Felisters Gitau sets high standards for herself. Meticulous in her presentation, she leads one of East Africa’s most beloved food brands with clarity of purpose, treating it as necessary homework. As CEO of Farmer’s Choice Kenya, where “we spread joy”, she is the top dog in a company that produces fresh and value-added meats—beef, pork, chicken, and lamb—for both local and export markets.
With a workforce of more than 2,000 and partnerships with more than 4,000 pig farmers, 500 beef farmers, 300 lamb farmers, 100 fish farmers, and over 200 poultry farmers across Kenya, Felisters understands that business is less about margins, more about impact.
“What it takes to be a CEO,” she says, “is the ability to influence and improve lives.” That ethos underpins everything Farmer’s Choice does—from supporting informal vendors with food carts to ensuring that smallholder farmers can sustain their herds and homes. Little wonder then that the company and, in essence, Kenya, has dislodged South Africa as the leading sausage producer in Africa.
It wasn’t always like this. Her career at Farmer’s Choice was defined by crisis when she was appointed commercial director just days before Kenya closed its airspace in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I’m a product of generous leaders, my job now is to create space for others."
Gitau faced a catastrophic loss of business—60 percent of revenue disappeared as the hospitality sector went kaput. But Gitau has never been the type of woman to be defined by what she can’t do. So, she diversified, absorbing more supply from small-scale farmers, thereby preserving jobs and firming up food security.
The choice ingredients of her success? Making sure the little guy has his day and fighting for the downtrodden by lobbying the government through the Kenya Association of Manufacturers to get street food vending recognised as part of the formal agricultural value chain.
Yet, she doesn’t hog the podium. “I’m a product of generous leaders,” she says. “My job now is to create space for others.” When she’s not an impresario overseeing complex operations, she serves as a board member for Hand in Hand International, helping women in agriculture build viable businesses across the continent.
She easily pinpoints what led her here: growing up “on a small farm” in Kiambu. Her parents teaching her discipline and purpose. And her superpower, having a compass, mapping her back to God and her values. “When they asked me, ‘What do you want to become?’ I said, I want to be a CEO.”
What shadows linger in her light? “Not bringing out the best in people.” For Gitau, leadership is not about a title, but outcomes.
As for success? “It used to be about ambition, now, it’s about impact.”
-Eddy Ashioya