electric East Africa
02.2019 - 07.2019
- Responsible for end-to-end finance role of the company including monthly management review and communication, balance sheet, supply chain and commercial finance partnering, strategy and tax matter.
Head of Finance
Unilever Tea Tanzania
03.2016 - 02.2019
- Developed and implemented financial strategies to support the company's growth
- Collaborated with various departments and business units to provide financial insights, guidance, and support
- Led a 14-person finance team
- Acted as the company's representative in external stakeholder engagements
- Prepared the company's annual budgets and monitored actual financial performance
- Participated in the preparation and implementation of business cases
- Collaborated with external and internal auditors on various compliance issues
- Handled treasury matters with Unilever Global Finance and external banks, managed tax matters.
Business Controller
Scania Tanzania
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Responsible for end-to-end finance responsibilities.
Financial Controller/Finance Officer
Grumeti Reserves Ltd
01.2011 - 01.2014
- Responsible for end-to-end finance responsibilities.
Program Director Sub Sahara Africa
DSM-Firmenich
05.2022
- Lead the structuring, development, and implementation of animal nutrition market development initiatives, primarily focusing on poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa, with key initiatives in Kenya
- Establish and manage strategic partnerships with relevant organizations
- Identify potential risks to the success of initiatives and devise mitigation actions
- Implement systems to accurately measure and communicate the financial and social impacts of initiatives
- Oversee internal and external resources allocated for the implementation of initiatives
- Act as the liaison between the Animal Nutrition and Health business group and other entities in Africa.
Education
Business Administration, Corporate Management and Leadership certification -
Witwatersrand University Business School
12.2015
Member of National Board of Accountant and Auditors (NBAA) - Certified Public Accountant (CPA T) -
01.2013
Bachelor of Commerce and Management (B. Com- Accounting) Honours Degree -
University of Dar es Salaam
01.2010
Countries Worked
- Tanzania
- Rwanda
- Kenya
- South Africa
Accomplishments
- Strategic Cost Reduction and Efficiency: Developed and executed a successful local sourcing strategy in Rwanda, increasing local sourcing of agricultural commodities from 40% to 80% in under two years. This strategy, coupled with an improved quality rejection rate from 90% to less than 5%, led to a 20% reduction in raw material costs, ensuring supply continuity and saving the company $400k in 2021., Africa Improved Foods
- Fundraising and Collaboration: Demonstrated strong partnership skills by uniting four organizations to raise $1m in funding for technical assistance workstreams. This initiative significantly increased productivity for smallholder maize farmers in Rwanda., Africa Improved Foods
- SME Development and Supplier Management: Successfully nurtured the growth of four local SMEs from $100k to $800K turnover within three years, establishing them as reliable suppliers of key raw materials to Africa Improved Foods., Africa Improved Foods
- Led the company to its first profitable year (€1M in 2017) in four years, showcasing financial acumen and effective business leadership, Unilever Tea Tanzania
- Achieved significant reduction in unit production costs by implementing farm mechanization (increasing plucking operation from 20% to 60%) and effective overtime management in manufacturing unit (reducing from 50% to 6%)., Unilever Tea Tanzania
- Oversaw the successful establishment of a $30m state-of-the-art tea factory, from inception to commissioning, displaying adeptness in capital project management., Unilever Tea Tanzania
- Spearheaded the transition to cashless salary payments for 6,000 employees by leveraging mobile technology and negotiating effectively with local banks, enhancing efficiency and security of salary disbursement., Unilever Tea Tanzania
- Built a highly competent team to manage transactional matters, enabling focus on strategic issues. Demonstrated leadership amongst peers, earning the trust of the Managing Director and appointment as the second-in-command (2IC). Cut finance employee turnover by 60%, Unilever Tea Tanzania
Employer
DSM-Firmenich
Position
Program Director Sub Sahara Africa
Years Of Experience
13 years of experience in Finance, Supply Chain and Procurement roles.
Life Purpose
My life's purpose is to serve as a trailblazer, spearheading innovative developments and ideas that will revolutionize businesses, organizations, and the communities they impact. I aspire to lead as a vanguard, fostering transformative change and growth in every sphere I touch.
