Marketing and communication firm WPP Scangroup has appointed Patricia Ithau as the chief executive officer.
She takes over from Bharat Thakrar who resigned in March last year to pave the wave for investigations into his alleged misconduct.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm, however, closed the case against Thakrar and former chief finance officer Satyabrata Das upon concluding the probe.
It said no incriminating evidence was found without releasing the report on the investigations.
Announcing management changes, Scangroup chairman Richard Omwela said Ithau’s term begons on March 14.
"She brings in a wealth of experience at the firm, having served in leadership and marketing roles for over 20 years including overseeing the expansion of major consumer brands including Unilever, Diageo, and LOreal,” said Omwela.
She is currently the regional director at the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Development Economies, Seed.
The marketer also sits on the boards of ABSA Bank Kenya, Jambojet Limited, and the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a trustee on M-Pesa Foundation and Vodafone Foundation UK boards.
Ithau was in 2020 awarded the Head of State Commendation (HSC) for her philanthropic work in supporting enterprise development in Kenya.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management from the United States International University- Africa (USIU) and a commerce degree from the University of Nairobi.
”WPP Scangroup is Kenya’s foremost marketing and communications network. I’m so excited by the opportunity to lead a company that prides itself on delivering outstanding work and creative innovation for clients,”Ithau said.