Adema Sangale

Adema Sangale is a businesswoman and social entrepreneur. She is also an alumnus of United States International University(USIU) and later Oxford University and Harvard University She joined Procter and Gamble as a result of a university recruitment programme. Her interests led her to the heart of any P&G operation in numerous locations around the globe including Africa, Europe and North America. Whilst at P&G she is most renowned for her pioneering ‘bottom of the pyramid’ solutions in bringing to global attention the plight of girls not attending school during their menstruation. She led the efforts to bring together a coalition of stakeholders from government, media and civil society to abolish taxation on sanitary pads. The key insight was that economically disadvantaged girls missed 4–5 days of school per month because they could not afford effective menstrual protection methods such as sanitary pads. This work spread to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, on the Indian sub-continent and was featured in a US advertising campaign for the Always brand. This was later featured in the New York Times.

Adema initially served as a Brand manager for Always and Pampers in Kenya, Nigeria and Poland, P&G decided to elevate her to the position of Managing Director for East Africa.This was based on her passionate yet subtle management style. In 2004 she became the youngest local CEO to head a multinational company in Kenya at the age of 27. Simultaneously, she held the same position in an office which she ran from South Africa whereby she used to oversee marketing and communications across sub-Saharan Africa including in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Namibia, Rwanda and Kenya. Her most recent role in Canada included integrating marketing and brand communications for the fast-moving consumer goods conglomerate in the North American country. She also championed a campaign with David Johnston, Governor General of Canada behind the spirit of a more caring Canada.

P&G is the world’s number one FMCG Company with an estimated daily turnover of $3 billion daily. The range of products includes sanitary pads, diapers, detergents, hair and beauty care products. Adema received one of the prestigious Chevening Awarda and has a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Oxford, UK and a Master of Public Administration Degree from Harvard University where she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow. She was recently nominated a New Generation Leader by the African Leadership Network. Adema also served as past chair of the Business Women’s Initiative in Kenya an initiate founded by Mary Robinson former President of Ireland. She is currently the Chair of the Harvard Africa Alumni Network.