Team

Managing Director

Dr. Jeremy Ashworth

Dr. Jeremy Ashworth was born in Kenya and educated in Kenya and UK with a BSc Zoology and a PhD Veterinary Entomology from the University of Bristol. Jeremy joined the family business in 1996 and is the founder of Vital Animal Health.  An experienced CEO with a scientific background he has been instrumental in positioning the company ethos and brand values that we follow today.

Jeremy is a Kenyan citizen who has been an active company director for six companies in both Kenya, Tanzania and more recently Dubai that span the national distribution of agricultural equipment and products, the service industry, property development and primary manufacturing of animal health products.

He is actively involved in the wider livestock sector as a member of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers having served as Secretary General between 2011 and 2018 and is an active member of the Kenya Bureau of Standards Technical Committee on Animal Feeds having joined the committee in 2008.

Jeremy is a member of the Royal Entomological Society and has a keen interest in wildlife and conservation, raising funds since 2006 as a participant in the Rhino Charge, a fundraising event that raises money for Kenyan environmental and wildlife conservation through the Rhino Ark charity.

Human Resources Manager

Gladys Ogallo

Gladys Ogallo is the CEO and Founder of Virtual Human Resources Services Ltd, which provides HR consultancy services to Modern Ways Ltd. She has a successful track record in Human Resource Management gained over 15 years in the industry. Her experience is across the African continent, having managed Human Resources in 9 African countries. She is a seasoned and respected mentor who has guided key senior professionals in developing successful careers.  Gladys is a capable decision maker and effective communicator with the ability to forge relationships at all levels effectively, which has developed working in a global environment.

Gladys has a Masters in Business Administration MBA and a Bachelors of Education (Hons). The services she and her staff provides Modern Ways include formulating and implementing efficient Human Resource Management Strategies; designing, implementing, reviewing and updating HR policies and guidelines and providing day-to-day operational support and advice on strategic initiatives to help achieve the organization’s business objectives

Operations Manager

Jason Levitan

Dr. Jason Levitan is a qualified professional who is process driven to implement change and efficiency in the working environment with an expertise in the field of environmental management.  Jason is a Kenyan citizen who joined Modern Ways in October 2017 as the Operations Manager to specifically oversee the supply chain management, manufacturing operations and the distribution operations of the organisation.

Jason holds a BSc (2006) & PhD (2012) in Environmental Sciences (Murdoch University, Western Australia) with a focus on risk management associated with sewage sludge reuse.  Additional formal training includes Occupational Safety and Health field (NEBOSH IGC), Anti-Bribery & Corruption Training.

On returning to Kenya from Australia in 2014, Jason worked as a Risk Advisor (Environment, Health & Safety, and Quality & Process Management) and Business Manager. As a Risk Advisor, Jason conducted assessments and reports for a number of hotels, NGO operations and agricultural operations around Kenya. These reports identified gaps in critical processes and provided sustainable solutions to mitigate the risks posed – these processes include Health & Safety, Environment, Security, and Quality Management Systems (IFC Guidelines & ISO Standards Series).

Jason has a keen interest in the environment, donating much of his free time to the Rhino Charge, a fundraising event that raises money for Kenyan environmental and wildlife conservation through the Rhino Ark charity.

Key National Accounts Manager

Benson Muiruri

Benson Muiruri graduated in 1989 from Government Veterinary College and is a registered veterinary paraprofessional with the Kenya Veterinary Board.  He began his career in teaching and continues to have a passion for educating people about animal health and good management practice in his work with Vital Animal Health.  Previously working as National Sales Manager for Bayer Animal Health in Kenya Ben joined us in 2004 when we became their distributor in the livestock sector. He is now Key National Accounts Manager delivering sales from NGOs, Government of Kenya and key customers such as cooperatives and milk processors.  Ben is responsible for our participation as Continuous Professional Development providers for the Kenya Veterinary Board events and plans training of national government livestock officers and vets. He has successfully negotiated numerous tenders for both national and county government and corporate entities. Benson is very conversant with smallholder farming practices having farmed in pig, poultry and dairy on his own smallholding – putting the Vital advice into practice.  He participates in TV and radio presentations discussing dairy farming best practice. Ben is an excellent brand ambassador who truly has “Vital DNA”!

Administration Manager

Mary Wairimu

Mary Wairimu is the Administration Manager at Modern Ways having joined the company in 2002.  Mary’s role involves the oversight of the Sales Order Processing Workflow and the Distribution Scheduling.  She also champions our Inbound Logistics Processes with a particular focus on the overseas supply chain – which represents a significant portion of our raw material items.  Mary has grown with the company and continues to provide significant legacy knowledge on our customer base and the industry in general.

Marketing Manager

Alex Holi

Alex is a branding and marketing strategist with an in-depth understanding of emerging African markets and a proven ability to create impactful brands and tactical marketing plans that shape market perception and behaviour.

Alex is a Kenyan citizen with extensive experience in developing marketing and branding strategies in the Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Microfinance, and FMCG sectors and has worked with companies in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the US.  In addition to this Alex has served as a strategic branding and marketing consultant on USAID, Adam Smith International and Technoserve projects.

Alex has worked with Modern Ways for the last 5 years to develop and coordinate their branding and marketing activities and roll out ATL, BTL and Digital marketing campaigns targeted towards rural and peri urban demographics. His core focus is translating brand positioning and target market knowledge into strategic marketing plans, target specific messaging and communications strategies that enhance consumer understanding and interaction.  He is a key member of the senior team and ExCo and integrates seamlessly into the organisation.

Technical Sales Manager

Dr. Kibet Chirchir Kipserem

Dr. Kibet Chirchir is a registered Veterinary Surgeon and Master of Business Administration and Lean Six Sigma yellow belt. Kibet joined us over two years ago as Technical Sales Manager after 12 years being the veterinarian and manager running a busy dairy farm in Rift Valley.

Kibet has a passion for best practice and recognises that the ethos behind Vital Animal Health complements his drive to keep current with scientific trends in the industry in order to have the best impact possible on animal health and wellbeing.  Kibet is an excellent trainer of both veterinary surgeons, paravets and farmers being able to connect them to his wealth of experience and authoritative knowledge of ruminant farming practices. He has financial management skills with broad knowledge in budgeting, financial planning, procurement and supplies management with knowledge in use of ERP systems. He has strong people management, team building and motivational skills and couples these with an extensive veterinary knowledge to be a formidable educator on farming best practice in a Kenyan Context.