Fairtrade Africa Leadership Team
Meet the team driving Fairtrade Africa’s vision and strategy
Isaac Tongola - Executive Director
Isaac is the Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa, with over 24 years high-level global experience in environment sustainability, multilateral climate finance, agricultural development, agribusiness, biodiversity conservation, AgTech, land use, clean energy, carbon credits, and gender inclusion.
He has mobilized resources from national development banks/investors, leading to capital investments exceeding USD 160 million. He catalyzes capital release, strong result-oriented diplomatic leadership, multi-government advising, federating global multi-stakeholder public–private partnerships, mega budget utilization, program and finance management, circular economy, ESG impact investment, and agricultural trade.
Education: Partial PhD Political Science SIUC USA; MSc Agricultural Development University of Copenhagen Denmark; MSc Sciences-Technologies University of Montpelier SupAgro-IRC France; and BSc Agriculture Egerton University Kenya; Executive training IVEY School of Business Canada and INSEAD France.
Chris Oluoch - Programme Director
Chris brings over 24 years of experience in development work across smallholders and plantation settings. An HR generalist and Manpower Development professional, he has established management systems strengthening business sustainability, compliance, and programme delivery across private, public, and NGO sectors.
He previously led Ethics and Social Responsibility at James Finlay Kenya Limited and served as Programs Officer for Eastern and Central Africa at American Center for International Labor Solidarity. He has coordinated ILO, USAID, GIZ, and WB-funded programmes, and most recently serves as Programmes Director at Fairtrade Africa.
Chris holds an MBA (HRM) and BA in Sociology from Kenyatta University and is a Certified Social Accountability and Management Systems Auditor and Full Member of IHRM.
Madeline Muga - Strategy and Impact Director
Madeline brings 20 years of senior project management experience across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somaliland, with expertise spanning Education, WASH, Rights, Food Security, and Humanitarian and Emergency Response.
She has a strong background in leading donor-funded projects and program evaluations and has previously worked as an independent development consultant, running the Amani Resource Hub.
Madeline also served as Deputy Head of Office for the humanitarian agency Caritas Switzerland, where she provided technical backstopping for regional programs in the Horn of Africa.
Prior to this, she spent 10 years with the child-rights grant-making organization Terre des Hommes Netherlands, monitoring funded projects and partners across East Africa.
Paul Colditz - Commercial Director
Paul is an accomplished global business specialist known for driving exceptional results throughout his career across four continents.
He currently serves as the Commercial Director at Fairtrade Africa, where he leads the organization's commercial strategy and partnerships across the continent. Paul first joined Fairtrade Africa in 2021 as Commercial Manager for Southern Africa before expanding his leadership to include the Middle East and North Africa region.
Prior to joining Fairtrade Africa, Paul worked as a consultant, helping clients navigate the evolving international business landscape and adopt sustainable approaches to global market growth.
Paul holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Business from Lindenwood University – St. Louis, USA.
Oscar Ochieng - Finance and Administration Director
Oscar Ochieng is a Finance and Administration specialist with 20 years of experience managing financial and operational functions across Africa.
He brings expertise in finance, grant management, administration, and internal auditing within the NGO sector, having managed programmes funded by UN agencies, the EU, DFID, USAID, and various foundations.
Previously, Oscar served as Senior Finance Manager at Population Services Kenya/International, overseeing finance and grants management, ERP systems, risk analysis, and financial reporting.
He also served as Head of Grants, Budgets, and Financial Reporting at KickStart International, ensuring donor compliance across all African offices. Oscar holds an MBA and BA in Economics from the University of Nairobi, and is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Secretary.
