Ipsos-Synovate Kenya managing director Maggie Ireri is set to exit the company in September. PHOTO|FILE
What you need to know:
David Somers, the Ipsos CEO for sub-Saharan Africa, declined to elaborate on Ms Ireri’s exit, only saying that an official statement will be released next week.
The incoming Kenya MD was the Ipsos-Synovate Tanzania managing director between January 2011 and June 2013, when he joined the Kenyan subsidiary as COO of the group that is synonymous with opinion polling in the country.
Ms Ireri is leaving the pollster after having worked there for 13 years.
Ipsos-Synovate Kenya managing director Maggie Ireri is set to exit the company in September in an apparent shake up of the research company’s executive suite that will also see the exit of Joe Otin, the managing director for the group’s Media Pan Africa unit.
Ms Ireri, 39, who has been at the helm for four years, has already served notice.
Management has settled on Aggrey Oriwo, the current chief operating officer (COO), as her replacement.
David Somers, the Ipsos CEO for sub-Saharan Africa, declined to elaborate on Ms Ireri’s exit, only saying that an official statement will be released next week.
“There will be official communication on the matter on Monday next week,” said Mr Somers on phone.
Ms Ireri also initially declined to comment on the matter.
In a statement released to the media Wednesday morning Ms Ireri was quoted saying: “I leave when the company is still the market leader with a robust heritage and strong corporate brand name. I leave a very capable management team assembled over years. Various management studies show that very few organizations have a succession planning process for senior staff, especially Managing Directors. Ipsos stands out as an exception as I actively and strategically worked on a succession plan for the last one year.”
Somers added: “I would like to thank Margaret for her contribution over the years she has worked with us. Her leadership, strategic vision and work ethic have transformed Ipsos into a stronger and more focused company. With regard to our new leader for Kenya, I have full confidence in Aggrey, whom I know well. He will service our clients extremely well and ensure Ipsos stays the employer of choice when it comes to rarket research in Kenya.”
The company, however, released a statement Tuesday announcing the resignation of Mr Otin, who joined the group nine years ago.
“During his service, Joe has played a role in a number of initiatives: The automation of Media Monitoring Services, successful bid to KARF (Kenya Audience Research Foundation) for the supply of audience research services, expansion of media monitoring services in Zambia and Mozambique,” said the statement co-signed by Mr Somers and chairman of the group Roger Steadman.
The incoming Kenya MD was the Ipsos-Synovate Tanzania managing director between January 2011 and June 2013, when he joined the Kenyan subsidiary as COO of the group that is synonymous with opinion polling in the country.
Ms Ireri is leaving the pollster after having worked there for 13 years.
She started her career in 1999 as a research assistant with SBO Research, a locally-owned firm, before joining Steadman Synovate Uganda as a research executive a year later.
In 2001, she was promoted to research manager at Steadman Synovate Uganda, a post she held for two-and-a-half years.
In May 2004, she was promoted to country manager and a year later she became the Steadman Synovate business development director for Pan Africa for six years.
In 2008, Steadman Group sold its market research and opinion polling business to multinational market research company Synovate for an undisclosed fee.
Ms Ireri continued on in her pan-African role until 2011 when she was appointed the Ipsos-Synovate Kenya MD.
During her first few months as MD, French research firm Ipsos acquired operations of Synovate in a deal that created the world’s third-largest global market research company.
Upon completion of the merger, the new research unit was renamed Ipsos-Synovate in markets like in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire. The business continued to dominate research covering politics, consumer markets and corporate intelligence.
Ipsos Kenya derives its revenue from research (70 per cent), media monitoring (20 per cent) and opinion polling (10 per cent).
Ipsos-Synovate has been one of the pollsters that periodically releases surveys on the political landscape, the cost of living and unemployment among other factors that influence people’s lives. Ms Ireri would oversee the release of these polls to the public, becoming the face of the company.
Her exploits in the research industry saw her make it to the Business Daily’s list of the Top 40 under 40 women in Kenya in 2011.
