About Me
My professional and personal journey has been rich and winding, from corporate executive to wilderness educator, project manager to parent...the list goes on! The common thread running throughout is a deep delight and innate curiosity about people and culture. What makes us soar, and what holds us back?
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​It seems clear to me that people still do all the things---including and alongside AI---so if you want to get anything done, start with the people.
Starting with people has been a theme throughout my working life. I've been based in Sub-Saharan Africa for the past 20+ years. It has become home for me and my family, and I love partnering with talented teams building meaningful solutions to accelerate economies and livelihoods in the youngest and fastest growing communities in the world.
I worked in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management consulting for over a decade, many of those years as the founder and MD of Align Environment and Risk, a boutique firm based in Tanzania supporting international organizations with risk management and sustainability planning at all stages of project development lifecycles. I was privileged to operate across dozens of countries and industries, giving me a broad and nuanced familiarity with macro- and micro- socio-economic, cultural, regulatory, and environmental conditions and drivers. I honed an ability to spot gaps in existing markets, and to creatively bridge these gaps, collaborating to integrate the best of local and global solutions.
Along the way, I received an ADHD diagnosis that has further enriched my appreciation and capacity for creative management strategies and solution-building. Neurodiverse brains, including mine, tackle challenges divergently and the support we need is...different! This forms an integral part of how I coach.
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In 2018 I joined Beyonic, an East African fintech startup. As CEO I drove strategy, people, operations, and growth. We exited into pan-African fintech MFS Africa (now Onafriq) in 2020, where as Chief People Officer I built our culture strategy and people operations functions. We continued to grow, doubling headcount annually and completing two more acquisitions to include 700 people across 34 countries and four continents by 2023. At this point, I began to spend more time on my executive coaching practice. I also I teamed up with Roam Electric as a fractional Chief People Officer advancing e-mobility and manufacturing in East Africa.
I am grateful to be able to follow my passion for supporting the journies of early-mid stage, high-growth organizations and leaders who are building impactful solutions in key global markets.