Dec 2024 – Feb 2026 · 1 yr 2 mos · Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Central and Western Africa · Hybrid

• I built the teams that power-ed Africa's largest payments platform (Tingg), connecting millions of people and businesses from Cape Town to Cairo, Accra to Lagos and back to Nairobi.
• Prior to my headhunting here, the main challenge was that Cellulant operated across 20+ on-site offices. Different hiring cultures. Different labor regulations. One centralized HRIMS (BambooHR).
• My mission was to find exceptional talent. Create simple systems. Scale fast, without breaking compliance.
• A few wins worth calling out:
• 1. Fixed Our Broken Onboarding System
• + Cut new hire paperwork time by 50% through automation
• + Built clear new hires onboarding checklists deployed across 10+ countries
• + Optimized pre-onboarding phases for new joiners to hit their KPIs in Week 1, not Week 4
• 2. Eliminated "Emergency Hiring Scrambles"
• + Reduced time-to-fill for senior roles by 35%
• + Created talent pipelines for 12 hard-to-fill roles (Risk/Compliance & Platform Engineering)
• + Built real relationships with passive candidates on Linkedin Recruiter (always 3 backup options for critical roles)
• 3. Scaled High-Volume Hiring Across 24+ African Markets
• + Streamlined HRIS/ATS systems integration across multi-country operations
• + Developed end-to-end HR processes that work in markets with zero HR infrastructure
• + Led talent attraction for Commercial Sales, Finance, Risk/Compliance, Internal Audit, Branding, Service Delivery, Product and Legal divisions
• Every hire directly impacted how millions of Africans pay bills, send money and access financial services. Tingg doesn't tolerate a bad hire. Neither did I.

Jan 2023 – Nov 2024 · 1 yr 10 mos · Hybrid

• Kasha democratizes access to women's health products across East Africa via digital platforms and last-mile distribution. $21M Series B. Backed by Knife Capital, FinnFund, DFC and Bamboo Capital. Zero in-house recruitment team on Day 1.
• Built the recruitment function that enabled expansion into 7 African markets.
• Worked directly with ~16 HoDs, CPO, COO + CEO and enabled the company to scale from 60 to 150+ employees across 7 countries in 18 months.
• This US-based venture-backed pharma/healthtech/SaaS startup was scaling in new African markets. No in-house hiring team. Heavy reliance on expensive external agencies. Leadership needed hiring velocity + cost efficiency.
• Defining moments during my working stint here:
• Built Kasha's entire in-house recruitment function from zero eliminated $200K+ in annual external agency spend (65% reduction) while accelerating hiring turnaround time across 7 countries.
• Deployed competency frameworks + levelling guides across 8 role families in 5+ markets standardised job architecture, career pathways and promotion criteria company-wide.
• Replaced 14 fragmented candidate tracking methods with a single centralized pipeline system giving leadership real-time visibility into talent flow for the first time.
• Authored an HR operational playbook for 7 African markets covering cross-border compliance, structured interviews and candidate nurture workflows from Kenya, SA, Rwanda, DRC, GHA & Egypt.
• Maintained a live database of the top 100 passive candidates across the EMEA region reducing reactive 'we need someone yesterday' hiring by 60%.
• Required every hiring manager to submit 3 candidate CVs before a role was posted eliminating discovery delays and compressing time-to-shortlist by over 40%.
• Built real-time recruitment dashboards tracking efficiency metrics giving leadership and investors the people data they needed alongside financial KPIs: cost-per-hire/time-to-fill/offer acceptance rate.

Oct 2021 – Dec 2022 · 1 yr 2 mos · Hybrid

• I joined Kasha at a critical moment. The company needed to scale its HR department fast.
• Everything was outsourced to an agency. There were no payslips. No performance management systems. No centralized data for 70+ employees. I stepped in to build structure where there was none.
• Operated as a strategic HR advisor to 20+ first-time line managers during critical growth phase (Series A fundraising – market expansion).
• Moments that moved the needle:
• HR PARTNERSHIP
• Replaced the annual performance review cycle with a continuous feedback operating model, introduced 4×/year structured check-ins + OKR-aligned individual scorecards for ~150+ employees.
• Resolved 140+ employee relations cases (disciplinary, grievances, conflict) while sustaining eNPS scores ≥80% with zero escalations to legal disputes.
• Led hiring for 60+ roles across Sales/Finance/Tech/Operations, implemented structured interviews + screening which achieved <3% attrition and reduced cost-per-hire by 20%.
• STRATEGIC HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING
• Built 12-month headcount plan across 7 markets with 3 workforce scenarios achieved ~94% forecast accuracy and kept budget variance within +/-5%.
• Conducted skills-gap audit across 8 departments (~70 roles), identified 14 gaps and co-developed 90-day upskilling plan, reducing senior hiring dependency by ~30% and timelines from 6 months to <10 weeks.
• Introduced revenue-linked hiring model tied to +$1M ARR milestones; cut reactive hiring by 55% and improved Burn-to-Hire ratio by ~20%.
• ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT/CULTURE
• Led org redesign across 6 departments, clarified 40+ reporting lines and reduced span-of-control from 1:12 to 1:7 and culture index rose ~28%, delivery speed improved ~35%.
• Launched DEI programme across 150+ employees via enforced ≥40% female shortlist rule that increased female representation by +22% in 8 months.
• Managed change for Ghana entry + leadership restructure, ran 12 all-hands sessions & maintained eNPS ≥80% with zero key exits.

