Emma Kirigia appointed as head of HR, East Africa at Dentsu

HR is expected to contribute to business performance, but operational demands often leave little room for strategic work. Girmay Abrha, head of HR and organisational development at The Ultimate Insurance Broker in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, examines how HR can move beyond day-to-day demands and make people's practices work in the realities of the business.

Girmay Abrha, head of HR and organisational development at The Ultimate Insurance Broker in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlights how leadership behaviour shapes organisational culture and why HR must demonstrate its contribution to business performance through meaningful results.

Ozem Muriuki, head of HR & organisational development at Prudential Kenya and Maureen Juma, human resources and administration manager at Flex Money Transfer both in financial services make the case that the people function belongs at the centre of business strategy, not on the edges of it.

Anne Onege has taken on the role of people and culture manager at MOGO Kenya, following senior HR positions in sectors including financial services, agribusiness and media.

Susan Mataka has joined Airtel Uganda as HR director after nearly five years leading human resources at Kakira Sugar.

Paul Mathu has taken on the group HR manager role at Octagon Africa, following senior HR roles across manufacturing, retail and food production.

Philomenah Muthoni has joined Techpak Industries as general manager-human resources, after more than a decade working in HR across different sectors, including agriculture and logistics.

Grace Gathu of Branch International and Naftal Ndege of ARP Africa Travel believe a strong people function is central to a strong business. Their experiences show why HR must grow alongside the organisation, use data while keeping the human perspective, and prepare leaders before management gaps become business problems.

Lily Njagi, HR lead for East Africa at Unilever explains what HR owes the people it shows the door has spent her career moving towards things before she had a plan for them. She graduated in social work, moved into media and then HR, transitioning into  someone who believes the next level up is teaching. 

Collins Peru has been appointed group HR manager at PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Camps, bringing more than 20 years of experience across hospitality, HR consulting and people management.

Dorah Kukunda takes on the country people lead role at Nile Breweries after building her HR career across East Africa’s breweries.

Maureen Juma, human resources and administration manager at Flex Money Transfer, shares her perspective on attracting and retaining high-integrity talent, improving the employee experience and helping teams adapt to a changing workplace.