Ron Kawamara has been appointed the chief executive officer for Jumia Uganda, according to a press statement released on Thursday.
The position fell vacant after Ham Namakajjo left the company early this year.
Kawamara has been serving as the managing director for Jumia Food, East Africa, a position he was posted to in June 2017.
In the press statement, Massimiliano Spalazzi, who is also a Jumia chief executive, said that the e-commerce company believes Ron Kawamara will play a critical role in achieving the company’s vision, considering his vast experience in the industry.
“After a thorough and thoughtful search process, we are thrilled to have Ron take on the CEO role. Ron brings a stellar leadership reputation, a wealth of consumer experience, and a lifelong passion for eCommerce to Jumia – all of which are critical ingredients in the continued evolution of our company,” he said.
“We are absolutely confident that Ron is the right leader for Jumia who can create value for customers and vendors by marrying Jumia’s numerous assets with the opportunities ahead.”
Before being appointed Juma Food East Africa head, Kawamara served as the country(Uganda) director for Jumia Food for a year.
He had previously headed Hello Food between May 2014 to June 2016. Hello Food was later named Jumia Food.
Ron Kawamara, who studied political science and international relations at the University of California, has also previously worked with FedEx and People Connect.
Kawamara also holds a Masters of Science in African Studies from the University of Oxford and in the press statement he was quoted saying: “I cannot imagine a more important and exciting time to join Jumia.”
“With a massive, diverse and highly engaged audience, a market-leading online business, a best-in-class product portfolio and an extremely passionate and talented group of people, Jumia is well-positioned to capture an even greater market opportunity,” Ron Kawamara added.
“As a lifelong entrepreneur and exuberant technology enthusiast, this is the perfect opportunity to combine my industry experience with my love for business. I look forward to working with this great team, having a lot of fun, and leading Jumia through its next exciting phase.”
Meanwhile, Jumia was Thursday also unveiling their Black Friday campaign, a massive sales event that will run from November 16th to December 7th, 2018.
