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Imperial's Market Access Healthcare business in Kenya, Surgipharm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Bridget Wachira as Managing Director designate. Her appointment is effective 20 September 2021.
Bridget brings a wealth of experience with a 20-year track record in the Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines industry. She has spent much of her career at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where she held several senior roles since 2001, including General Manager of GSK Kenya, Cluster General Manager Africa and Global Health Unit Director. Since April 2021, Bridget has been involved with COVAX, a global initiative aimed at accelerating development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Commenting on her appointment Bridget said: "I am truly excited to be joining Surgipharm a renowned and leading supplier of healthcare products in Kenya. I look forward to building on the excellent reputation that Surgipharm has established in the market and leading the next chapter of its growth sustainably and by leveraging technology."
Bridget is a seasoned executive with varied experience including general management, marketing, sales management, commercial excellence, commercial trade channels & distribution and market access, at both country and regional levels. She is driven by a strong sense of purpose and as a leader strives to bring the best out of teams whilst ensuring that clients, principals, customers and patients remain a top priority. Further, she truly believes in serving African communities and the imperative of conducting business in a responsible manner.
"Bridget brings wealth of experience and has a stellar track record in the healthcare industry. In addition to her commercial astuteness, she is also an inspirational leader that is draws the best in people and ensures that customers remain a top priority. These attributes are critical for Surgipharm to maintain its market leading position in the market," said David Pritchard, Executive Vice President: Market Access | Healthcare.
Given Bridget's background and extensive experience, we believe that she is the ideal leader to build on the renowned heritage and reputation that Surgipharm has garnered in the Kenyan market over the last 36 years, as well as lead the business to greater heights for the benefit of our clients, principals, customers and employees.
To ensure a smooth transition, Dr. Vijai Maini will remain in the business as Managing Director and oversee a structured handover process over the next three months, enabling Bridget to assume her new responsibilities in full from the 1st of January 2022.
We welcome Bridget to the Imperial family, and wish her every success in her new role.
