Violet Moraa
Agricultural Economist
9069 Nairobi
Summary
Experienced leader poised to assume the role of Managing Director, showcasing a proven track record in driving business growth and executing strategic plans. Strong focus on fostering collaborative teamwork and achieving outcomes in fast-paced settings. Skilled in financial management, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement, recognized for reliability and impactful leadership.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Managing Director
Classic Foods Global
01.2024 - Current
- Leads the strategic direction of Classic Foods Global by scaling operations to meet the growing demand for Indigenous Kenyan foods among 5000 Kenyans living abroad
- Expanded supply chains and distribution networks to export traditional foods to various international markets, ensuring availability at the last mile
- Developed and implements market penetration strategies in key regions such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and UAE
- Built partnerships with more than 10000 local distributors, retailers, and logistics providers to ensure the seamless delivery of indigenous foods to Kenyan communities abroad
- Oversees the supply chain optimization from at least 10000 local farmers to international consumers, ensuring traceability, quality control, and adherence to sustainable farming practices
- Ensure the efficiency of export operations to minimize costs while maintaining product freshness and authenticity
- Engages with key stakeholders, including Kenyan government bodies, international trade partners, and international organizations, to facilitate smooth operations in exporting food products
- Advocates for policies and partnerships promoting the growth of Kenya's agribusiness sector and export capabilities
- Delivered consistent revenue growth by identifying new business opportunities and expanding service offerings.
- Strengthen client relationships with regular communication, timely project delivery, and high-quality services.
- Developed comprehensive business plans, outlining long-term goals and actionable steps toward success.
- Cultivates a strong organizational culture built on integrity accountability teamwork which resulted in higher retention rates among staff.
- Manages risk effectively by instituting comprehensive mitigation strategies across the organization''s operations.
Operations Advisor
Global Capacity Building Foundation
06.2013 - Current
- At least 20 Boosted employee morale through effective communication channels and recognition of achievements, leading to higher retention rates.
- Evaluated existing operations against industry standards, identifying areas for further optimization.
- Trained team members on best practices, boosting their knowledge and skills to improve performance.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors, securing favorable terms that benefited the organization's bottom line.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction with timely responses to inquiries and resolution of issues.
- Assisted in the development of annual budgets, carefully monitoring expenses throughout the year to maintain financial stability.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging team members to share ideas and suggestions openly.
- Conducted risk assessments for potential projects, mitigating possible issues before they arose.
Project Coordinator
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics
05.2023 - 12.2023
- Built and managed constructive relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders
- Maintained an understanding of the high-level engagement, the goals of the clients, partners, and teams within Busara
- Prepared and presented project reports to relevant stakeholders providing insights and recommendations to make the projects more effective
- Contributed to project on-boarding and off-boarding for knowledge management, including preparing field reports on the completion of field activities, and outlining improvement suggestions for future Busara projects in that context
- Supervised multiple projects from project start through delivery by prioritizing needs and delegating assignments.
- Developed comprehensive project plans, outlining scopes, timelines, deliverables, and milestones.
- Kept projects on schedule by managing deadlines and adjusting workflows.
- Maintained accurate documentation of all projects, facilitating efficient audits and future reference.
- Prepared meeting agendas and minutes for distribution and record keeping.
- Created job files for each project and maintained current data in each file.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular meetings, fostering a positive work environment for increased productivity.
Research Consultant
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics
09.2021 - 04.2023
- Assessed equitable resilience using psychometric profiling in Kenya
- Assessed the market value chain of Irish potato in Kenya, maize Soya beans, and rice in Nigeria
- Mapped livestock decision makers and assess their data needs in Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and South Africa
- Presented findings at conferences and workshops, showcasing thought leadership within the industry.
- Gained expertise in various industry sectors by conducting extensive primary and secondary research activities.
- Authored compelling white papers that highlighted key trends in the field, driving increased visibility for both the company and its clients.
