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RUTH KAMUNYU
FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR EAST AFRICA – DHL SUPPLY CHAIN
Ruth Kamunyu, Finance Director for East Africa at DHL Supply Chain since 2020, embodies the intersection of strategic leadership and operational excellence. Her impressive career, spanning over two decades, is a testament to her versatility, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments. Ruth’s journey to success in the logistics and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors is marked by a profound understanding of finance strategy, planning, and the continuous improvement of organisational processes.
Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for Africa, Ruth is responsible for driving financial strategy across a region known for its complex and dynamic business environment. With a clear focus on profitability, her role is pivotal in ensuring that DHL Supply Chain’s business units in East Africa remain profitable while maintaining robust customer satisfaction.
She plays a key role in statutory compliance reporting, overseeing financial performance, and maintaining decision-making processes supported by first-class financial information and systems. Ruth also spearheads the project approval process, manages contract engagements, renewals, and restructures, while ensuring the financial empowerment of her teams. Her leadership extends to providing strategic direction to senior management on risk management, commercial contract approvals, and maximising financial performance.
Ruth’s focus on growing and developing talent within her department is evidenced by leading the employee opinion surveys in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. She has cultivated a culture of high-quality financial reporting, driving governance, compliance, and detailed business performance analysis to guide informed decision-making across the organisation.
Before joining DHL Supply Chain, Ruth honed her leadership skills in various capacities, with Nestlé Kenya being one of the key stops in her career. Between April 2016 and January 2020, she served as the Cluster Controller at Nestlé Kenya, where she had oversight of the business in 10 countries across East and Horn of Africa. She was responsible for business strategy, financial goal setting, and the dynamic planning process, all while ensuring compliance with Nestlé’s rigorous accounting and corporate standards.
Ruth’s role at Nestlé demanded a strong focus on risk management, financial reporting, and working capital management. She was also actively involved in industry and competitor analysis, helping to drive process improvements that enhanced operational efficiency and supported business growth. Her accomplishments during this period include an average of 3 percent growth year on year for the East and Horn of Africa cluster, and significant improvements in working capital whilst driving compliance in the region.
Before becoming a Cluster Controller, Ruth served as Regional Business Controller for Coffee, Beverages, Confectionery and Nestle Professional at Nestlé Equatorial Africa for five years. This role saw her co-pilot the business strategy for a region comprising six clusters and 21 countries. She was instrumental in driving the financial performance of the business units, leading scenario planning, and providing quality financial information that supported decision-making across the region. Under her stewardship, the Coffee, Beverage, and Confectionery category in the region achieved 14 percent organic growth between 2012 and 2014 and 10% growth between 2015 and 2016 and improved gross margins by 6.2 percent over the same period.
Ruth’s earlier career also saw her in various financial leadership roles at DHL Supply Chain from 2003 to 2011, where she gained experience managing financial reporting, capital expenditure, and project analysis for multiple business groups. Her work in process improvement, particularly in areas such as fuel and fleet management, was recognised with a Bronze Award for cost savings in 2010.
Ruth’s academic foundation in finance is rooted in her Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree in Accounting from the University of Nairobi (UoN). She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), having received her professional certification from Strathmore University.
Beyond her formal education, Ruth has participated in numerous leadership and finance training programs, including the Nestlé Leadership Academy for the East African Region, Business Controlling Training at Nestlé Vevey, and Process Improvement training by DHL in South Africa. These programs have further honed her skills in financial strategy, process improvement, and leadership.
Ruth’s passion lies in making a positive impact on lives, developing high-performing teams, and building sustainable businesses in Africa. Outside of her work life, she is married and a proud mother of two children.
In a world where the role of women in finance continues to grow, Ruth Kamunyu’ s story is a reminder that success is not just about the corporate bottom line but about building resilient teams, creating long-term value for businesses, and finding that perfect balance in life for growth.
