BrazilJoe Eshun succeeds Sammy Onyango as CEO of Deloitte East Africa
After eight years at the helm of Deloitte East Africa, Chief Executive (CEO) Samuel Onyango has announced that he will retire in May next year. The experienced executive will be replaced at the helm by Joe Eshun from Ghana.
Sammy Onyango has been working at Big Four professional services firm Deloitte for almost 38 years. He joined in 1980 as a consultant, and ascended to Director of Deloitte Consulting in 2000. In 2009, Onyango was appointed CEO of East Africa for the consulting firm. During his time as CEO, the firm’s staff across Africa increased to more than twice its size, growing to operate with 1000 professionals.
In particular, his tenure saw a significant increase in the amount of female participation. Commenting on the increase in diversity, Onyango said, “I’m pleased to report that what started many years ago as a strategy to advance our top female talent and create a more gender diverse leadership team is now firmly entrenched in our culture. Our female partners account for 35 per cent of our leadership.”
Onyango is replaced by incumbent Deputy CEO, Joe Eshun, who has over 25 years of professional experience. Eshun joined Deloitte Tanzania as Head of the BPS Service Line and Consulting Partner in 2001. Since then, he has grown into the roles of Public Sector Industry Leader, as well as Deputy CEO for the East Africa region.
In his time at the firm so far, Eshun has specialised in designing innovative products, primarily to increase efficiency and agility in the structure of lending agencies in the private and public domains. So far, Eshun has received accolades for his work from the Global Fund, USAID, as well as the World Bank.
In summary, Onyango said, “Working at Deloitte has been a privilege, nothing less, and I have amassed so many fond memories that I will treasure, As I turn the page to a new chapter in my life, I do so with much confidence knowing that I have left the firm in very capable hands.”
Onyango has indicated that he will turn to farming during his years of retirement. Eshun, on the other hand, will have little time for leisure as he tries to navigate the firm through an economic slowdown across the continent. Nevertheless, a recent report from Deloitte itself demonstrated how confidence in the region’s Private Equity market, at the very least, is at a significant high.
