Charles Ballard has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of agri-tech firm, Twiga Foods, weeks after his dubious exit from Jumia Kenya, where he also served as the CEO.

The business-to-business supply platform said on Tuesday that the appointment of the new CEO was done following completion of a comprehensive search process across the globe.

Ballard has vast experience in e-commerce, retail, and financial services and boasts of a career spanning more than 15 years, nine of which have been spent in the Kenyan market.

He was appointed the CEO of Jumia Kenya in April 2023 after joining in 2019 in an attempt to guide the struggling company toward profitability before his exit due to internal pressure.

“We are delighted to welcome Charles as our new Chief Executive. His deep understanding of the Kenyan e-commerce and retail landscape, his proven operational grip, his entrepreneurial drive, and his passion for the Twiga Foods opportunity make him the ideal leader to steer Twiga into its next phase of growth and success,” said Twiga board Chairman Hein Pretorius.

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Ballard has welcomed his appointment saying Twiga Foods was on a good trajectory to boost its operations, technology, and user experience to create value for all stakeholders.

“I am deeply committed to developing our team and fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence that will drive us into our next phase of growth,” Ballard added.

Twiga Foods Site Officer Regina Mutua, CEO Charles Ballard, Quality Assurance Officer Mary Gakenyi and Chief Transformation Officer Anjan Dasgupta. PHOTO/TWIGA

He will oversee the business backed by Chief Operating Officer Anjan Dasgupta, Chief Technology Officer Paul Bombo, Chief People Officer Susan Kiama, and Chief Financial Officer Zuber Momoniat.

At Jumia, Ballard replaced Juan Seco who left after eight years, while at Twiga Foods he is taking over from Peter Njonjo, one of the co-founders who controversially left in January.

In December 2023, Njoro went on a six-month leave after leading struggling Twiga Foods to secure a fresh funding round to the tune of Sh5.5 billion as it faced pressure from suppliers.

Insiders at Jumia have intimated to Swala Nyeti that Ballard was forced to exit Jumia Kenya following a petition from employees who raised issue with his style of leadership after his one-year lacklustre tenure.