Davis & Shirtliff Picks Insider as New Chief Executive

Davis & Shirtliff has named George Mbugua as its new Group Chief Executive to replace David Gatende, who is retiring this month after 36 years of service.   

The executive, who joined Davis & Shirtliff 26 years ago, will take over the reins with effect from June, the water and solar energy solutions company said in a statement.

Prior to the appointment, Mr Mbugua was the company’s finance director – a position he assumed in Aug. 1996. He was previously Internal Auditor for Lonrho Africa, and External Auditor for Deloitte East Africa.

“My journey of 26 years with this great company has led me to taking up the responsibility as Group CEO with effect from June 2022,” Mr Mbugua said.

“I’m extremely proud to be leading a team of over 1,000 talented and committed people to the next phase of our definitive development.”

University of Leicester

Mr Mbugua is a Certified Public Account (K) from Strathmore University, with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Leicester.

He takes over from Mr Gatende, who joined Davis & Shirtliff in May 1986 and was named CEO in May 2016 following the exit of Alec Davis – who is now chairman of the company.

Mr Mbugua’s appointment comes at a time when Davis & Shirtliff is adjusting its strategy to reinforce its market and improve customer service while playing a key role in addressing water and energy services in Africa.

Hiring of an internal CEO is usually a better option for businesses that are stable, well performing and those with a clear long-term strategy that simply needs to be executed – which is likely the case at Davis & Shirtliff.

On the other hand, struggling businesses or those looking for big change often hire new CEOs externally as newcomers are more likely to bring fresh perspectives.

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