Josephine Wapakabulo facts for kids

Josephine Wapakabulo, also known as Josephine Wapakabulo Thomas, is a talented electrical engineer and a successful business executive. She was the very first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). She started this important job in June 2016. Josephine left her role as UNOC CEO in August 2019 to focus on her family and new opportunities.

Early Life and Learning

Josephine was born in 1976 in Arusha, Tanzania. Her parents are Angelina Wapakhabulo and the late James Wapakhabulo.

University Studies

She studied at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. There, she became an expert in electronic and electrical engineering. She earned three degrees from this university: a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), a Master of Science (MSc), and a PhD. Later, she also completed an Executive MBA from INSEAD Business School in France.

Her Career Journey

Josephine Wapakabulo has had a long and interesting career. She has worked in many different roles and countries.

Early Roles

From 2000 to 2002, Josephine worked as a trainee and community organizer in Coventry, United Kingdom. After that, from 2002 to 2006, she was a research associate at LSC Group Consulting in Lichfield, United Kingdom.

Working at Rolls-Royce

In 2006, she joined Rolls-Royce in Derby, United Kingdom. She worked there as a specialist in business processes and information engineering until 2011. From 2011 to 2014, she moved to the Berlin Area in Germany. There, she was a quality executive and chief of quality and continuous improvement for engineering at Rolls-Royce.

Leadership in Australia and Uganda

Between 2014 and 2015, Josephine served as the Chief Operating Officer at The Walk Free Foundation in Perth, Australia. In 2015, she returned to her home country, Uganda. She worked as a business consultant in Kampala until 2016.

Leading the Uganda National Oil Company

In June 2016, the board of the UNOC chose her to be their CEO. She officially started her role at UNOC on August 1, 2016. She brought over 16 years of experience in leadership, teamwork, and project management to the company. This experience came from working in big international companies across many continents.

Current Work

Today, Josephine Wapakabulo is the founder and managing director of a company called TIG Africa.

More to Explore

• Uganda Oil Refinery
• Petroleum Authority of Uganda
• Sironko District
• Proscovia Nabbanja
• Wapakhabulo