Wilfred Kiboro
Wilfred David Kìboro, is a Kenyan entrepreneur, philanthropist and golfer. He is best known for having been the group CEO of the Nation Media Group. Kìboro is a highly respected personality in the media and business industries in Kenya. He was born in the Kenya Province of the Colony of Kenya, now Kiambu County in the former Central Province.
Kìboro has won two very significant awards: the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear and the Leadership Shines Through – Africa award.
Career
Shell International
After receiving his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Nairobi, Kìboro began his career as a technical sales engineer for Shell International, and was soon promoted to technical sales manager, in charge of the manufacturing, sales and marketing of industrial and road construction products in the East and Central Africa region.Esso Kenya
Kìboro joined Esso Kenya Ltd. in 1974 as a supply, planning and economics manager, where he started gaining both managerial and executive recognition. He gained several positions including personnel director and sales/marketing director.Xerox Kenya
He joined Xerox Kenya in 1987 and was appointed as the managing director of the company in 1989. He held this position until he joined the Nation Media Group in 1993.Nation Media Group
Kìboro joined Nation Media Group in 1993 as the managing director designate of the Nation newspaper. At the time its only two products were the Daily Nation and Taifa Leo.In line with ongoing regional integration efforts, the NMG launched East African in 1994, the most successful cross-border newspaper in East Africa, hitting the news-stands of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and now Rwanda. Kìboro became the group CEO in 1995 and retained his position until his retirement in 2006.
In 1999, the NMG made their entry into the electronic media industry after many years of frustration due to policy inadequacies and hostility by the then Government of Kenya under Daniel arap Moi. Nation FM and Nation TV were formed that year. Since then, the NMG has developed into a respected conglomerate around East Africa under Kìboro's tenure. It is divided into:
- The Nation Newspapers Division
- The Nation Broadcasting Division
- Nation Carriers Ltd
- Nation Marketing & Publishing
- *Business Directory
- *The Weekly Advertiser
- *Distribution of local and international publications such as The Economist, Time, Newsweek, among others
- East African Magazines
- Monitor Publications Ltd.
- Mwananchi Communications Ltd.
International career
Kìboro has travelled extensively, holding numerous national, regional and international job assignments that have seen him supervise cross-national teams across continents, a vote of confidence in his abilities as a change manager. He has dedicated his life to serving his country, as evidenced by the record of posts he has held and continues to hold with a view to contributing to Kenya's growth and development.Internationally, Kìboro is the chairman of the International Press Institute in Kenya, the East African Business Summit and a member of the International Who's Who of Professionals. He also sits on the Rhodes Trust in Kenya as honorary chairman, and is a member of the International Organization of Employers' Enterprise Advisory Group. He launched numerous environmental and humanitarian efforts during his tenure at NMG, two key ones being:
- The launching of the Aberdare Forest Fund in 2002
- The launching of the Nation Turkana Relief Fund in 1999/2000
Major awards
- Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear
- Leadership Shines Through – Africa
- ICT Hall of Fame – 2007 lifetime inductee