So, who is Sharon Anyango?
Sharon Anyango isn’t your average 26-year-old. In fact, for the talented and ambitious Sharon, average isn’t the kind of career she wants to build. Since starting her industrial attachments and internships, Sharon has always been looking to the future and thoughtfully planning each step of her career.
How it started
In her final year before graduating from university, she volunteered at Heroes for Change. The program was a partnership initiative between Unilever Kenya, AMREF, SightSavers, and the UNFPA which aimed to promote hygiene and proper nutrition through public outreach. She participated in the project for eight weeks and was recognized as one of the outstanding volunteers because she managed to reach more than three times her initial target of 1,000 people. “I was very proactive about looking for opportunities to engage with local communities which helped me become recognized as a volunteer,” Sharon says.
When she graduated with First Class Honours in Biochemistry, Sharon looked back to Unilever to find an internship opportunity. “My track record as a volunteer helped me because they already knew what I could do as a volunteer. Now the only question was: what could I do as an intern?”
Transitioning into the workforce
Sharon landed a role as intern at Unilever Kenya’s Reserach & Development (Personal Care) department. For four months, Sharon worked hard proving her worth and impressing the team as well as Unilever’s partners.
“At the time Unilever Kenya was working with Mr. Green Africa to research raw materials that can be used to make eco-friendly packaging. They [Mr. Green Africa] couldn’t believe that I was only an intern because I was allowed to run projects on my own because the team at Unilever trusted me and my work ethic. They kept asking what was next for me after my internship at Unilever, and when I was done they immediately reached out to offer me employment.”
At Mr Green Africa, Sharon sharpened her skills and got to understand her interests and what she wanted to pursue professionally. She worked there for five months before she found an exciting opportunity available at Unilever Kenya.
From intern to manager
The role Sharon applied to at Unilever Kenya was a managerial position. While it was clear that she didn’t have the work experience for the role, her track record and reputation already spoke volumes about her skills and ability to take on new challenges. “Given my track record, they were confident that I could manage their business despite my age,” Sharon says.
For three years, Sharon served as Unilever Kenya’s Territory Sales Manager for the Kisumu region where she managed the sales and distribution of their products. At only 23, she was the youngest Territory Sales Manager at Unilever Kenya. The role was one of the best things that happened in Sharon’s professional career. Sharon describes this period as “the most intense three years of her life.”
“I was a young woman in her early 20’s managing people much older than me,” Sharon says. At the same time I was learning about leadership, people management, FMCG distribution and marketing. Sales is a high-pressure job, but I’m glad I got to do it because it kept me on my toes and I also learned how to make quick decisions.”
Becoming future fit
In her second year at Unilever, Sharon started to look for more ways she could grow. “I started asking myself if this role will still be relevant ten years from now and whether my skills were future-fit. This question prompted me to take up a course in data analytics as well as a McKinsey Leadership course.”
Her pursuit eventually led her into a new role as the Area Sales Manager at Reckitt Benckiser. In this role she was the first female Area Sales Manager that Reckitt-Benckiser Kenya had ever hired. “I’m glad that I broke that ceiling because after me, Reckitt also employed another female Area Sales Manager.”
Even as she kept breaking new ground in her career, Sharon kept pushing herself to aim higher. “As a young person, you always want to have your goals and purpose. They will determine your path and type of person you will be. Once your goals don’t push you, and you get comfortable, that’s where the problem begins,” she advises.
On scholarships and exposure
Her zeal to upskill led her to apply for post-graduate studies at universities abroad. “I had always dreamed of flying out of the country to pursue my master’s degree,” she says. “I applied to many scholarships and received a lot of nos. But I didn’t give up. In 2021, I applied for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship which I was accepted into.”
This prestigious scholarship, funded by the European Union, selected just 17 students from Kenya in 2022. With it, Sharon will pursue her Master’s Degree in Chemical Regulation & Innovation at universities in both Spain and Portugal.
In late September, Sharon boarded a plane to Spain. Despite her exciting new role at Benckiser, Sharon took the risk and chose to pursue her masters. “In the next two years, I’ll either move back into corporate or maybe even proceed with my Ph.D. I don’t know yet for certain, but I am very keen to explore what the world has to offer. ”
Sharon credits her success so far to hard work and proactivity. Her advice for others who would like to follow a similar trajectory is: “Be determined and hardworking in the things you want to achieve. For me, I want to be a trailblazer in whatever I’m doing and it’s still a work in progress. My goal is that at some point in my life, someone will know the impact I’ve had in my industry. That means being disciplined, intentional with my choices, and upskilling to remain relevant.”
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