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WANJIRU MWANGI
HUMAN CENTERED LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE CONSULTING (HLCC)
Wanjiru Mwangi brings with her a grounded confidence that comes from a life lived in alignment, with purpose, people, principles, and with God at the centre. A seasoned HR executive with over 20 years of experience across Africa, Wanjiru is currently transitioning from her most recent role as Head of Regional People Partners – Africa at Bolt, where she shaped and led people strategy across a dynamic landscape.
Her career didn’t begin in HR. With a BSc in Information Technology, she started out in tech. But she soon realised her true passion lay not in machines, but in people. That pivotal insight sparked a bold career shift, one that would define the rest of her leadership journey.
Determined to build credibility in a new field, Wanjiru pursued a Higher National Diploma in HR Management from IHRM, followed by an Executive MBA, and later the Senior Management Leadership Program (SMLP) at Strathmore Business School in partnership with IESE. The pivot demanded grit, humility, and a deep alignment to God’s will and purpose for her life.
Before joining Bolt, Wanjiru held impactful leadership roles in both tech and energy. She served as Senior Director, People and Culture at Samasource, a global tech firm advancing ethical AI through dignified digital work. Prior to that, she was HR Director, East Africa at Schneider Electric, where she shaped people strategies in the energy and automation space. These roles placed her at the powerful intersection of innovation, inclusion, and impact, where she continues to thrive.
Wanjiru’s leadership style is intentional and values-based. She describes herself as a “heart-led leader,” one who blends clarity with compassion. “In high-performance environments, I believe it’s our humanity that makes leadership meaningful,” she says. Whether leading strategy in boardrooms or walking alongside team members navigating transitions, she is known for her ability to balance structure with soul. Her blend of emotional intelligence and unwavering execution is part of what makes her a rare force, resilient through curveballs, steady under pressure, and always moving with clarity and results in mind.
Beyond the corporate world, Wanjiru is a passionate advocate for education, equity, and empowerment. She serves on a couple of school boards, where she brings her expertise to bear on issues good governance, succession planning, and the development of youth-centered environments that nurture both academic and personal growth. She is a board member at the Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (CIHEB) – Kenya, where she contributes as a member of the HR Board Committee, championing people-focused strategies for sustainable health systems.
Wanjiru’s commitment to shaping the next generation extends far beyond the boardroom. At just 26, she began what would later become The SHero Foundation, initially as a personal social responsibility initiative focused on distributing hygiene packs to underserved girls. Over time, the work deepened in both scope and impact, and in 2021, it was formally registered as a foundation. Today, The SHero Foundation supports the education of nearly 20 high school students through school fee sponsorships, mentors dozens more across Kenya, and runs a school porridge program that provides a daily meal to over 2,000 learners.
Mentorship is a cornerstone of Wanjiru’s leadership story. She credits her growth to trailblazers who believed in her, especially Tom Shivo, a mentor who walked with her during the early, uncertain stages of her career. “Tom believed in me before I fully grasped what HR was all about.” Today, Wanjiru pays it forward by mentoring emerging leaders, particularly women navigating the complex terrain of career, identity, and reinvention. As a certified coach currently pursuing her PCC accreditation, she brings depth, structure, and compassion to her coaching engagements.
While she leads large teams, Wanjiru is deeply grounded by a close-knit personal circle, a group she fondly refers to as her “core team” or her “personal board of directors.” “I can count them on one hand, but they hold me accountable, speak truth to power (me), and walk life with me. They are part of my legacy,” she says.
Wanjiru is a proud mother of three amazing children and a bonus mum to others, whom she says have developed her character more than any classroom ever could. She recently found love again and is married to a saxophone-loving “silver fox” who brings joy, rhythm, and reflection into her life. Together, they are raising a blended family with intention, grace, and God, anchored in faith and fuelled by resilience.
An avid reader and podcast enthusiast, and a podcaster herself, Wanjiru finds inspiration in thought leaders like Brené Brown, particularly around courage, vulnerability, and wholehearted leadership. “Leadership without vulnerability is performance,” she says. “True connection starts with presence.”
Her guiding mantra:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
She lives by the credo: Live. Love. Laugh. Leave a legacy. And the legacy she hopes to leave?
“Not titles. But lives touched, futures shaped, and leaders I’ve helped raise, at home, at work, and in every space in between.”
In a world increasingly driven by the head and hand, Wanjiru Mwangi stands as a leader who still leads with heart, unapologetically, strategically, and with a quiet power that gets things done.
