He is known for high-flying corporate job-hopping than for his failed bid for Nairobi governorship in the August general elections.
In his career in the corporate spanning 26 years, Igathe has changed jobs at least 10 times. He has spent an average of four months at each job he has changed in the past five years.
Many were therefore not surprised yesterday when the Johannesburg-based Tiger Brands as Chief Growth Officer – Rest of Africa effective December 1, 2022.
He will be making a return to Tiger Brands where he served as managing director of its East Africa business prior to his departure to join British petroleum company, Vivo Energy.
He exited the firm in 2008 when the late business magnate Chris Kirubi sold the stake in the firm –then trading as Haco Industries— to the multinational for more than Sh300 million.
In a statement, the South African entity said Igathe brings strong commercial capability, as well as marketing, sales, strategy and business leadership experience through multi-geography leadership roles across Africa.
“I look forward to the diverse set of capabilities and knowledge of the continent that Polycarp will bring to driving the execution of our ambitious growth strategy for the Rest of Africa," Tiger Brands CEO Noel Doyle said.
LUCK OR STRATEGY?
As the public envies him, Igathe insists that nothing comes on a silver platter.
In a conversation with the Star, Igathe said he has painstakingly built his corporate profile and always delivers beyond expectation once entrusted with any role.
''Don't just be good at what you do. Endeavour to leave a mark. God and humans reward those who dare to break ceilings. That is my mantra,'' Igathe said.
He hails the International Association of Students in Economics and Management (IESEC) exchange programme for giving him an opportunity to polish his management skills.
“Being at the top means we must remain as servants, not lords. And when that happens, it means you are grounded. You lord over others and you are a speck, you must move on. The work we do is about others, not ourselves,” he says.
After completing his Economics and Sociology Degree from the University of Nairobi in 1995, he flew to Australia where he took up a job as a finance officer at Queensland Health. But he would return to Kenya 18 months later to join Coca-Cola.
In 2000, he left to take up a new role as Africa Online’s sales and marketing manager.
After a short stint at the technology firm, he moved to listed brewer East Africa Breweries as a sales operations manager, rising to become a marketing manager.
Three years later, he took up the managing director position at Haco Industries where he remained for 10 years.
When Haco changed hands, Igathe moved to Vivo Energy Kenya to serve as its first MD in 2013 after it acquired the Shell brand and all Shell-branded petrol stations in 16 African countries.
SHORT POLITICAL STINT
In the run-up to the 2017 general elections, Nairobi County governor nominee on Jubilee Coalition Mike Sonko Mbuvi selected Igathe as his deputy and they went on to win the seat by a landslide.
On January 31, 2018, Igathe surprised the country after he resigned from the political office.
He announced his surprise resignation via his Twitter handle, claiming that he has failed to earn the trust of his superior to enable him to work at the County.
After a brief stint in the political field, he re-joined the corporate arena as Equity Bank’s chief commercial officer in May 2018 and was promoted to become the managing director for the Kenyan entity.
As he moves to South Africa to embark on his new role, Kenyans on Twitter have already predicted that he won't last four months before a new offer comes calling.
Yesterday, the corporate guru laughed at the predictions, saying his focus is on the new role.
