The Standard Group PLC has appointed its Acting Editor-in-Chief, John Bundotich, as acting Chief Executive Officer, with effect from November 1, 2026. Bundotich has led the group’s newsroom since January 2025.
In a notice to shareholders and the public, the media house’s board said the appointment was made under Paragraph 11 of the Thirteenth Schedule of the Capital Markets (Public Offers, Listings and Disclosures) Regulations, 2023, which requires listed companies to disclose changes in senior management.
Bundotich takes over from Chaacha Mwita, whose resignation as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director was announced on October 16, 2026, and takes effect on November 1.
Mwita had been acting CEO from July 1, 2025, before being confirmed in the role in April 2026. The leadership change follows a series of board changes at the company this month, including the resignation of some directors and the appointment of new ones.
The board described Bundotich as “a strategic media executive and transformational leader with over 25 years of experience leading print, broadcast and digital media operations in Kenya.”
He has held senior leadership positions at both the Standard Group and the Nation Media Group, where he guided editorial, operational and multimedia work. In those roles, he drove audience growth, product development and newsroom convergence, and he has worked closely with regulators, government institutions and commercial partners.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Kenyatta University and has completed executive development programmes in corporate governance, leadership, finance, performance management, labour relations and media innovation. He is an accredited journalist with the Media Council of Kenya and a member of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The board said he is known for “his integrity, strategic vision, sound judgement and ability to lead organizations through complex and rapidly evolving business environments while maintaining high standards of governance, professionalism and operational excellence.”
The new chief executive takes charge as the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed company works to strengthen its business amid falling advertising revenue across the media industry.
In its results for the six months ended June 30, 2025, the group cut its net loss to Sh133 million from Sh200 million a year earlier, after reducing operating costs by 26 per cent to Sh879 million. Revenue fell 25 per cent to Sh789 million over the same period.
