Nirav Patel has been appointed new CEO of NatureLock Foods and assumed his responsibilities on May 1st 2022.
He previously founded and led Simply Foods Ltd. The company created Kenya’s first finger millet based and instant porridge product, Uji Mara Moja. In this capacity he set up a world-class factory in Nairobi using extrusion technology. He then launched the product at major retail outlets across Kenya.
For the past two years, he has overseen Sunny Processors Ltd’s mango pulping and bottled juice business as General Manager. While at Sunny Processors Ltd. Nirav increased mango pulp production output and sales by 40% as well as bottled juice from 2021 to 2022. He received BSc (Hons) in E Commerce and Digital Business from the University of Nottingham in 2003.
“Nirav brings great entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to scale up innovative businesses and inspire teams” according to the company’s CTO Wilco Vermeer. “I’m convinced he will lay a sound business foundation for accelerated growth in East Africa”
Joris de Vries, Director at NatureLock Foods asserts that “great people, up and down an organization, are critical to business success. Nirav is a proven, Kenyan leader of great character and vision. We look forward to the team growing and succeed under his leadership.”
Nirav succeeds Tei Mukunya Oundo, who has started her new position as Executive Director for NatureLock Foods’ Nutrition Solutions Africa division. In this role she will focus on developing and supplying NatureLock Foods products to schools, daycares and humanitarian food programs across East Africa.
About NatureLock Foods
NatureLock Foods uses a unique dehydration technology to preserve fruits and vegetables while retaining high nutrition values, original tastes and aromas. The flagship product, StewsDay instant Ndengu stew offers a tasty, affordable and convenient alternative in the dried instant foods category. NatureLock Foods operates a state of the art production facility in Nairobi, Kenya.
From here the business plans to expand throughout Kenya and into neighboring countries, to realize its mission of making nutritious natural everyday food affordable to all, while improving farmer incomes & reducing food loss throughout East Africa.