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Market Coverage
Aareton Blue

Our Team

Our approach towards study design and implementation is one of humility and a desire to learn and contribute in the way we know best: exploring practical, community-centered implementation; recognizing all good ideas become great solutions through a process of learning, evolving, openly considering advice and criticism; and valuing flexibility over rigidity. In this light, we staff a diverse management team of individuals with experience from multiple professions and backgrounds – management consulting, research, business operations, impact evaluations, learning and development, finance and audit, program management, and implementations, all with over 80 years of combined experience. Our team, with its wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives, works collaboratively to ensure the practical design of all our studies, including the development of data collection tools, training of enumeration teams, coordination of data collection, analysis of data, development of the report, and dissemination of findings.

Leadership Team

Advisory Board

Kim Matu
Managing Director AaretonBlue,

Kim Matu brings over 19 years of expertise in Business Operations, with a focus on Growth & Strategy, Process Mapping, Innovation, and Research Field Operations across Sub-Saharan Africa. His experience spans customer service, business development, and optimizing processes to drive organizational growth.

Before founding AaretonBlue, Kim served as GDCS Champion for East Africa at Kantar, where he streamlined field operations, established CATI centers in Kenya and the DRC, and standardized field costing. He has held senior roles at Kantar Operations, TNS RMS East Africa, Samasource, and Horizon Contact Centers. Now, as Managing Director of AaretonBlue, Kim leads the company’s growth strategy, client relationships, and operational capacity, ensuring high-quality research services.

Herbert Karani
Finance & Compliance Manager, AaretonBlue

Herbert Karani, has been with AaretonBlue Africa for the past 4 years. A seasoned accounting professional with over 10 years of experience, specializing in tax planning, internal controls, project management, corporate governance, and risk management. Known for a strong sense of responsibility, professionalism, and meticulous attention to detail, this Finance & Procurement Director excels in problem-solving, analytical thinking, and effective communication.

Demonstrates a proven track record in establishing and leading legal, internal audit, and risk management teams, and has successfully implemented and maintained robust financial systems and company policies in alignment with international standards, driving continuous improvement and organizational compliance.

Mary Kemunto
Qualitative Lead AaretonBlue

Mary is an accomplished Impact Evaluation Qualitative Lead with over 14 years of experience in social and marketing research across East Africa. Her career began as a field coordinator at Ipsos, advanced through roles as a Research Executive at Kantar, and culminated in a Senior Research Executive position before joining AaretonBlue in 2021.

Mary excels in delivering high-quality data and transforming it into actionable insights that drive strategic decisions and growth for brands. Her extensive expertise covers the entire research process, including proposal writing, moderation using methodologies such as focus groups, ethnographies, and in-depth interviews, as well as client management and comprehensive data analysis.

Geoffrey Ernest Kazibwe
Head of Project Management

Geoffrey Ernest Kazibwe is a seasoned Project Manager with over twelve years of experience in the market research industry, currently serving as the Head of Project Management at AaretonBlue. In this role, Geoffrey is responsible for the comprehensive management of research studies across Africa, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, report writing, and project closure.

His expertise spans a wide range of sectors, such as agriculture, health, FMCG, branding, product testing, and face-to-face quantitative studies. Renowned for his positive attitude and relentless energy, Geoffrey excels in driving project success and inspiring his team to achieve their best.

Khethiwe Myeza
Operations Director - South Africa

Khethiwe Myeza is an experienced Operations Director in Johannesburg, South Africa, overseeing all operational excellence for AaretonBlue South Africa. Before joining AaretonBlue, she led Field Operations for prominent agencies such as IPSOS, focusing on the South African market.

Khethiwe brings a wealth of expertise in Project Management, Data Collection, Quality Assurance, and Client Management, with a proven track record of executing multi-country studies for major clients, including Gallup and Diageo. Her broad experience spans research projects across Africa, covering sectors such as education, public health, financial access, agriculture, livelihood, SMEs, and housing, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the diverse social dynamics that influence these areas.

Abiodun Kolade
Operations Director – Nigeria, 

Abiodun Kolade is an experienced Operations Director in Lagos, Naigeria, overseeing all operational excellence for AaretonBlue Nigeria and Ghana. Kolade is an accomplished marketing professional with 10 years of expertise in Marketing Research and Consumer Insights, having advanced through various roles in both B2B and B2C markets. His extensive experience spans categories such as telecommunication, media, finance, and FMCG, with notable clients including Standard Bank, Diageo, Nestle, and BAT.

Kolade excels in managing diverse research portfolios, including Innovation and Product Development Research, Usage & Attitude studies, Customer Satisfaction, Segmentation Surveys, and Census research. With a degree in Economics and Statistics, an MBA, and membership in the Nigerian Market Research Association (NIMRA), Kolade currently oversees research studies in various sectors, including health, agriculture, FMCG, branding testing, product testing, and face-to-face quantitative studies.

Erckman Togna
Country Manager- CDI & Operations Directors West Africa

Erckman is an experienced Country Manager & Operations Director with over 20 years in the research industry, specializing in West African markets. He currently supports AaretonBlue’s research studies across all French West African states, managing operational activities across 10 countries.

Throughout his career, Erckman has led studies across various sectors, including agriculture, financial services, telecommunications, climate change, FMCG, and polling surveys. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Operations for Kantar in Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.

