When he is not at the gym, he exercises with a personal trainer.
He skips a rope, does push-ups and rides a bike around his home compound.
Most mornings, he says, his wife Margaret serves him a bowl of fruits which must have avocado, tea accompanied with sweet potatoes or a toasted slice of bread or cereals.
Benson Wairegi, the group chief executive of Britam #ticker:BRIT, starts his day at 5.30am with morning devotion. And if it is a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, he will go to the country club gym for a 30-minute workout.
He starts off on the treadmill, then does light weightlifting exercises and finishes with rope skipping; 500 jumps. When he is not at the gym, he exercises with a personal trainer. He skips a rope, does push-ups and rides a bike around his home compound.
“Being fit is good for an executive. The heavy schedule bogs you down and you risk overeating to regain the energy needed to see you through the day,’’ he says.
We are Parklands Sports Club just in time for his workout.The father-of-three is an ardent swimmer and does 50 non-stop laps in the pool.
‘‘This is good for blood circulation, swimming re-invigorates my mind and eases stress ,” he says.
Mr Wairegi knows the benefits of a good breakfast.
Most mornings, he says, his wife Margaret serves him a bowl of fruits which must have avocado, tea accompanied with sweet potatoes or a toasted slice of bread or cereals.
‘‘I take a heavy breakfast since my work is demanding. I need the energy,’’ he says. In his car or luggage, he always carries a gym bag which has a skipping rope, swimming costume, sneakers, a t-shirt and a clean tracksuit.
“Even when I visit our subsidiaries for meetings or anywhere in the world, my gym kit goes with me and I only book hotels that have a swimming pool and a gym,” he says.
The long serving Britam executive started his investment journey at the bourse when his younger sister, then working at a local brokerage firm, introduced him to shares.
He bought 1,500 East African Breweries Limited (EABL) #ticker:EABL shares.
“Whether you are employed or self-employed, you must save and invest in your younger days since a time comes when you are unable to earn any money. Prepare for retirement now and you shall never be in need,” he says.
To avoid office burnout, Mr Wairegi takes Wednesdays off, which he says also prepares Britam to carry on after he retires. “I spend time doing philanthropy, responding to e-mails and enjoying time with my family. That is crucial for my own success,” he says.
For philanthropy, he mentors young boys.
“The dire impact of the forgotten boy child is evident in our offices, homes, schools and social gatherings. Absentee fathers torn away by the ever-demanding corporate world, alcohol exacerbate the situation and it is us to restore the boy-child support to make responsible citizens,” he says. Mr Wairegi is not flashy. He still wears a Sh30,000 Maurice Lacroix watch bought in Singapore that he has kept for 28 years.
He also owns an old digital Seiko watch and a Mont Blanc gifted by his family as a 60th birthday present.
“I am modest. I take advantage of the numerous trips abroad to shop. In London, I have bought suits worth about Sh58,000 (400 pounds) at Marks & Spencer. I also used to shop at Austin Reed in London before it closed,” he says.
His demeanour conceals his many achievements in life and at Britam, a company that he has grown from having 20 employees to 900 located in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Book lover
Mr Wairegi wears Clarks shoes worth about Sh7,000 to the office but spends money on books. His favourites are books on successful executives and autobiographies.
“A book that I cherish and read to date is Lido Anthony “Lee” Iacocca’s autobiography — the man who re-engineered a failing automotive business back to life, Chrysler Corporation during the 1980s,” he says, adding that Stephen Covey’s ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ is an all-time favourite.
