The death of billionaire Chris Kirubi after a protracted battle with cancer thrust his daughter Mary Ann Wambui into the limelight. The question in most people’s minds is if she will have the midas touch her father had in running his vast business empire. In a candid interview on comedian Churchill’s show, Kirubi said his daughter was much like him:
“MaryAnne is exceptional. The only challenge is that maybe she doesn’t fear me, unlike other employees,”
“She is now the Managing Director at Haco Industries and I have to say that she is very smart and dedicated to work. I am very lucky as she is very much like me,” the ailing billionaire said amid laughter.
So who is Mary Ann Wambui
- She is a 50 year old woman and not 47 as has been published in some news outlets. She was born in 1971.
2. Mary Ann studied in Switzerland from the age of 12. At the time, she did not understand why her father had to separate her from her loved ones to take her to a far away country for her studies. She resented her dad at the time but came to understand he just wanted the very best for her:
“……his single goal was to have me exposed globally, fearless of any culture, language, persons and situations and today as you look at me, bold is my other name….”
3.She’s multilingual. She is fluent French, Italian and Spanish in addition to English and Swahili.
4.She holds an MSc degree in Management from the University of Surrey, UK as well as a BA in International Business Administration
5. Thanks to her grasp of multiple languages, Mary Ann was employed at Coca-Cola multinational company in Morocco where she was put in charge of 21 markets in North and West of Africa.
6. Mary has worked at Kenya Commercial Bank, GlaxoSmithKline and Ogilvy & Mather. The experience will prove handy in running his father’s business empire.
7. Her father put her in charge of his kes40 billion business empire. Her brother Robert Kirubi was adamant to work for his father, preferring to keep his job.
8. She is the owner of Olpul, an upscale steakhouse in Two Rivers Mall.
9. She is also the owner of Secret Garden, on Riverside Drive in Nairobi.
- She is married to Andrew Mukite Musangi, who is the Jubilee Party’s national elections board chairman.
- The couple have two daughters.
- 12.Mary Ann is a director at Sidian Bank