Twiga Foods hires Jumia’s Charles Ballard as new CEO

Four months after the abrupt resignation of founder and CEO Peter Njonjo, Twiga Foods has hired Jumia Kenya’s Charles Ballard as its new CEO.

Ballard is joining Twiga from e-commerce giant Jumia where he has been the chief executive since April 2023. He joined Jumia in 2019, first as head of performance and planning before rising to chief operating officer in 2021.

Njonjo’s exit, which many considered as him being forced out by investors, capped a tumultuous year for Twiga, a B2B e-commerce startup founded in 2014. He also resigned from the company’s board, handing control to investors who have injected more than $150 million in debt and equity since 2017.

Other operational problems like delayed payments to suppliers and staff, layoffs, and a legal dispute over a $450,000 cloud bill which was eventually settled out of court are now in the company’s rearview.

It will hope Ballard’s appointment will be a breath of fresh air.

“With a career spanning over 15 years, of which 9 years in the Kenyan market, Ballard brings a wealth of experience in e-commerce, retail, and financial services. Most recently, Ballard was CEO of Jumia Kenya, a leading e-commerce company, where he led the transformation of the business toward profitability,” Twiga said in a statement.

“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 Hein Pretorius, Twiga board chairman.