Jan 2021 – Sep 2021 · 8 mos · Nairobi Kenya & Port Louis Mauritius · On-site

• Ponea (a Dutch-based global focused mature startup) delivers on-demand healthcare and real-time price discovery across Africa.
• Headhunted to join this healthtech on a fixed-term contract to build HR operations infrastructure from scratch during its launching phase, MVP 0 to MVP 1.
• A few projects that really tested and grew me:
• 1. HR Systems & Operations
• Centralized 200+ HR files onto secure, cloud-based HRIS system (50% increase in policy comprehension)
• _ Created interactive HR dashboard for real-time headcount reporting and data-driven workforce insights
• Enabled leadership team to make strategic growth decisions with accurate people data
• 2. Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Optimization
• Served as strategic HR advisor to 8 departmental leaders
• 65% of open roles filled within 30 days (vs. 90-day average before my hire)
• Managed full-cycle recruitment for 30+ clinical and technology specialist roles
• Established recruiting best practices: candidate nurture workflows, structured behavioral interviews, data-driven screening
• Reduced time-to-fill KPIs by 25% month-over-month
• 3. External Partnerships & Cost Management
• Liaised with executive search firms and staffing agencies to supplement internal sourcing
• Decreased cost-per-hire by 15% while improving candidate quality

Aug 2020 – Dec 2020 · 4 mos

• PROTO ENERGY is Kenya's leading and premier OIL and GAS company. Promoted as a core management team member who contributed to company-wide successes in unprecedented revenue growth, profit enhancement, and market positioning in new territories i.e. Machakos, Kitui and Makueni.
• ► As the Regional Team Lead, I accomplished these milestones:
• Recruited, onboarded and managed performance for 28-person regional team across 3 counties, achieving 95% success rate in new project launches and maintaining 89% 6-month retention rate
• Reduced average time-to-hire from 35 to 21 days (40% improvement) through streamlined interview processes, local market sourcing strategies, and proactive candidate pipeline development
• Implemented weekly performance tracking systems and feedback mechanisms that improved team productivity by 32% and reduced performance-related turnover from 18% to 5%
• Designed and executed digital engagement strategies and customer delivery systems that expanded market share by 20% (from 8% to 28% in target counties) and strengthened business model sustainability
• Ensured 100% compliance with Kenyan labor laws and safety regulations across 3 county jurisdictions, completing quarterly compliance audits with zero violations and enhancing regulatory adherence
• Trained 28 employees on compliance protocols, safety procedures, and customer service standards achieving 100% certification rate and reducing compliance incidents by 85%

Jul 2020 – Aug 2020 · 1 mo

• Proto Energy is a leading retailer of LPG and related solutions in the Kenyan and regional markets.
• Formerly known as My Gas, Proto Energy is an innovative LPG Energy Solutions such as PRO GAS and OTO GAS. PROTO enhances use of technology to ensure high quality, excellent service and superior safety of their LPG products.
• ► My duties and responsibilities were:
• Strategically identified and secured optimal business premises for LPG distribution, expanding the company’s footprint in high-demand regions and driving a 20% increase in local market share.
• Conducted comprehensive market research to identify underserved areas with a high demand for LPG products, facilitating targeted service expansion and improving accessibility for new customers.
• Established safety protocols and conducted site evaluations for LPG storage and distribution points, enhancing overall compliance with industry standards and reducing operational risks.
• Developed and maintained relationships with local stakeholders, including landlords and community leaders, to foster trust and support for business operations across multiple regions.
• Implemented training programs for field staff on product safety and customer service, ensuring a consistent and high-quality customer experience that improved brand loyalty and safety adherence.

Oct 2019 – Apr 2020 · 6 mos

• ALX is a community connecting entrepreneurial leaders and innovative problem solvers in a Pan-African network unlike anything that exists today. ALX is unlocking the potential of Africa’s greatest resource: it’s people.
• I thrived in a multicultural environment to elevate and maintain consistency with our online brand initiatives. A highlight of what was in my bucket list was:
• Spearheaded management of all ALX social media channels, enhancing brand visibility and engagement by increasing audience size from 25,000 to 26,000 in just two months.
• Streamlined response times on social media, addressing 40% of inquiries within 24 hours, which strengthened brand reputation and boosted engagement across ALX’s online platforms.
• Conducted in-depth audience analysis to refine targeting strategies, optimizing marketing channels to align with ALX’s HR operations and community engagement objectives.
• Curated and executed content strategies, producing engaging, high-impact campaigns that resonated with a Pan-African audience, from initial concept through implementation.
• Developed and implemented digital strategies to increase awareness of ALX operations, driving qualified traffic and enhancing community connections for HR-driven initiatives.
• Served as the online brand ambassador, analyzing and reporting on key performance metrics via Google Analytics to guide strategic content planning and maximize reach within target demographics.