- Increased client satisfaction by delivering comprehensive research reports and actionable insights.
- Leveraged advanced statistical tools to uncover hidden patterns within datasets, providing valuable insights for decision makers.
- Spearheaded cross-functional team collaboration, ensuring timely completion of complex research assignments.
- Identified research gaps and develop proposals to initiate research to contribute to gaps in the literature
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, facilitating open lines of communication throughout all stages of project execution.
- Streamlined data collection processes for improved efficiency and accuracy in research projects.
Partnerships Officer
Hunger Reduction International
02.2019 - 08.2020
- Identified potential partnerships and network memberships and made initial contact to more than 10 potential partners to establish working relations
- Established effective relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally for increased collaboration opportunities.
- Maintained strict adherence to industry regulations, minimizing risk exposure for the organization.
- Coordinated operations with other emergency service groups.
- Implemented process improvements that streamlined workflows, reducing redundancies and increasing operational efficiency.
Food Service Trainer
DynCorp International
05.2018 - 01.2019
- Ensured that all food service operations adhere to health, safety, and sanitation regulations
- Managed staff schedules, coordinating kitchen and dining room activities, and ensuring compliance with military standards and regulations
- Managed inventory levels, ordered supplies, and coordinated with store officers to ensure timely delivery of food and kitchen supplies
- Provided regular training to ensure staff adhere to military protocols, safety practices, and customer service standards
- Kandahar, Afghanistan
- Fostered a culture of continuous learning by encouraging employees to seek out additional educational opportunities outside of formal company-provided trainings.
- Served as a mentor to junior employees, providing guidance and support in their professional development.
- Identified key areas that could use improvement and implemented new processes, which increased efficiency.
- Identified gaps in staff skills and created or suggested learning experiences to close gaps.
- Implemented innovative learning strategies that increased participant engagement during service training sessions.
Trainer
Kenya Institute of Security and Criminal Justice
08.2015 - 04.2018
- Trained more than 100 students on research methods, statistics, forensics and financial accounting
- Supervised proposal development and writing for more than 50 final-year students
- Invigilated and marked exams for more than 300 students
- Provided one-on-one mentoring to help individuals reach their full potential within the organization.
- Evaluated the effectiveness of training initiatives by tracking participant progress and gathering feedback for continuous improvement.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts to create accurate training content.
Research Consultant Biofuels
World Agroforestry Center
05.2013 - 05.2015
- Drafted a biomass assessment report on tea and sugar industries in Western Kenya
- Published a journal paper on Understanding the adoption of Jatropha Curcas by smallholder farmers in Kenya
- Documented energy consumption trends among sugar and tea industries in Kenya
- Created PowerPoint presentations and reports for enhanced understanding of results from the Biofuels
- Spearheaded cross-functional team collaboration, ensuring timely completion of complex research assignments.
- Presented findings at conferences and workshops, showcasing thought leadership within the industry.
