Rita Kavashe

In 2011, she was appointed as managing director of General Motors East Africa Limited. At that time, the company was the largest assembler of automotive vehicles, based in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. When the majority shareholding in the company was acquired by Isuzu in 2015, Kavashe was retained as managing director. Under her leadership, the assembly line for pick-up trucks was relocated from South Africa to Kenya, resulting in the creation of 150 new jobs.

Kavashe started out in 1995, soon after university, as a sales representative at General Motors East Africa Limited. She held several key positions in sales and marketing, over the years. She spent six months working in South Africa in 2010, at the company's facilities in that country.

She was born and grew up in Taita–Taveta County, in southeastern Kenya. After attending local elementary and secondary schools, she was admitted to Moi University in 1988, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree. Later, she studied at the University of Nairobi, where she obtained a Master of Business Administration degree, in 2005. She also attended the Business Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, in 2013. In addition, she is an executive coach certified by the Academy of Executive Coaches (AOEC), of the United Kingdom.