Grace Gathu once dreamed of becoming a bank manager. Instead, her career took her through radio broadcasting, customer service, the non-profit sector, education and eight years in fintech before bringing her full circle into banking. Today, as head of people & culture at Branch Microfinance Bank, she reflects on the unexpected detours, defining experiences and lessons that have shaped her approach to people, culture and leadership.
Please take us through your career journey and how it led you to your current role as head of people and culture at Branch International.
Like many children, I grew up being asked the famous question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Unlike most kids who changed their minds every other week, I had my answer, I wanted to be a bank manager. There was something about walking into a bank with my parents, watching the professionalism, the confidence, and the sense of purpose that fascinated me. Little did I know that dream would take a very unexpected route.
After high school, however, my interests shifted dramatically. I enrolled at Daystar University, convinced that my future was in media. I completely fell in love with radio broadcasting and was fortunate to spend three years at Shine FM, the university's radio station. Somewhere along the way, management decided I was qualified to host a Sunday evening relationship show called Dating 101. To this day, I'm still not sure what made them think I was a relationship expert! (Thankfully, no one asked for refunds.) It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and taught me the power of communication, storytelling, and connecting with people.
But life has a funny way of redirecting our plans.
After graduation, I didn't end up in the media. Instead, I landed my first role in the non-profit sector NETFUND, working in resource mobilisation. Later, I transitioned to customer service at MultiChoice and Midcom Africa, where I interacted with customers from all walks of life.
Looking back, those early years shaped me more than I realised. During my time at different organisations, I witnessed experiences that left many employees feeling unheard, unsupported, or disconnected from HR. HR often carried the reputation of being the department people feared rather than trusted. My colleagues would constantly joke that HR practitioners had “no heart,” and if I'm honest, I experienced moments that made me question why people felt that way.
That was the turning point.
Instead of simply complaining about what HR should be, I decided I wanted to become part of changing the narrative. I went back to school to pursue an MBA in human resource management because I realised my passion wasn't just about business it was about people. I've always loved connecting with people, understanding what motivates them, helping them grow, and creating environments where they can thrive. I wanted to prove that HR could be both strategic and deeply human.
After completing my MBA, I made what many people considered a bold decision. I was willing to take a pay cut just to get my foot in the door and build genuine HR experience.
Fortunately, I joined the Kenya Institute of Professional Studies as an assistant HR officer. It wasn't about the title or the salary, it was about learning the craft.
Even then, I had another dream quietly tucked away.
I had always admired the fast-paced world of fintech. The innovation, the agility, the opportunity to build organisations from the inside out excited me. So when an opportunity came up for an HR internship at JamboPay, I didn't hesitate. Some people questioned why I would leave a permanent HR role for an internship, but I wasn't focused on the title. I was focused on the destination.
Sometimes you have to take one step back to take ten steps forward.
Over the next eight years, that decision changed my life. I progressed from HR intern to HR officer, then senior HR officer, and eventually head of HR & administration. Those years taught me resilience, leadership, and what it truly means to build people's practices in a rapidly growing organisation. I learned that HR isn't just about policies or compliance, it's about enabling people and businesses to succeed together.
Then came another full-circle moment.
This year, I joined Branch Microfinance Bank as the head of people & culture. Remember that little girl who wanted to work in a bank? Well... she's smiling.
What's even more meaningful is that I didn't just end up working in banking, I arrived with a wealth of experience, a deep appreciation for people, and a purpose that goes beyond a job title. Every chapter of my journey from radio presenter to fundraiser, customer service representative, HR intern, and now HR leader has equipped me with unique perspectives that shape how I lead today.
If my career has taught me anything, it's that your dream may not happen the way you imagined it would. Sometimes the detours are exactly where you discover your true purpose. Mine turned out to be helping people become the best versions of themselves while building workplaces where they genuinely feel seen, valued, and empowered.
And who knows? Maybe hosting Dating 101 was preparing me for HR all along because both require a lot of listening, empathy, conflict resolution, and occasionally reminding people to communicate better!
