Stella Atela
About Stella Atela
Stella Atela serves as the Global Head of Leadership Development, Learning, Performance & Engagement at the World Food Programme, a role she has held since 2022. With extensive experience in human resources across various sectors, she has previously worked at Unilever, Standard Chartered Bank, and Shell, and holds multiple certifications in leadership coaching and personality assessment.
Work at World Food Programme
Stella Atela serves as the Global Head of Leadership Development, Learning, Performance & Engagement at the World Food Programme. She has held this position since 2022 and is based in Rome, Italy. In her role, she focuses on enhancing leadership capabilities and fostering a culture of learning and engagement within the organization.
Previous Experience at Unilever
Stella Atela has extensive experience at Unilever, where she worked in various roles. She served as the HR Business Partner for Sales & Marketing for four months in 2013 in Nairobi. Subsequently, she held the position of Human Resources Director for Supply Chain in East & West Africa from 2013 to 2016, also in Nairobi. Additionally, she was the Head of HR for Unilever Tea East Africa from 2011 to 2013 in Kericho, Kenya.
Human Resources Experience
Stella Atela has a solid background in human resources management. She worked as the Human Resources Services Manager at Standard Chartered Bank from 2004 to 2005 and at Shell from 2005 to 2007. She also served as the Human Resources Director (Senior HR Business Partner) for East & Central Africa at the World Food Programme from 2016 to 2022.
Education and Expertise
Stella Atela has a strong educational background in human resources and leadership. She achieved a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing & Human Resources from the University of Nairobi from 2002 to 2005. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Institute of Human Resource Management, completed between 2008 and 2010. Additionally, she completed the Oxford Executive Leadership Program at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, in 2023.
Certifications and Skills
Stella Atela is a certified leadership coach and is skilled in various personality assessment instruments, including MBTI, FIRO B, and Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode (TKI). Her expertise encompasses organization design and development, organization effectiveness, culture/change management, strategic talent acquisition, and employee relations.