Sep 2019 – Apr 2020 · 7 mos

• At ALX, we’re unlocking the future we want to see. We’re catalysing the transformation of Africa, by developing the next generation of bold, innovative, ethical and entrepreneurial leaders. We’re unlocking the potential of the world's largest workforce.
• The future is calling: WE ARE THE ANSWER.

Oct 2018 – Dec 2020 · 2 yrs 2 mos · Tallinn · Remote

• MARLEQ mentors professionals toward career success. My specialty: Mid-to-C-Suite professionals transitioning into impact-focused and tech roles across EMEA.
• I learned to diagnose talent gaps quickly, craft compelling professional narratives and understand what makes senior professionals say "YES" to opportunities. These skills directly translate to executive search, employer branding and candidate(s) experience design.
• Some achievements I’m proud to call mine:
• + Maintained 98% client satisfaction rate and NPS score of 85
• + Coached 1,000+ professionals across Europe, Middle East & Africa
• + 85% achieved desired career moves within 6 months (industry average: 45-50%)
• High-Impact Programs I Built:
• + Specialized program for senior professionals targeting competitive international development roles
• + Achieved 30% higher success rate in final-round interviews vs. industry baseline
• + Clients secured average salary increases of 15-20% above initial offers
• CV Optimization & Personal Branding Workshops
• + Reduced average job search time from 6 months to 4.5 months
• + Collated/designed over 25 virtual workshops reaching 500+ professionals
• + Created proprietary CV framework that increased interview callbacks by 40% for mid-to-senior professionals
• Strategic Partnerships & Direct Placements
• + Established partnerships with 15 tech companies and NGOs across EMEA
• + Created direct placement pipeline that increased client placement rates by 35%
• + Generated $50K+ in additional revenue through partnership agreements
• Client Portfolio Management:
• + Managed 120+ active clients with 90% retention rate
• + Maintained concurrent coaching relationships while scaling impact
• + Specialized in career transitions into impact organizations (75% of clients successfully pivoted into UN/NGO roles within 8 months)

Apr 2017 – Apr 2019 · 2 yrs · Egerton, Nakuru, Kenya · On-site

• Began this job after graduating and joined this institution as the 1st ever untrained languages teacher to be hired. I progressed rapidly through a series of the increasingly responsible departmental responsibilities from Chair of Teachers Welfare, Languages HOD to Music/Debate Patron in a school of 500+ learners.
• To each position I held, I delivered tangible results which included:
• Proposed and introduced the use of printers and computers for administrative tasks, streamlining office workflows and reducing printing expenses by 30%.
• Decreased costs of instructional materials by 40% by incorporating Google and YouTube resources, enhancing both teaching efficiency and student engagement.
• Led the English and Teachers’ Welfare departments, ensuring timely procurement and distribution of teaching materials, and managing inventory records to support accurate budget planning.
• Managed and guided an average of 25 students per class, fostering an inclusive and collaborative learning environment that encouraged mutual respect and peer support.
• Developed and standardized lesson plans and curriculum materials in alignment with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) guidelines, ensuring structured and compliant lesson delivery.
• Coordinated and facilitated parent-teacher meetings to enhance communication, address student progress, and develop proactive strategies for ongoing educational improvement.
• Oversaw student attendance, academic records, and behavior reports, maintaining organized records to support student development and administrative reporting.

Sep 2015 – Dec 2015 · 3 mos · Central Rift Region, Nakuru · On-site

• Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is a fully government-owned company in Kenya's energy sector. GDC was formed in 2008 as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to accelerate the development of geothermal resources in Kenya.
• GDC was and is still tasked with the responsibility of developing steam fields and selling geothermal steam for electricity generation to Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) and to private investors.
• ► My responsibilities and achievements were:
• Supervised 21 technical interns, coordinating field transportation, tracking progress, and achieving a 0% turnover rate in a high-absenteeism environment.
• Streamlined leave management for 5 departments (serving 400+ employees), reducing approval wait times from 3 days to 1, enhancing HR operational efficiency.
• Organized and maintained over 1,000 critical HR and company documents, ensuring easy access and data integrity for compliance and reporting needs.
• Acted as the main contact for employee records management, maintaining up-to-date files for a 600+ employee database, ensuring accuracy and quick retrieval.
• Conducted comprehensive onboarding sessions for new interns, digitized essential documents, and established a reliable archive for future HR reference.