You have worked in the non-profit sector, customer service, education, fintech and now banking. Looking back, which experiences have shaped you most as a people leader?
Looking back, every industry has contributed a unique lesson that has shaped my leadership philosophy. Rather than seeing them as separate experiences, I see them as pieces of a puzzle that have made me the people leader I am today.
The non-profit sector taught me purpose. Working in resource mobilisation showed me that when people believe in a cause bigger than themselves, they become incredibly committed and resilient. It reminded me that every organisation, regardless of industry, needs a clear purpose that inspires its people.
Customer service taught me empathy. Every interaction was a reminder that behind every complaint is a person who simply wants to be heard, understood and respected. Today, I approach employees the same way. Before making decisions, I ask myself if we've truly listened because people don't always remember what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel.
The education sector taught me patience and the importance of continuous learning. People develop at different paces, and leadership is about creating opportunities for growth, coaching and unlocking potential. That experience strengthened my belief that investing in people is one of the greatest competitive advantages any organisation can have.
My eight years in fintech were probably the most transformational. Fintech is fast, dynamic and constantly evolving. It challenged me to think strategically, embrace change, build resilient teams and create people practices that could scale alongside business growth. Starting as an HR intern and growing into the head of HR & administration also taught me humility. Having experienced every stage of the journey, I understand the aspirations, challenges and realities employees face because I've lived them myself.
Now, being in banking has brought everything full circle. Beyond fulfilling a childhood dream of working in a bank, it has shown me that while industries differ, people don't. Every employee wants to feel valued, trusted, challenged and supported. Banking has reinforced the importance of balancing strong governance, compliance and risk management with a people-first culture. The best organisations don't choose between performance and people they excel at both.
If there's one lesson that has remained constant throughout my journey, it's this: People are not an organisation's greatest asset; the right people, in the right culture, with the right leadership are.
My role has never simply been about managing HR processes. It's about creating an environment where people can do their best work, grow into their potential and leave every day feeling that they matter.
At the heart of my leadership is a simple belief: when you genuinely care for people, business results naturally follow.
You have led HR through periods of rapid growth, from scaling JamboPay to supporting Branch Microfinance Bank. What has been the biggest lesson you've learnt about building people functions in fast-growing organisations?
One of the biggest lessons I've learnt is that you cannot build a high-growth business without intentionally building a high-growth people function. Too often, organisations focus on scaling products, revenue and customers while treating HR as something that will catch up later. In reality, the people function has to grow ahead of the business, not behind it.
At JamboPay, I had the privilege of experiencing growth from the ground up. As the organisation expanded, I quickly realised that what works for a team of 20 people simply doesn't work for a team of 100. Processes that were once informal need structure, but structure should never come at the expense of culture. The challenge is finding the right balance between agility and governance.
Another lesson has been that culture doesn't scale by accident. During periods of rapid growth, new people join faster than existing employees can naturally pass on the organisation's values. If leaders aren't intentional about communicating the culture, defining expected behaviours and investing in onboarding, the culture begins to define itself and not always in the way you intended.
I've also learnt that people don't resist change; they resist uncertainty. Whether it's rapid expansion, restructuring or organisational transformation, employees want transparency. They don't expect leaders to have every answer, but they do expect honesty. Some of the most challenging moments in my career, including navigating organisational change, reinforced that trust is built through consistent communication, empathy and visibility.
Now at Branch Microfinance Bank, I'm seeing that while the industry is different, the principles remain the same. Building a strong people function isn't just about recruitment, policies or compliance. It's about creating systems that enable performance, developing leaders who multiply talent and fostering a culture where people feel empowered to innovate while remaining accountable.
Perhaps the most important lesson of all is that HR should never simply respond to business growth, it should help shape it. The best People leaders don't sit on the side-lines waiting for decisions to be made; they are strategic partners who influence how organisations grow sustainably through their people.
At the end of the day, businesses don't scale because they hire more people. They scale because they build environments where the right people can consistently do their best
work. That's the kind of people function I strive to build one that is strategic, human-centred and designed not just for today's organisation, but for the organisation we're becoming.