Relevant Experience
- 05/2022, Present, Program Director Sub Sahara Africa, DSM-Firmenich, Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals, and the planet. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM’s products and solutions address some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders - customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. Key Responsibilities (Developing Animals Nutrition Value Chains in Sub Sahara Africa i.e Poultry, Fish and Dairy): - Strategic Development and Oversight: Lead the structuring, development, and implementation of animal nutrition market development initiatives, primarily focusing on poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa, with key initiatives in Kenya. Identify and structure new business opportunities in animal nutrition to ensure market expansion - Partnership Management: Establish and manage strategic partnerships with relevant organizations to complement DSM's skill sets, ensuring business and financial interests are negotiated favourably. Collaborate with government, public organizations, and NGOs to support DSM's initiatives. - Risk Management and Financial Planning: Identify potential risks to the success of initiatives and devise mitigation actions. Negotiate financial support with banks, international finance organizations, impact investors, and donors to secure resources and minimize financial risks for DSM. - Performance Measurement and Reporting: Implement systems to accurately measure and communicate the financial and social impacts of DSM's initiatives. Prepare and present regular reports, progress reviews, and strategic presentations for internal and external stakeholders. - Team Management and Collaboration: Oversee internal and external resources allocated for the implementation of initiatives, ensuring proper involvement and updates for the DSM Africa and Animal Nutrition and Health (ANH) team. - Business Alignment and Liaison: Act as the liaison between the Animal Nutrition and Health business group and other entities in Africa, ensuring alignment of business strategies across the continent, excluding South Africa and Northern Africa
- 08/2019, 05/2022, Head of Supply Chain, Planning and Partnerships, Africa Improved Foods, Africa Improved Foods (AIF) is a multi-national manufacturing PPP company that makes nutritious fortified foods in Africa for African with the objective of ending malnutrition and stunting in children. Key responsibilities: - Supply Chain and Procurement Management: Led the end-to-end procurement process, including strategic sourcing, purchasing, and supplier relationships for a $40m per year budget. Sourced raw materials from international and regional markets, ensuring the smooth operation of the supply chain. - Strategic Planning and Operations: Managed sales and operations planning (S&OP), aligning the organization's diverse functions to meet business goals. Acted as the strategic lead for sourcing agricultural raw materials regionally. - Project Management and Agricultural Development: Oversaw projects worth €7m aimed at improving maize yields and providing post-harvest handling support to smallholder farmers in Rwanda. Achieved a significant reduction in maize rejections due to quality challenges. - Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building: Cultivated relationships with stakeholders within maize and soybean value chains. Successfully united four organizations to raise $1m for increasing smallholder farmers' productivity. - Strategic Sourcing and Local Sourcing: Created and implemented a local sourcing strategy, increasing the sourcing of agricultural commodities locally from 40% to 80% in less than two years, and improving quality rejection rates substantially. - Financial Management and Cost Savings: Achieved a 20% reduction in raw materials costs and saved the company $400k in 2021. Additionally, fostered the growth of local SMEs into reliable suppliers, developing their turnover from zero to USD 800K in two years
- 02/2019, 07/2019, Head of Finance, Zola Electric East Africa, Responsible for end-to-end finance role of the company including but not limited to monthly management review and communication, balance sheet, supply chain and commercial finance partnering, strategy and tax matter. Member of the senior management team for Zola East Africa
- 03/2016, 02/2019, Head of Finance, Unilever Tea Tanzania, Involved in end to end managing day to day a challenging and complex business operations, from running 20,000 ha of land out of which tea plantations is 4,000 ha and 17,400 ha of trees and natural forest, four tea processing plants (350 tons a day capacity), 6,000 employees, export of tea, company hospital and school. - Strategic Financial Leadership: Develop and implement financial strategies to support the company's growth, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives. This includes preparing budgets, forecasts, and long-term financial plans. - Business partnering: Collaborate with various departments and business units to provide financial insights, guidance, and support for decision-making. This includes working closely with operations, sales, and other functions to optimize financial performance and drive growth. - Team Management: Led a 14-person finance team, ensuring smooth career development, succession planning, and performance appraisals, thereby fostering an environment conducive to growth and productivity. - Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Acted as the company's representative in external stakeholder engagements with ministries, the Tea Board of Tanzania, and various government officials, demonstrating exceptional communication and negotiation skills. - Budgeting and Financial Performance Monitoring: Prepared the company's annual budgets (CAPEX and OPEX) and monitored actual financial performance against the budget/plan monthly. Presented quarterly financial results, operations, and project statuses to the Africa Plantations leadership team. - Project Management and Business Case Implementation: Participated in the preparation and implementation of business cases for various projects, including managing a $30m tea factory expansion project. - Audit and Compliance Management: Collaborated with external and internal auditors on various compliance issues and implemented audit findings, ensuring the company's adherence to financial regulations and standards. - Treasury and Tax Management: Handled treasury matters with Unilever Global Finance and external banks, managed tax matters.
- 2014, 2016, Business Controller, Scania Tanzania, Responsible for end-to-end finance responsibilities (Financial planning, Business performance and Management Reports, Controls and Audit)
- 2011, 2014, Financial Controller/Finance Officer, Grumeti Reserves Ltd, Responsible for end-to-end finance responsibilities (Financial planning, Management Reports, Controls, Audit and Tax)
Personal Information
Nationality: Tanzanian
References
- Nicholaos Yiannakis, Vice President and Managing Director, Dole International Philippines, +254 110 071 229, nicholaosyiannakis@icloud.com
- Duncan Page, Country Director, Woods Foundation, +250 788 313 765, duncan.page@thewoodfoundation.org.uk
- Ahmed Mhada, Chief Financial Officer, Mbeya Cement (Lafarge), +255 746 283 085, mhadajr@gmail.com
Timeline
Program Director Sub Sahara Africa
DSM-Firmenich
05.2022
Head of Supply Chain, Planning and Partnerships
Africa Improved Foods
08.2019 - 05.2022
Head of Finance
Zola Electric East Africa
02.2019 - 07.2019
Head of Finance
Unilever Tea Tanzania
03.2016 - 02.2019
Business Controller
Scania Tanzania
01.2014 - 01.2016
Financial Controller/Finance Officer
Grumeti Reserves Ltd
01.2011 - 01.2014
Business Administration, Corporate Management and Leadership certification -
Witwatersrand University Business School
Member of National Board of Accountant and Auditors (NBAA) - Certified Public Accountant (CPA T) -
Bachelor of Commerce and Management (B. Com- Accounting) Honours Degree -
University of Dar es Salaam
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