Patrick Ramos, who clearly has a propensity for lifelong learning, is at the financial helm of Cosmos Limited, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in nine sub-Saharan African countries.
Patrick Ramos excelled at mathematics at a young age, but it was in high school that he really developed a strong affinity for finance and accounting. Despite his teachers' belief that he would excel in the medical field, Patrick was more inclined towards becoming a finance professional or lawyer. He was particularly inspired by young professionals from his village who were pursuing these careers at university and would visit him during holidays or organise career talks for rural youth.
His career began with a foundational role at Kenya Airways as a trainee in 2007, which set the stage for his future in finance. His academic journey includes a B.Com and an MBA in finance, which he obtained in 2013, from the University of Nairobi and a master’s in economics from JKUAT in 2021. He is also a certified public accountant, and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). Recently, he added a feather to his cap with a certificate in organisational leadership from Harvard Business School Online, further honing his strategic and leadership acumen.
Patrick’s seven-year tenure at Total Kenya saw him evolve from a credit controller to a commercial business partner & analyst. In 2015, he joined Sanofi as a finance controller for the Eastern and Southern Africa region (ESA). His exceptional performance and strategic insights earned him a promotion to director & head of finance for the East Africa hub in 2019.
“I have successfully led teams on major projects, but a personal highlight was being nominated for the company’s Africa talent pool. This initiative, led by the head of the Africa zone, identified and mentored top talent in the region. The programme provided significant growth opportunities, culminating in my promotion to head of finance for the East Africa region and director for the legal entity in Kenya,” he explains.
Working cohesively
Since April 2022, Patrick has been steering the financial helm at Cosmos Limited, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in nine sub-Saharan African countries.
As the head of finance, Patrick is responsible for budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, accounting, treasury, taxation and statutory compliance. Under his leadership, a team of 14 finance professionals, including direct reports such as the finance controller, financial accounting manager, and treasury, tax, and investments manager, work cohesively to support the company’s growth strategy.
While his career has been riding high for the most part, Patrick has had his share of challenges. He once oversaw the closure of an entire business hub when the parent company decided to implement a new sub-Saharan Africa business model. It was a challenging time as he witnessed long-time friends and colleagues lose their jobs.
Although offered a new opportunity in a different country, he declined due to family commitments and the timing.
Patrick defines professional success as leading his team to regularly surpass goals and contribute to the company's objectives. Finance is integral to most projects, and success for him means playing a key role in achieving shared goals through combined efforts. Personally, he sees success as ongoing self-improvement and helping others succeed, such as mentoring team members to thrive in their roles. Additionally, he values balancing job demands with time for self, family and community service.
Looking back, growing up in the village has defined his perspective on life.
“I have the privilege of serving as the treasurer for a community-based organisation in my village. We mobilise resources to support education, health, environment, security and youth empowerment initiatives. One of our proudest projects is an ambitious programme to plant 50,000 trees over five years, which we started in 2021, targeting schools, churches, hospitals, government offices, and water catchment areas,” Patrick says.
“In addition to this, I serve as the education champion for my sub-ward, organising programmes to encourage better performance in our local primary schools. We hold events to recognise and award both pupils and teachers, fostering healthy competition from an early age. I also engage in various youth empowerment programmes whenever needed. Recognising the blessings I have received, I actively serve in my rural church as an elder, lead a men’s group in the city and sing in the men’s choir,” he adds.
Prioritising
The death of loved ones has profoundly shifted Patrick's perspective on life. Losing his mother at a young age, just as he was preparing to attend university, was a devastating blow, as she had worked tirelessly to ensure his success. Additionally, the loss of dear friends during the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the brevity of life.
These experiences have made Patrick realise how short and precious life truly is.
In his leisure time, Patrick enjoys watching the Netflix series Monk. The series follows Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective who consults for the police while battling obsessive-compulsive disorder. The episodes highlight the importance of attention to detail and gathering sufficient facts before drawing conclusions, lessons that resonate with Patrick’s meticulous approach to his professional and personal life.
“I am greatly inspired by the 80/20 principle by Richard Koch. This principle states that in many outcomes, roughly 80 percent of the consequences come from 20 percent of causes. For example, 80 percent of revenue often comes from 20 percent of products, and 80 percent of profitability comes from 20 percent of customers. This concept is a crucial guide for identifying which initiatives to prioritise for the most impact. In my life, I've learned to focus more on the factors that are most responsible for my growth and success,” Patrick states.
“If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be that it's perfectly okay not to know everything, and no one knows everything either. It's okay to ask for help. However, never stop acquiring new knowledge and skills. In a rapidly evolving world, the ability to adapt and learn is crucial. Lastly, I would trust my gut instincts more and wouldn’t be afraid to try new things,” he adds in conclusion.
