Blessing Shumba-Hove breaks barriers in the male-dominated tobacco industry as head of trade at BAT Zimbabwe. Her story starts at Monte Cassino Girls High School, where faith shaped her work ethic. She applies different strategies to each situation, like an artist choosing the perfect brush.
Her path includes obstacles. Marketing remains her passion despite working in tobacco. She sees her skills transferring across industries, with marketing connecting everything. Her leadership style emphasizes emotional intelligence rather than aggression.
The executive credits her father for building her confidence. After her mother died in 2008, he trusted her to run the household. He never remarried. His support influenced her approach to challenges. She remembers him telling visitors, "This is not my house, this is Blessing's house."
She met her husband, Tungamirai, during a delivery job in 2015. They married a year later. The couple has two children - daughter Tawana, eight, and son Tinaye, six. Her family helps her balance demanding work with home life.
Her career includes roles at Blue Ribbon Foods and Varun Beverages. She returned to BAT because "we love each other like that." She encourages women to work hard and create excellent performance records. "Simply shut out the noise," she advises those facing gender bias.
Her path includes obstacles. Marketing remains her passion despite working in tobacco. She sees her skills transferring across industries, with marketing connecting everything. Her leadership style emphasizes emotional intelligence rather than aggression.
The executive credits her father for building her confidence. After her mother died in 2008, he trusted her to run the household. He never remarried. His support influenced her approach to challenges. She remembers him telling visitors, "This is not my house, this is Blessing's house."
She met her husband, Tungamirai, during a delivery job in 2015. They married a year later. The couple has two children - daughter Tawana, eight, and son Tinaye, six. Her family helps her balance demanding work with home life.
Her career includes roles at Blue Ribbon Foods and Varun Beverages. She returned to BAT because "we love each other like that." She encourages women to work hard and create excellent performance records. "Simply shut out the noise," she advises those facing gender bias.
