Gloria Umuruta’s 10-year journey with Jibu began as a cleaner and front desk manager. Over the years her roles evolved, learning teamwork, overcoming challenges, and experiencing positive community impact. Jibu’s core values remained consistent, and Gloria found motivation in supportive supervisors and growth opportunities. In celebration of Gloria’s 10th work anniversary, I had the privilege of sitting down with her for an interview.
1. How did your journey with Jibu begin, and what initially attracted you to the company?
I started with Jibu as a cleaner and front desk manager at the corporate store level. What attracted me to this company was their vision of providing safe and affordable drinking water to the community.
2. Over your 10 years with Jibu, how have your roles and responsibilities evolved, and how has this contributed to your personal and professional growth?
Over these ten years, I have been able to interact with different people of different backgrounds and nationalities and I have been fortunate to enough to have learnt how to manage people which has improved my profession.
3. What are some of the most memorable projects or initiatives you’ve been involved in during your time at Jibu, and how did they impact the company and the community it serves?
The Raising Gabidho project helped me understand the Jibu market better. In this project we provided Jibu LPG to different refugees in Uganda. The company was able to get more customer referrals for LPG and water which improved our brand awareness.
4. Jibu has likely faced various challenges during your tenure. Can you highlight some of these challenges and how the company overcame them?
One of the challenges we faced and conquered was the lack of delivery tools for our franchisees. Through KIVA loans we started purchasing Tuktuks and recruiting delivery personnel for door to door service delivery.
Another major challenge was the objection of Jibu’s business model from local regulatory authorities. Jibu had to hold several stakeholder meetings with authorities to explain how our business model works.
5. How has Jibu’s culture evolved over the years, and what core values have remained consistent throughout your time with the company?
Our values, Family, Ownership, Opportunity and Tomorrow have remained consistent.
There has been an improvement in work trust in the top management. We spent years without a country director groomed from within us, until last year in 2022 when Rita Achen was elevated from the role of Head of Franchise Development & Marketing to Country Manager. However we still need to focus more on grooming & nurturing young Jibu born talents to take up leadership positions.
6. As the longest serving staff member, what key lessons have you learned from your experiences at Jibu, and how have they influenced your approach to work and leadership?
Teamwork, understanding people even if we are from different backgrounds. Because of team work, it has helped me to complete tasks on time.
7. Can you share any heartwarming stories that showcase Jibu’s dedication to social and environmental impact and how it positively affects the communities it serves?
My heartwarming story was when Jibu introduced the 20L tap bottle into the market. A solution which was easy to open. A revolutionary improvement to dispensing of water in the home and office.
8. Throughout your tenure, how has Jibu supported your professional development and work-life balance?
Jibu has provided training like Udemy which has improved skills in my profession.
9. What motivates you to continue working with Jibu after all these years, and what makes the company a unique and rewarding place to be a part of?
What motivates me most is having good leaders especially my supervisors who are very supportive. The open culture that gives opportunity to new talent and expression is very rewarding.
10. Looking ahead, what do you envision for Jibu’s future, and how do you see yourself contributing to its continued success?
I see Jibu becoming a global household brand across other continents.
