Top 10: Women in Supply Chain in the Middle East and Africa

Over the past few weeks, Supply Chain Digital has been celebrating the inspiring women in supply chain who are blazing a trail for the next generation of talent. 

Here, we take a look at the Middle East and Africa-based executives who are leading the way when it comes to operations, logistics, sustainability, risk management and beyond. 

10. Djamila Moussadek – Head of Logistics Unit

Company: Renault 
Revenue: US$56bn 
Employees: 120,000

Djamila Moussadek is a specialist when it comes to logistics, upstream and downstream transportation and communicating with both partners and suppliers. 

She can also boast extensive experience in the areas of invoice payment and cost management.

Djamila has been with Renault for almost a decade and these days heads up the automotive giant’s Logistics Unit. 

9. Aisha-Gloria Mhally – Head of Supply Chain Management (Tanzania)

Company: Vodacom
Revenue: US$6.7bn
Employees: 8,000

For more than two decades, Aisha-Gloria Mhally has been Head of Supply Chain Management at Vodacom Tanzania. 

This experienced supply chain leader can boast a demonstrated history of working and excelling in the telecommunications industry.

Over the years, Aisha-Gloria has gained numerous skills and capabilities in operations, management, logistics, procurement and business strategy.

8. Maryanne Karanja – Head of Supply Chain

Company: Safaricom
Revenue: US$885m
Employees: 5,500

Maryanne Karanja is a supply chain and project turnaround expert with more than 20 years worth of experience in corporate senior leadership roles across Africa. 

She now serves as Head of Supply Chain at Safaricom, the leading provider of converged communication solutions in Kenya.

Maryanne helps organisations deliver business transformation, as well as turning around the performance of failing projects, by building homegrown solutions that use existing and new technology so they can profitably grow their footprint.

She also enjoys consulting in business strategy and pulling teams together to come up with solutions. 

7. Margaret Ngari – East Africa Regional Supply Chain Director

Company: World Vision
Revenue: US$1.4bn
Employees: 34,000

A proven professional in fields including global procurement, supply chain operations, logistics, strategy development and implementation, vendor management and licensing, Margaret Ngari is East Africa Regional Supply Chain Director at World Vision. 

Over the years, Margaret has achieved exceptional success in managing complex environments and strategic negotiations. She is experienced in building and empowering cross-functional teams to realise organisational goals.

Before World Vision, Margaret held procurement roles at KCB Bank Group, Stanbic Bank Kenya and Nestlé.

6. Marta Vidal – Regional Supply Chain Director IMEA

Company: Henkel
Revenue: US$23bn 
Employees: 48,000

Marta Vidal is a results-oriented and highly-motivated senior supply chain professional with more than 20 years of extensive international experience.

She has held important management positions at multinationals operating in the FMCG sector, spread across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

Marta can count consumer goods giants Nestlé, Purina and Beiersdorf as just some of her previous employers. She joined Henkel in 2021 to become Regional Supply Chain Director for the IMEA region. 

5. Jacquiline Muchoki – Regional Supply Chain Director, East Africa

Company: International Rescue Committee
Revenue: US$1.4bn
Employees: 13,000

With a focus on developing and supporting a high standard of supply chain excellence to maximise programme support, efficiency and results, Jacquiline Muchoki serves as Regional Supply Chain Director for East Africa at the International Rescue Committee.

Jacquiline has proven ability when it comes to developing and implementing strategic supply chain solutions, managing complex projects and building high-performing teams. 

Her expertise lies in procurement, logistics and inventory, asset and fleet management, as well as compliance and governance.

4. Bo Lorden – Africa Supply Chain Director, Home Care & Digital Transformation 

Company: Unilever
Revenue: US$63.7bn
Employees: 128,000

An experienced Supply Chain Director with a proud history of working in the FMCG industry, Bo Lorden started out as an Innovations Engineer at Unilever having graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. 

She subsequently took up similar roles at Cadbury and Mondelēz International, before returning to Unilever in 2014. Now, she serves as Africa Supply Chain Director for the Home Care and Digital Transformation divisions. 

Bo is particularly strong in areas including strategic planning, cross-functional team leadership, strategy and manufacturing. 

3. Noran Mohamed – Director, Ocean Freight

Company: DSV
Revenue: US$21.9bn
Employees: 75,000

Noran Mohamed is an experienced manager who has worked in the logistics and freight forwarding space for almost two decades. 

With specialist skills including operations management, customer service and procurement, she has a proven track record when it comes to streamlining business processes to reduce costs and working under pressure.

Having started out at UTi Worldwide, she joined DSV in 2016 following the completion of an acquisition deal. She served as Ocean Freight Manager before climbing the ladder to become Director of Ocean Freight. 

2. Lou-Ann Fairweather – Head of Logistics & Services Procurement, Southern Africa and Islands

Company: Maersk
Revenue: US$51.1bn
Employees: 110,000

Lou-Ann Fairweather can be considered a motivated, results-driven, natural-born leader with extensive commercial, procurement and financial knowledge.

Over the past couple of decades she has gained extensive African and international experience, with a strong understanding of operating within the complexities of an international environment.

Barring a two-year stint at DHL Express, Lou-Ann has spent most of her career with A.P. Moller - Maersk. These days she looks after logistics and services procurement across Southern Africa and surrounding islands.

1. Hayat Chaoui – Vice President Supply Chain Operations

Company: Procter & Gamble
Revenue: US$82bn
Employees: 107,000

Hayat Chaoui has dedicated the entirety of her 22-year career to consumer goods powerhouse Procter & Gamble (P&G).

Joining in 2002 as a Site Logistics Group Manager, Chaoui has progressed through the ranks at P&G to assume a host of leadership roles, predominantly based in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. 

Specialising in logistics, operations, manufacturing and supply chains, Chaoui now serves as Vice President of Supply Chain Operations.

Chaoui recently featured in Supply Chain Digital’s annual list of the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain.

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