Graduate Research Fellow
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Designed and implemented research that aimed to assess the potential of Pyrolysis technology in Western Kenya
- Contributed data towards the development of a biofuel Road map in Kenya
- Carried out an economic post-assessment of Jatropha production in Kenya
- Designed and implemented the Bio-energy in Africa (BIA) project
- Represented ICRAF in their partnership with the Center for Training in Integrated Research in arid and semi-arid areas (CETRAD) to carry out bio-energy projects
Education
Master of Science - Agricultural Policy Analysis
University of Pretoria
Kenya 06.2008 - 11.2008
Master of Science - Agricultural Economics
University of Nairobi
Kenya 09.2007 - 09.2010
Bachelor of Science - Agriculture
University of Nairobi
Kenya 09.2003 - 09.2007
Skills
Mentoring and training
undefinedTimeline
Managing Director
Classic Foods Global
01.2024 - Current
Project Coordinator
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics
05.2023 - 12.2023
Research Consultant
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics
09.2021 - 04.2023
Partnerships Officer
Hunger Reduction International
02.2019 - 08.2020
Food Service Trainer
DynCorp International
05.2018 - 01.2019
Trainer
Kenya Institute of Security and Criminal Justice
08.2015 - 04.2018
Operations Advisor
Global Capacity Building Foundation
06.2013 - Current
Research Consultant Biofuels
World Agroforestry Center
05.2013 - 05.2015
Graduate Research Fellow
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
01.2010 - 01.2013
Master of Science - Agricultural Policy Analysis
University of Pretoria
06.2008 - 11.2008
Master of Science - Agricultural Economics
University of Nairobi
09.2007 - 09.2010
Bachelor of Science - Agriculture
University of Nairobi
09.2003 - 09.2007
Affiliations
Member Development Studies Association
Alumni African Women in Agricultural research and development
Alumni Academy for women entrepreneurs
Conference Papers
- Potential of Jatropha bioenergy in solving the energy crisis in Kenya., International Center for Research and Development (ICRD), 08/22/2012, Switzerland
- Reality or Fiction? The role of Jatropha in solving the energy crisis in Kenya., African Association of Agricultural Economists, 09/24/2010, Cape Town
- Opportunities and crisis of Jatropha production in Kenya., World Congress of Agroforestry, 08/24/2009, United Nations Complex Kenya
- Food or Jatropha Farmers dilemma in Kwale district., Development Studies Association, 09/01/2009, University of Ulster Ireland
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Awards
- Masters' research fellowship, World Agroforestry Center
- Employ of the year 2018 at DynDorp International Kandahar
Work Preference
Work Type
Contract WorkFull TimeWork Location
On-SiteRemoteHybridImportant To Me
Work-life balancePersonal development programsCareer advancementCompany CulturePaid time offTeam Building / Company RetreatsPublications
- An Economic assessment of biomass Pyrolysis technology among sugar and tea industries in Western Kenya., Violet Mogaka, Miyuki Iiyama, Willis Kosura, 2024, Energy for Sustainable Development Journal under consideration
- Understanding the adoption of Jatropha curcas by smallholder farmers in Kenya: Ex; of Bondo Kibwezi and Kwale., Violet Mogaka, Albrecht Ehrensperger, Miyuki Iiyama, Martin Birtel, Eva Heim, Simon Gmuender, 2013, Energy for Sustainable Development Journal
- The potential of biofuel feedstock in Kenya, Geoffrey Ndegwa, Violet Moraa, Miyuki Iiyama, 2012, World Agroforestry center, Working Paper No. 139. Dec 2011
- Can jatropha improve the energy supply of rural households in Africa?, Albrecht Ehrensperger, Manfred Wörgetter, Violet Moraa, Andrea Sonnleitner, 2013, Jatropha Facts Series ERA-ARD.
- Integrating mitigation and adaptation into development: the case of Jatropha curcas in sub-Saharan Africa, Muys B, Norgrove L, Alamirew T, Birech R, Chirinian E, Delelegn Y, Ehrensperger A, Ellison C A, Feto A, Freyer B, Lyimo R, Moraa V, Muchugu J, Negussie A, Ouko C, Rouamba M W, Soto I, Wörgetter M, Zah R, Zetina R, 2013, GCB Bioenergy
- Jatropha reality check: a field assessment of the agronomic and economic viability of Jatropha and other oilseed crops in Kenya, M. Iiyama, P. Zante, C Munster, D. New man, J. Onchieku, M. Nyambenge, V. Moraa, R. Jamnadass, J. Albergel, 2013
- Productivity of Jatropha curcas under smallholder farm conditions in Kenya., Miyuki Iiyama, David Newman, Cristel Munster, Meshack Nyambenge, Gudeta W. Sileshi, Violet Moraa, James Onchieku, Jeremias Gasper Mowo, Ramni Jamnadas, Agroforestry Systems 87(4)
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
French
Elementary (A2)
Quote
There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality.
Tony Robbins
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