YPO Honors JA Leaders, Reinforcing Ties Between the Two Organizations

March 15, 2022

Each year, YPO, the global leadership community of extraordinary CEOs, recognizes members who are making an impact that is sustainable and scalable, and affects people, prosperity, peace, or our planet. Two JA-connected YPO members, JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani and Twiga Foods Co-Founder and Group CEO Peter Njonjo, were named today as regional honorees of the YPO Global Impact Award.

Peter Njnojo, Africa Regional Honoree

Twiga Foods, based in Nairobi, Kenya, uses a B2B e-commerce platform to simplify the sub-Saharan supply chain among fresh food producers, fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers, and retailers. The company, which removes the need for most intermediaries, significantly lowers the cost of food for consumers. Co-Founder and Group CEO Peter Njonjo, who serves on the JA Worldwide Board of Governors, spent most of his career at Coca-Cola and advised Twiga as a board member before diving in a an entrepreneurial CEO.

“YPO and JA have a shared mission to create better leaders for the future,” Peter said. “I’m so honored to be a governor of JA Worldwide and a recipient of this YPO recognition.” Read more on the YPO website or scroll below.

Asheesh Advani, Northeastern U.S. Regional Honoree

Cited for spreading peace through entrepreneurship, JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani has also been nominated for the YPO Global Impact Award. Asheesh, who is a JA alumnus and long-time YPO member sees tremendous opportunities for YPO members to broaden their impact through JA, adding to the hundreds of YPOers who are serving on JA boards or volunteering as youth mentors. “ I joined YPO 14 years ago,” he said, “ which allowed me to learn from some of the best leaders in the world. I’m thrilled to see so many ways that YPOers are engaging with JA by serving on boards or taking advantage of other volunteering opportunities that benefit JA youth.”

Mayu Avila—YPO member, JA Worldwide governor, first female El Salvadoran president of a private bank, and first female Minister of Foreign Affairs in El Salvador—reflected on Asheesh’s nomination. “As an active member of YPO and a Governor of JA Worldwide,” she said, “I could not be more thrilled to see my fellow friend and CEO of JA Worldwide honored in this way." We couldn’t agree more.

Read more about Asheesh on the YPO website or scroll below. If you’re a YPO member interested in working with JA to develop the next generational of entrepreneurial leaders, send Asheesh a note.