Kenyan-Born Caroline Wanga Appointed CEO of Essence, a US Technology and Commerce Company

Kenyan-born woman Caroline Wanga has been appointed as the CEO of Essence Communications Inc, a US technology and commerce company.

Wanga, 43, has been serving as the company’s CEO in an acting capacity for the past seven months following the resignation of Richelieu Dennis. She joined Essence Ventures - the parent company of Essence  - as Chief Growth Officer in June 2020. 

Essence Ventures encompasses its signature Essence magazine; digital, video, and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style, and the Essence Festival.

Essence Magazine, which is dedicated to Black women, is one of the largest black-owned publications in the US with a global audience of more than 24 million.

In her new role, Wanga will be responsible for shaping Essence’s future as the company seeks to maximize opportunities in new media technologies.

Wanga, who moved to the US in 1988, previously served as the Chief Diversity, Inclusion Officer and Vice President of Human Resources at Target Corporation. 

She describes herself as “a self-proclaimed cultural architect with a particular passion for constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing organizational culture.”

Wanga holds a degree in Business Administration from Texas College and holds several other leadership roles in different institutions in the US. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the Talladega College Board of Trustees, and the American Airlines Community Council.