Dr FCPA Rosemary Kinanu Gituma

Professional background

Rosemary is a practising Chartered Fellow Accountant and an accomplished specialist in finance, accounting and procurement. She holds an MBA and Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi, completed an Advanced Management Programme in Spain, holds an honorary PhD in Humanities, and is a Certified Professional Mediator. She is undertaking further PhD studies at SMC Switzerland.

Her expertise spans corporate governance, strategic management and transformative leadership, shareholder-value growth, business restructuring and re-engineering, change management, project management, public-private partnerships (PPPs), think-tank work and business advisory.

Executive experience

Her career includes serving AFS Eastern Africa as CEO and Chairperson. At East African Portland Cement Company Ltd, she held senior finance, audit, risk and pension scheme responsibilities, including Head of Finance, Board Director of EAPCC Uganda Ltd, Head of Audit and Risk, and Trustee and Trust Secretary of the Pension Scheme.

Her wider professional experience includes Numerical Machining Complex Ltd, Coca-Cola Company of Nairobi, CARE Kenya, Kenya Airways and Deloitte. Her professional practice is Kinanu & Associates.

Professional leadership

Rosemary is a former Vice-Chairperson of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) and has chaired several of its committees. In June 2015 she was awarded ICPAK Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to the accounting profession.

Her professional networks and engagements include the Institute of Directors (Kenya); international arbitration and foreign direct investment initiatives associated with Columbia University, New York; the Dispute Resolution Foundation Board; and Dispute & Conflict Resolution International.

International engagement

Rosemary has taken part in international conferences, business forums and high-level visits, building networks with business leaders, governments, investors, philanthropists, researchers, private equity groups and development partners. Her engagements have taken her across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and many African countries, and she continues to take part in forums in Kenya, East Africa, COMESA and globally.

She is particularly passionate about education and making a positive impact on people’s lives.

Community and service

• Methodist Church: Circuit Steward, Treasurer and Offertory Steward.
• Business community: Member of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; active in women-in-business initiatives.
• Rotary: Rotary Club of Muthaiga; Africa Ambassador, International Fellowship of Rotarian Educators.
• Interests: Education, health, food security and enterprise development.

Recognition

• ICPAK Fellowship, June 2015
• Peace Award, 2019
• Africa Leadership Business Award