Rita Kavashe was appointed General Manager (GM) for the General Motors East Africa (GMEA) unit in 2011, making her the first Kenyan and woman to head the unit. She joined the auto manufacturer GMEA in 1995 as a sales representative, and rose through the ranks to become its first female GM with over 20 markets under her jurisdiction.

Before her appointment as GM, Kavashe was based in South Africa where she was tasked with establishing the exports function for the region. Kavashe supported the Beyond Zero campaign mooted by Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta. The campaign sought to reduce deaths among infants and mothers. GMEA offered to design and supply mobile trucks to be used for the initiative. The company delivered them in a record three weeks. Kavashe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Moi University and an MBA the University of Nairobi in 2005.

She serves on the boards of several organisations, including the National Transport and Safety Authority, Automobile Association of Kenya and the Kenya Roads Board. Kavashe also seeks to empower the youth and create job opportunities, for example, through the GMEA recruitment programme which takes on 10 to 15 graduates annually on contract to train and develop them, and employ them should opportunities arise.