Peter Njonjo is the CEO and co-founder of Twiga Foods. Twiga Foods is a startup that uses a technology-enabled B2B platform to organize an efficient supply chain for fresh and dry commodities by aggregating informal retail demand.
Life of “Peter Njonjo” At a Glance:
Name: Peter Njonjo
Profession: Business Administrator
Date of Birth: 1976
Place of Birth: Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Education: Harvard Business School, United States International University – Africa
Known for: Founding Twiga Foods
Who is Olugbenga Peter Njonjo?
Peter Njonjo is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, including 18 years with The Coca-Cola Company.
He has competence in people development, market growth, mergers and acquisitions, and building high-performing businesses.
Birth, Education, And Early Life of “Peter Njonjo” :
Njonjo is a Kenyan native who began his academic career and earned a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration from the United States International University in Kenya USIU-Africa.
From 1995 to 1997 Peter completed his education at Strathmore Business School (SBS), where he earned a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)credential in Accounting and Finance.
Later on, in 2016 to 2018, he earned a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management from Harvard Business School.
Finally, Peter completed his Master of Business Administration at the United States International University – Africa, with a focus on Strategic Management.
Career
In 1998, Peter Njonjo was one of the country’s youngest certified public accountants. That same year, he began working as an accountant at Coca-Cola, and his first task was to reconcile certain numbers that would not balance.
Peter was taking any opportunity that came his way. It came down to owning procedures and functioning as an entrepreneur inside an already-existing company.
This method helped him to progress through the ranks, and by the time he was 31, he had worked for the corporation for ten years and held the position of country manager for Kenya.
Three years later, he would become the head of Coca-Cola’s operations in six East African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Mozambique.
During this period, he would organize agreements totaling more than $1 billion in capital expenditures.
He is currently the CEO and co-founder of Twiga Foods, a company that provides fresh and processed food to over 35,000 vendors across Kenya by sourcing from over 4,000 farmers and manufacturers, some of whom are situated in remote areas. For this convenience, a small fee is levied.
His path from having an incomplete MBA to heading Coca-Cola’s operations in 33 African countries is the story of a man motivated to make people’s lives easier.
Founding Twiga Foods
While acting as the general manager of Coca-Cola East Africa, he launched his own company with friend and co-founder Grant Brooke.
Before Twiga Foods, they would try to run many enterprises. Their first enterprise consisted of gathering wood and replenishing the plantation from whence they had acquired it. However, the business did not prosper.
After a while, Grant approached Peter with a suggestion. He wished for them to sell bananas.
The fact that bananas are one of the most traded commodities on the planet is an intriguing fact that may entice Peter Njonjo to enter the banana sector.
The goal back then was to export bananas. That was not, however, a simple process.
After failing to sell even one container of bananas outside of Kenya, Peter decided it was time to sell them locally.
However, because the retail sector was primarily informal and fragmented, they confronted disrupted supply networks even there, limiting their ability to create value.
One of the challenges was the lack of a standard for producing packaging. As a result, determining a company’s gross profit margin per unit was difficult since the market’s notion of a unit was alien to them.
Grant supervised Twiga’s operations and sought to strengthen its business model and identify how best to give value while Peter sat on the board and contributed to business strategy.
Furthermore, he rose through the Coca-Cola ranks, eventually becoming President of Coca-Cola West and Central Africa, where he was in control of 33 Sub-Saharan African countries. After leaving this role in 2019, he became CEO of Twiga Foods.
Because it was such a huge investment for them, he and his wife decided to sell the house they had built to support the business while they sought additional funds.
Nonetheless, it made sense for them since they were hopeful about the firm’s future. In the end, they raised $1.75 million in a seed round.
Achievements & Awards
Peter worked for The Coca-Cola Company for 21 years before taking on his present position.
His last position was President of the West and Central Africa Business Unit, which was situated in Lagos, Nigeria, and included 33 nations. He oversaw the $550 million purchase of Chi Beverages Nigeria as well.
Previously, Njonjo oversaw six nations, including Kenya, as the head of the Coca-Cola business in East Africa.
In this capacity, he oversaw investments totaling more than $1 billion over five years and oversaw the reorganization of Coca-Cola’s East African distribution network.
He was a member of the worldwide team that developed Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Africa’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, as well as driving bottling mergers and acquisitions throughout the region.
Njonjo formerly served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, as a director of the American Business Council in Nigeria, and as a member of The Business Daily in Kenya’s “Top 40 Under 40” list. Njonjo was designated one of the continent’s top 100 young CEOs by Forbes Afrique.
He previously served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya and as a member of the United States International University Council in Kenya.
He now sits on the boards of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO), the African Leadership Network (ALN), the American Business Council in Nigeria, and The Jim McFie Education Fund.
Peter Njonjo Wife
Peter Njonjo is married to Tina Njonjo, who is a lawyer and former head of legal at Safaricom. She is now an entrepreneur who runs Call Board, an art company. The couple has four children.
Peter Njonjo Net Worth
Information about Peter Njonjo’s net worth is not readily available. As of now, there are no specific details on his net worth. Peter Njonjo is known for being the CEO and co-founder of Twiga Foods, a Nairobi-based agri-tech business, and for his previous role as the head of Coca-Cola’s operations across 33 African countries. While there is information about his business ventures and contributions to the agricultural sector, his net worth is not explicitly mentioned in the search results provided.
Peter Njonjo Twitter
Peter Njonjo has a Twitter account with the handle @peternjonjo. However, it appears that the account has not been active for some time. There is another Twitter account with the handle @njonjo, but it is unclear if it belongs to Peter Njonjo. There is also a Twitter account with the handle @njonjo2012, which belongs to Peter Njonjo. He uses this account to share updates about his work as the CEO and Co-Founder of Twiga Foods, as well as his involvement with other organizations such as Endeavor Kenya and the YPO Nairobi Chapter.
Peter Njonjo Wikipedia
While there is no Wikipedia page dedicated to Peter Njonjo, he is active on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Additionally, he has a Twitter account with the handle @peternjonjo, and an Instagram account with the handle @p.njonjo. These accounts provide insights into his professional endeavors and personal interests.
Peter Njonjo Linkedin
Peter Njonjo’s LinkedIn profile is available at https://ke.linkedin.com/in/peter-njonjo-867167156. His LinkedIn profile provides insights into his professional background, including his previous role as the head of Coca-Cola’s operations across 33 African countries. However, there is no information about his net worth on his LinkedIn profile.
Peter Njonjo Instagram
Peter Njonjo’s Instagram account can be found under the handle @p.njonjo. This account provide insights into his professional endeavors and personal interests.
Peter Njonjo Father
Peter Njonjo shared a post on LinkedIn with a picture of himself and his father, expressing gratitude and best wishes to his father on Father’s Day.
Read also: Twiga Foods: Story, Founders, Investors & Funding Rounds