Geraldine Waruguru
Geraldine Waruguru | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) |
| Citizenship | Kenyan |
| Occupations | Businesswoman, airline pilot |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Title | Founder, owner & CEO of Scents By Geraldine Limited; first officer at Kenya Airways |
Geraldine Waruguru is a Kenyan businesswoman and airline pilot. She is the founder, co-owner and chief executive officer of Scents by Geraldine Limited, a perfume manufacturing business, based in Nairobi. She concurrently works as an airline transport pilot, and serves as a first officer at Kenya Airways, Kenya's national carrier airline, on the Boeing 737 aircraft.[1]
Background and education
[edit]Waruguru was born in Kenya circa 1984. She attended Kenyan schools for her elementary and secondary education. She then obtained a commercial pilot licence from the 43rd Air School, in Port Alfred, South Africa.
Career
[edit]Waruguru began flying for Kenya Airways in 2006. After several years of research, she decided to start her own perfume line in 2016. After looking for a manufacturing partner in Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom, she selected Scentury Company from Berlin.[4]
Her first branded perfume came to market in 2017, after Waruguru spent €25,000 of her personal savings on developing the brand. She markets her fragrances online and on social media platforms. She also maintains a shop along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi's central business district.[4][5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of laying off her staff, she convinced them to accept half of their regular salary.[1]
Family
[edit]Waruguru is a mother to a son, who was born circa 2013.[1]
Other considerations
[edit]Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she expected to complete her examinations to become a captain on the Boeing 737 by the end of 2020.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 James Kahongeh (11 July 2020). "Pilot with a Nose For Perfumes". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ↑ The Kenya Standard (3 January 2009). "Women At The Cockpit: Geraldine Waruguru Gitau". The Kenya Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ↑ Geraldine Waruguru (12 July 2020). "Geraldine Waruguru: Founder & CEO at Scents By Geraldine Limited". Linkedin.com. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- 1 2 Mkenyaujerumani (14 February 2020). "Love Affair with Lingering Scents: Kenyan Pilot Turned Perfumer Shares on Producing Perfumes in Germany for the Kenyan Market". Berlin: Mkenyaujerumani.de. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ↑ Lavinia Wanjau (2 January 2018). "Scents by Geraldine: The ins and outs of contract manufacturing". The Kenya Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 12 July 2020.