MEET ME, MARIA CHRISOSTOM MUMENA, UPF TANZANIA

Hi Maria! Tell me more about you! I am Maria Chrisostom Mumena (I like my middle name not left out yes). I’m a 26-year-old living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science. In my free time, I enjoy the simple pleasures of music and movies, but when I have more time to myself, nothing excites me more than exploring new places through travel. I’m passionate about dogs and I don’t mind spending time volunteering at local shelters (I’m a proud dog lover, though not owning one, yet!)

What is your background for choosing the industry? I briefly worked in life insurance for a few months before transitioning to logistics and freight forwarding. Since then, I’ve never found myself bored for a second because when done right, this isn’t a routine job. There’s always something new to challenge me and opportunities to learn from.

In the process, I’ve developed a strong understanding of how pricing strategies and sales impact the overall business; an experience which has given me insight into the importance of efficient supply chain structures and operations.

What is your role at the office? I am a Sales Lead, responsible for overseeing pricing strategies, analysing market trends, and setting competitive pricing models. My day-to-day includes working directly with clients to understand their needs, negotiating pricing, and ensuring that our offers align with both customer expectations and business goals – Logistics made personal.

I also monitor sales performance, adjust strategies as needed, to ensure smooth operations and drive overall profitability

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Looking ahead, my goal doesn’t fit in the next 5 years but ultimately the direction is to become a supply chain analyst. While I’m still learning about what this career fully entails, the blend of skills I am attaining from my experience in logistics keeps on sparkling my interest, where I hope to get to apply my knowledge to optimize processes and contribute to business efficiency on a larger scale