Sahara has appointed Chidilim Menakaya as its new Managing Director, tasking her with leading the company’s growth, innovation and sustainability agenda under its “Beyond XXX” vision.

The company announced the appointment in a statement issued on Monday.

Menakaya brings more than 20 years of experience in transformation and strategy leadership across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Before her appointment, she served as Director of the Sahara Foundation, where she was responsible for advancing the company’s sustainability and social impact initiatives.

During her tenure, the foundation expanded Sahara’s EXTRApreneurship model, strengthened strategic partnerships and increased its socio-economic impact across communities where the company operates.

Commenting on the appointment, Executive Director, Sahara, Ade Odunsi, said the decision reflected the company’s confidence in purposeful leadership and its commitment to developing talent from within the organisation.

Odunsi said Sahara’s “Beyond XXX” strategy was focused on innovation, sustainability, bold thinking and shared value creation, adding that Menakaya’s appointment aligned with those objectives.

“We are confident that under her leadership, Sahara will continue to expand the frontiers of impact and create sustainable value for stakeholders across our markets,” he said.

He added that the appointment demonstrated Sahara’s determination to build a resilient and future-oriented organisation capable of adapting to a rapidly changing global environment.

In her new role, Menakaya will provide strategic direction for the implementation of Sahara’s Beyond XXX agenda, while working to increase stakeholder value and strengthen the company’s growth and global position.

Menakaya is recognised for her collaborative leadership approach, strategic expertise and ability to build high-performing teams, with a track record of developing people, promoting innovation and delivering measurable results.

She holds executive and professional qualifications from institutions including London Business School, INSEAD and Manchester Business School.

She is also a certified Human Resources Business Partner, Transformation and Reputation Manager, as well as a Prosci-certified Change Management Practitioner.