Erasmus Neba Ayumbi
Project Manager/Operations Director (Based in Cameroon)

Erasmus has over 24 years of research experience, with a focus on Operations in telecom and digital-related surveys across West, Central, East, and parts of Southern Africa. He has ensured the seamless management of the entire data production process.

Currently, he serves as the Director of Research Operations at AaretonBlue, based in Cameroon, where he manages research operations in Cameroon and other French-speaking African nations. He has held this position since June 2021. Prior to this, he was the Director of Operations at Ipsos Nigeria and previously worked at Kantar in West Africa.

During his 17 years at Kantar (2002-2018), Erasmus gained extensive knowledge in social research survey methodologies and collaborated with both local and international clients on various country-specific and multi-country surveys. As the Director of Operations at Ipsos Nigeria from 2019 to 2021, he oversaw projects with significant sample sizes, including the Access to Finance Survey (A2F), which was completed in March 2021.

Throughout his career in Operations, Erasmus has led over studies, collaborating with clients such as the World Bank Group, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Mastercard Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Friesland Campina, Pyxera Global, Itad, Tetra-Tech International, RTI International, International Finance Corporation (IFC), BBC World Service, Google, Facebook, Barclays Bank Group, and Markit, among others.

Christopher Gathingu
Board Chairman

Christopher Gathingu is the Chairman of the AaretonBlue Advisory Board, which he has held since the inception of AaretonBlue. Over the years, Chris has helped mold the culture of the AaretonBlue, supporting in setting up financial oversight processes and supporting the Managing Director in client engagement and project financing while playing a pivotal role in the formulation of key governance processes for the firm. In his other duties, Chris Gathingu is the Chairman of the Board and CEO & Founder of Tangazoletu Limited, and has a wealth of experience in both business and technology. Chris has spearheaded key innovations such as Bima Serve, an automation tool for insurance services, and Spotcash, a mobile banking platform for Sacco societies in Kenya.

He also played a pivotal role in the development of the finance and payment component of TIBU, a national TB management platform funded by USAID and used by Kenya’s Ministry of Health, which generated $6 million in business. Additionally, Chris led Tangazoletu’s partnership with Safaricom to grow M-Pesa, revolutionizing financial access across the region. A visionary leader and mentor, Chris actively supports emerging entrepreneurs through mentorship programs. He holds a Master’s in Information Systems Management from the University of Sunderland and has completed the Owner Manager Program at Strathmore Business School.

Maureeen Kibatha
Secretary and Legal Advisor to the Board

Maureen Kibatha is a board member at AaretonBlue and plays the role of company secretary and legal advisor. As part of the team, Maureen has been instrumental in structuring AaretonBlue’s legal contracts with clients, registering all our entities and subsidiaries across Africa, and providing legal and strategic support to AaretonBlue. As part of her day-to-day roles, Maureen is a partner at MG Law Advocates. Appointed to the position of Partner in May 2018, she is in charge of the Commercial and Corporate Department.

Her areas of practice include Commercial Law, Company Acquisitions, Property & Real Estate, Joint Ventures, Bank Securities, Intellectual Property. She is tenacious in her representation of clients and resourceful in developing strategies designed to protect their interests. She has had a lead role in advising clients on commercial and corporate law, property acquisition and disposal, property laws, and undertaking in-depth legal due diligence. Maureen’s parting Shot is “with undeniable belief, ambition and work ethic, we can truly achieve anything.”

Michael Mithika
Board Member - Strategy, Scale, and Business Growth

It’s a big privilege for AaretonBlue to have Mr. Michael Mithika as part of it’s Advisory Board. In his role, Michael supports shaping AaretonBlue’s overall business strategy, building high-performing teams, and instituting governance and structure that allow for the organization’s development, growth, and sustainability. Micheal Mithika is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of consulting and global experience dedicated to fostering shared prosperity in Africa. His expertise spans strategic and financial advisory services, management consulting, and economic development across several African countries.

Michael’s work has focused on emerging market growth strategies, innovation, deepening financial markets, and building inclusive financial systems. From 2017 to 2020, he served as President & CEO of VisionFund International, the financial inclusion subsidiary of World Vision, operating in 28 markets. In 1997, he founded JM Mantle & Co Limited, leading over 100 strategic advisory engagements across 10 African countries. Michael also founded the School of African Microfinance, where he served as Course Director for 12 years, training over 1,400 executives from 40 countries. His career began with Loita Capital Partners in structured finance, and he graduated magna cum laude BSc in Business (Finance and Accounting) from the United States International University – Africa.

  1. For qualitative studies, we help our clients with refining the tools, translating materials when needed and recruiting the right respondents. We also moderate sessions and provide you with videos, audio recordings, transcripts, and a high-level report if you’d like. Everything we do is tailored to the client’s unique needs. For Qual studies, we support focus groups, in-depth interviews (IDIs), workshops, and product tests!

  2. For our quantitative studies, we use both CATI and face-to-face methods, depending on what works best for gathering insights. In Africa, while face-to-face interviews may be a bit pricier, they often lead to deeper insights, which we find really valuable. Just like with our qualitative studies, we make sure to review the tools, translate everything into different languages if needed, build sampling frames, script the tools, and run data collection with a strong focus on quality control. We provide our clients with data formats like SPSS or Excel. Plus, if you’d like, we can also help with analysis.