Sylvester Akunda

Experience

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  Hardwick LTD

  Nov 2008 - Dec 2009

  Dealer in French/English- Interpreter

  As a French interpreter, I acted as the link between the visiting French tourists, the guides as well as the locals. I worked in Kenya in the gaming department where I could brief the tourists and Gaming participants on rules of different games for their participation mainly interacting with Francophone.This provided me with an opportunity to experience the practical elements in the French Usage and acted as a strong foundation in establishing my French through direct interaction with the natives. Since then I have been involved in The French works for Translations and Interpretation for Clients all over the world with major focus on online and local works for both individuals and institutions Show less

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  Private Consultant & Trainer

  Jan 2010 - Mar 2010

  Private tutor-French

  The role involved Offering extra French tutorial lessons to students of French. Directing and giving advice on French and French learning techniques.This space gave me proficiency in the French language and increased my level of interaction with French as a professional language.

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  Research Path Associates LTD

  Apr 2010 - Jul 2010

  Independent Contractor

  As in depended personnel, I would offer Translation services in French, English and Swahili. Some of the services I offered included, cording of questionnaire information, editing and proof reading of the research materials, before, during and after data collection processes.Achievements: Some of my achievements included; Improved Translation Skills: I gained a lot of translation skills and techniques in offering these services. I had exposure to different materials with different scenarios of translation. This exposure helped me to Increase my translation vocabulary and the level of knowledge on cording was best practiced. This gave me an additional skill that would help me meet my goals in any company I go to. Translation as a skill also improved my language level in French, English and Swahili. Show less

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  Kantar

  Sept 2010 - Jun 2011

  Data Processing Clerk

  I was charged with data entry services, basically transferring data from hard copy to soft copy with elementary level analysis of numbers and data cleaning. I would also do some editing and translations French-English on francophone information. – This position focused on three main areas of delivery.1. Quality Control- Done for both French and English projects, it mainly aims at ensuring proper interview completion, both in field and after, by eliminating all interviews with quality issues.2. Coding- assigning codes to verbatim within each interview to facilitate the data capture process.3. Data Capture- Capturing the data from questionnaires for analysis purposes through specific computer programs.Achievement:Data security: I manage to learn more about DATA and its processes, and more so the security of it and need to keep information to the confined personnel. This is a very important skill since all companies nowadays deal with confidential information that needs certain skills to be kept as such.Information processing skills: I managed to sharpen my skills in terms of Information processing, something I can apply in any company since we all deal with information. Information management is skill that few people get to learn in schools so, it’s an added advantage to my career.This acted as a great foundation in understanding research designs and processes and greatly aided in my transition into Project Management. Show less

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  BTL Consulting Ltd

  Jul 2011 - Jan 2012

  Sales representative

  Distributing Nestle Kenya Food productsMaking special supplies on demandMaking order of products when out of stockMaking orientations to new traineesPerforming French related duties where need be.

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  Research Guide AFrica

  Feb 2012 - Sept 2013

  Its enjoyable doing what you not only love but also qualified for French is just my world and I love translations. bring any french and research works and meet an expert Coordinating projects in the field both in Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo.Performing bilingual transcription of documents including questionnaires and field reportsMaking budgets/ costings for field team Updating and communicating to clients on the progress of projects in progressCompiling wage sheet and payments for field team

  • Assistant Field manager

    Feb 2013 - Sept 2013

  • Projects Cordinator

    Feb 2012 - Feb 2013
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  Kantar

  Nov 2013 - Nov 2020

  Involved not only in providing accurate and timely costs but also in coordination of costs requests and review from all over African markets including West and Central Africa and French West Africa Countries. I play key role in advising stakeholders and Clients on matters Costs and best methodology to be applied on project management that is the best to give optimized costs in respect to quality and time bound in Africa. I am a focal point for costing advisory maintaining business Gross margins and Operation profits for Operation. I am charged with training all departments on periodic changes in costing tools and optimization techniques for best costing and pricing jobs.. I have managed:• To stream line costing process for the two companies Millward brown and TNS under kantar. • Efficiencies in costing and cost control by curbing cost drivers and advising on best cost effective research approach• Improved Kantar East Africa GM for both Millward and TNS as a shared resource.• Trained all Department on costing and cost drivers for efficiency-PM,QM,DM,Client Service and finance teams.On PM front:I have been involved more on Public Projects which are huge with high volumes. I have managed 17 country job from Bill and Melinda gates Foundation within which nine countries were French West Africa and DRC. This was a health study testing to understand the availability and accessibly of Family planning Malaria drugs in private health facilities.I have trained different teams across all African countries, Traveling physically into the countries: Democratic republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mauritania, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad, Rwanda, Congo Brazzaville and Niger for French Countries. I have build network across all these countries with full logistical and operational knowledge in-country. Show less

  • Costing Manager Project Management East Africa

    Mar 2017 - Nov 2020

  • Admin and Control manager East Africa

    Jan 2017 - Mar 2017

  • Country Field Manager- DRC and Congo Brazzaville

    Aug 2016 - Jan 2017

  • Field Executive Rest of Africa

    Jan 2016 - Aug 2016

  • Project Executive

    Nov 2013 - Jan 2016
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  GVS RESEARCH

  Nov 2020 - now

  I am glad to take up this role. GVS research is the research arm of Gustovenus Services Ltd. We pride ourselves in giving clients insights with impact across Africa. We handle both English and French countries and I am glad to lead this team in delivering insightful quality data. Some of the tasks that I am in charge of include and are not limited to:• Developing and directing organizational strategy.• Drafting organizational policies and philosophies.• Overseeing day-to-day business activities.• Conducting performance reviews.• Preparing comprehensive budgets.• Reporting on revenue and expenditure.• Engaging with community groups.• Creating sound business plans.• Coaching department heads.• Overseeing financial accounts.Project-based:I support Developing project protocols.Taking on responsibilities of Primary Investigator in Ethical approvalsLeading the project implementation team as project directorSupport clients on report development and insights analysisChair the program implementation workshops Show less I am bi-lingual (French-English) project manager who has an all-round operation knowledge and experience from project proposal, cost estimation, planning and execution, quality management, data verification and data control, project management and supplier/vendor management all through to reporting and insight development. I prides in knowledge of tool development for health, public and market research tools including report development. I have vast experience in francophone and Africa as a whole. I have managed multi-country social and health donor funded projects like Bill and Melinda gates foundation (BMGF) UNICEF,and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) managing and GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) in over 17 countries in Africa for each donor. I have travelled, recruited and trained field forces in the following countries outside Kenya: Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger. I have managed project in almost all African countries and beyond with vendors/suppliers. I have local perspective of African countries that act as value addition to the overall projects analysis giving it the local touch. This has been evident in projects BMGF (17 countries), IPPF (17 countries), Rice Digitization and GIZ Project in Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Togo Benin, Mali and Cambodia.Top skills: Project management, supplier management, costing and budgeting, Training. I have full knowledge of Africa and research. Show less

  • Executive Director

    Oct 2021 - now

  • Bilingual (French-English) Project Manager Africa

    Nov 2020 - Oct 2021