President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Ms Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert as Chairperson of the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB)for a three-year term via gazette notice dated July 5, 2022.
Ms Mwangi-Yelbert is the first female Chair since the inception of KTB.
“I want to thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for this appointment which is a sign of the confidence he has in my leadership ability. I am passionate about Kenya and about tourism and look forward to sharing my experience in marketing Kenya as a top tourism destination. I am glad that I will have a role to play in developing and improving tourism in Kenya,” Ms Joanne Mwangi Yelbert said during her meeting with KTB staff at their offices.
Ms Mwangi-Yelbert, an internationally awarded brand development and communication expert is committed to supporting the KTB Management and tourism stakeholders to deliver KTB’s mandate. Ms Mwangi-Yelbert is particularly keen to continue anchoring- domestic and regional tourism as core while also uniquely positioning the Magical Kenya brand to pivot Kenya’s tourism in lucrative international markets.
The new KTB Chairperson is an entrepreneur at heart as founder and CEO of Professional Marketing Services (PMS) Group, a multiple award-winning marketing and communications Pan African agency. She has served as a strategic advisor to several government and private sector boards and is the immediate chair of the Advertising Standards Body of Kenya. She is a much sought- after public speaker, an internationally recognised marketing guru, an organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT) woman of the Year Award holder among others.
Commenting on the appointment, KTB CEO Dr. Betty Radier thanked the outgoing chair Mr Jimi Kariuki for his service to the tourism sector, and also congratulated Ms Mwangi-Yelbert on her appointment.
“On behalf of KTB, I would like to thank the outgoing chairman Mr. Jimi Kariuki for his great service to the board and the country as the Chairman of KTB for the past six years. His experience in the industry has been invaluable and under his leadership, the board has been successful in undertaking its mandate as the country’s tourism marketer. I wish him well in his future endeavours,” said Radier.
“I congratulate Ms Yelbert on her appointment as the new chair, she brings a wealth of experience through her leadership and marketing which will no doubt ensure excellent executįon of KTB’s mandate. I look forward to working with Ms Mwangi-Yelbert to propel Kenya’s tourism to greater heights,” she added.
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