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Zoë Karl-Waithaka joined Boston Consulting Group in February 2021. She has more than ten years of experience in management consulting, advising multinational and African businesses on strategy and operations in a range of industries including agriculture, telecommunications, mining, and oil and gas. Zoë works with clients on customer experience, change management, and delivering large-scale organizational transformations.

Before joining BCG, Zoë was an Associate Partner at Bain and a Product Specialist at Bloomberg, L.P. She is a Fellow of the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Programme.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • BA, Bryn Mawr College

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Archbishop Tutu Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Publications and Videos

Transforming Africa’s Food Systems | Hero

Transforming Africa’s Food Systems: How Food Brands Can Lead the Way

Africa's food industry is poised to reach $1 trillion by 2030. Discover key trends, consumer preferences, and market opportunities shaping this explosive growth.
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The Whole Truth About Whole Grains

Worldwide consumption of refined grains contributes significantly to diet-related disease and malnutrition. Production of these grains creates serious environmental damage. A powerful antidote to these problems is fortified whole grains.
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Rethinking Collaboration to Power SDG Progress

Public-, private-, and social-sector players need to cooperate to achieve the SDGs—but such collaborations often come up short. Here’s how to make them pay off.
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B20 India 2023—Why Unlocking Africa's Agricultural Abundance Is Crucial

Unlocking Africa's agricultural potential is pivotal for its future. Despite an abundance of arable land, freshwater, and sunlight, the continent faces food insecurity and climate-related hazards. Agroindustrialization efforts can help create structural transformations that consolidate broader food systems into more industrialized sectors. Economic integration in Africa is a central focus for India's 2023 G20 presidency; the global forum includes a discussion platform for how to turn Africa's agriculture industry into a thriving sector.
Reframing-the-Narrative-on-Womens-Roles-in-African-Societies.jpg

Reframing the Narrative on Women’s Roles in African Societies

It has been found that to empower women economically, it is critical to make long-lasting change that includes adjustments to social norms and to women’s role in society.
Strategies for Scaling Africa’s Green Ventures | rectangle

Strategies for Scaling Africa’s Green Ventures

To combat climate change in Africa effectively, investors, governments, and companies must collaboratively develop and finance sustainability-driven ventures that can grow rapidly across the continent’s business ecosystem.
How Regenerative Agriculture Can Increase Africa’s Food Production | Rectangle

How Regenerative Agriculture Can Increase Africa’s Food Production

With frequent food system shocks, agricultural practices that increase productivity for smallholder farmers while also addressing adaptation and resilience are becoming ever more critical.

Got Millet? How Marketing Could Improve the Lives of African Farmers

From "got milk?" to "avocados from Mexico," marketing influences what you eat. Since farmers in Africa are more likely to receive funding for seed and fertilizer than advertising, BCG partner Zoë Karl-Waithaka outlines three ways we can help African farmers improve their livelihoods—and positively impact society, the economy, and the environment.

Transforming Africa’s Food Systems from the Demand Side

Transforming Africa’s Food Systems from the Demand Side

Efforts that focus on increasing subsistence farmers’ yields have achieved scant success. It’s time for a radical rethinking of food policies on the continent.