Philemon Kipkemoi, Group Finance Director of Unga Group PLC brings nearly two decades of multi-market experience to one of East Africa’s most recognised agribusiness and consumer goods companies and stands at the intersection of financial discipline and transformative leadership.
His appointment marks a deliberate step into broader enterprise stewardship, where finance, strategy, technology, sustainability and governance converge to secure long-term organisational health.
From Audit Foundations to Multi-Market Command
Kipkemoi’s professional foundation was laid in external audit at PwC, where he sharpened technical precision and risk awareness across financial services and insurance. That rigorous grounding became the springboard for a distinguished career at British American Tobacco spanning more than eighteen years. He progressed through internal audit, commercial finance, controllership and regional leadership roles, ultimately serving as CFO and Finance Director for BAT’s East and Southern Africa cluster.
At the height of that responsibility he oversaw financial strategy and performance across fifteen countries, four listed entities and five manufacturing facilities generating combined annual turnover approaching US$900 million. Parallel non-executive directorships at BAT’s listed subsidiaries in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda, together with his chairmanship of the BAT Kenya Staff Provident Fund’s Board of Trustees, deepened his expertise in governance, fiduciary oversight and institutional capital stewardship.
The Architecture of Strategic Finance Leadership
What distinguishes Kipkemoi is his consistent ability to treat finance as an engine of enterprise transformation rather than a back-office function. Across successive roles he drove digital modernisation of finance processes, strengthened working capital discipline, and embedded robust risk and compliance frameworks in complex, multi-currency environments. He has repeatedly demonstrated that sustainable performance rests on three pillars: clear strategic alignment, disciplined capital allocation, and the deliberate development of people who can carry the organisation forward.
At Unga Group PLC he now sits on the Executive Committee with a mandate that extends beyond traditional financial reporting. His portfolio encompasses ICT, enterprise strategy, sustainability, corporate governance and the creation of shareholder value, while simultaneously leading organisation-wide transformation aimed at long-term financial resilience.
Securing the Future Through Institutional Strength
Kipkemoi’s current focus is clear: to institutionalise excellence so that performance outlasts any single leader. By marrying commercial acumen with governance discipline and a commitment to building internal capability, he is positioning Unga Group for sustained relevance in a rapidly evolving regional market. His career illustrates a rare continuity of purpose — from ensuring the integrity of numbers to shaping the strategic direction of entire enterprises.
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