Grace Mathu, HR lead at AAR Insurance Kenya, shares how career growth is less about performance alone and more about mastering image and exposure alongside it. Drawing from her own journey of self-discovery, she unpacks the PIE formula that shapes how professionals stand out, get noticed, and advance.
Grace Mathu has worn her hair in a bobcat style for over 20 years. Every Saturday without fail, she books a two-hour slot at the salon to have it done. People tell her they have never once seen her hair out of place.
“I take that as a compliment. My hair is arranged like that as part of the brand. When people tell me Grace, every time I meet you your hair is arranged, how do you sleep? I say good, because you should not meet me with my hair looking untidy,” she says.
When Grace is not at the salon, she is walking, she tried running and decided it was not for her. She also researches fashion, looks through styling pages, experiments with combinations she can then wear to work.
“In 2024 I wore suits almost exclusively. In 2025 I deliberately broke away from them, dresses, blazers, skirts and tops, things that moved differently. I have an audience who gets their fashion and style inspiration from what I wear, and I take that very seriously,” Grace adds.
Her weekends also include football. She has sons who play, and she shows up to cheer for them.
“Sitting at the academy, clapping when they do well because I understand what it means when a parent appears at something a child cares about,” she says.
From IT audit to self-discovery
Grace is HR lead at AAR Insurance Kenya. She grew up knowing she wanted to work hard enough to join one of the big 4 audit firms. She studied at Strathmore and then Jomo Kenyatta University, completing a bachelor of Science in IT, and landed at KPMG first as an admin assistant to the partners and later as an IT auditor when her degree was done.
She noted a vast difference between the two roles. As an admin Grace was regularly recognised for great performance in addition to winning awards such as Lady of Grace, Glamour and Elegance. But, when she moved to IT audit, which was part of the same department, the recognition for great performance stopped.
“I realised that there's a direct correlation between how well you perform in your role, the output you bring, the passion, and being in tune with your talents,” she says. “There's a reason why you love certain things. There's a reason why you stand out in doing certain roles because you are wired in a way to just work like that.”
Grace stayed in IT audit for four years. By the fourth year it was clear beyond reasonable doubt, that she was not wired for it. While her colleagues had mapped out their career trajectories for the next six-to-seven years, with many aspiring toward partner roles, Grace did not feel so excited about a future in IT audit.
The defining moment came on an audit engagement in Tanzania. She had time away from Nairobi, space to think, and what came out of that time was a resignation letter. She handed it in without a job to go to.
“I told even my supervisors I was going to take time off to rediscover Grace and repackage Grace. I didn't have a job. I just felt I needed to take time off if at all I was going to win in this life,” she recalls.
During that period, she kept herself engaged in what people called her for naturally: speaking to people about discovering and aligning to their passion and purpose, how to dress and show up in different spaces , styling wardrobes and generally building confidence for the workplace.
“I had been doing this informally at KPMG, running induction sessions on how to dress for the office, how to speak with confidence and I was even interviewed by magazines on the subject. I knew instantly that there was something there,” she says.
When she was ready to return to the corporate world, she went back to what she truly enjoyed: admin. She joined AAR Insurance as personal assistant to the general manager, which turned out to be a career-altering relationship.
On her first day, the general manager asked when she planned to start her master's degree, and where she saw herself in five years. The manager then gave her advice she has carried ever since.
“She told me to be very careful not to get into a comfort zone where growth and career are concerned. After every three years, I should pursue change, something must change. Title, promotion or work environment. If it takes longer than three years, it cannot take more than five. After five years in the same place, the comfort zone sets in. She encouraged me not to settle for comfort in my career. ” Grace recalls.
Grace managed to secure a role as PA to the CEO. It was at this point she could tell that her time in the PA role had come to an end, something her coach and mentors also confirmed. Through a job rotation exercise in the organisation, Grace’s skills and passion for people, especially developing and growing their skills, were a perfect match for the HR department.
2018 marked her transition into HR. Grace served and enjoyed six years in talent management, until January 2024 when she was named the head of people and culture. Grace appreciates the title change from HR to people and culture as she felt the latter resonates better with what the intended impact is all about.
Performance is the smallest slice
The PIE formula is not something Grace invented. She credits it to Steve Coleman and is generous about directing people to look it up. But she has spent enough years living it and watching it work, or watching people fail because they ignored it.
PIE stands for performance, image and exposure. According to Grace each contributes a different percentage to professional success. Performance accounts for 10 percent, image accounts for 30 percent and exposure, and who knows you and what they know you for, accounts for 60 percent.
“How exposed are you? What do you know? When asked about your contributions to the organisation, these questions provide insight about who you are outside of the organisation. If asked about who you are networking with, it tells me who else knows you,” she explains.
The distinction she draws between knowing people and being known by people is the sharpest edge of the formula. Grace notes that a contact saved in a phone is passive. But someone who understands what you do, what you are good at, and your unique value is far more powerful, that is the person who will say your name in a room when an opportunity arises
“If you only know them and they have your number in their phone book, that's as good as it gets. But when people know you and know what you're good at, and what your unique value proposition is, that is what makes you stand out. It means that they'll speak your name in a room full of opportunities,” she says.
Image accounts for 30 percent. Grace is specific that that word does not simply describe clothing. It is non-verbal communication, body language, how you appear before someone has heard a single word from you. She carries a statistic she uses with every person she coaches: people form 90 percent of their perception of you within ten seconds of meeting you.
“Your body language communication, your verbal and nonverbal communication, your dressing, all those things are speaking for you before you open your mouth,” she says. “In this world, you're constantly being judged whether you like it or not. How about you make that judgment align with how you want to be judged?”
Performance at 10 percent is not irrelevant. Degrees, certifications and daily output matter, but Grace is precise about when they matter most.
“When you're looking about skyrocketing your career, growing impact and leaving a legacy, then you realise you need to work on your image and your networks. Degrees are good, they get you in the room but they are not what takes you further once you are there,” she concluded.
