Patricia Ithau Appointed Scangroup CEO

WPP Scangroup PLC has appointed Patricia Ithau as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director. Her appointment takes effect on March 14, 2020.

Ithau is currently the Regional Director at the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Development Economies – Seed.

She is an executive with over 25 years of experience spearheading the expansion of top consumer brands in the region including Unilever, Diageo/ East African Breweries Limited (EABL) and L’Oreal.

Ithau also sits on the boards of Absa Bank Kenya Plc, Trademark East Africa Ltd and the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She also is a trustee on the boards of Vodafone Foundation UK and M-Pesa Foundation.

In 2020, she was awarded a Head of State Commendation (HSC) for her contribution to enterprise development in Kenya.

She holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the United States International University – Africa (USIU) and a B Com degree from the University of Nairobi.

Ithau takes over the leadership of Scangroup following the resignation of Bharat Thakrar as CEO and board member in March 2021.