Sahara has appointed transformation and strategy executive Chidilim Menakaya as its new Managing Director, as the company moves to accelerate its Beyond XXX strategy and strengthen its focus on growth, innovation, sustainability and long-term value creation.
The company announced the appointment in a statement issued on Monday, describing it as a significant step in its evolution and its ambition to build a more resilient and future-focused enterprise.
Menakaya brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Before her appointment, she served as Director of the Sahara Foundation, where she was responsible for advancing the group’s sustainability and social impact agenda.
During her tenure, she expanded the reach of Sahara’s EXTRApreneurship model, strengthened strategic partnerships and deepened the company’s socio-economic impact across communities where it operates.
Her leadership has also been defined by a collaborative approach, strategic thinking and a focus on building high-performing teams, developing people and delivering measurable outcomes.
Commenting on the appointment, Sahara Executive Director Ade Odunsi said the decision reflected the company’s confidence in purposeful leadership and its commitment to developing leadership capacity from within.
“For over three decades now we have remained committed to our vision of bringing energy to life responsibly. Beyond XXX represents our commitment to shaping the future through bold thinking, innovation, sustainability, and shared value creation,” Odunsi said.
He added that Menakaya’s appointment was aligned with those ambitions, expressing confidence that her leadership would enable Sahara to expand its impact and create sustainable value for stakeholders across its markets.
According to Odunsi, the appointment also underscores Sahara’s determination to build a resilient and future-ready organisation capable of navigating an increasingly dynamic global business environment.
In her new role, Menakaya will provide strategic leadership for the execution of Sahara’s Beyond XXX agenda, with responsibility for strengthening stakeholder value and positioning the company for sustained growth and greater global relevance.
Menakaya holds executive and professional qualifications from London Business School, INSEAD and Manchester Business School. She is also a certified Human Resources Business Partner, Transformation and Reputation Manager, and a Prosci-certified Change Management Practitioner.
Author
