#23
RINA WACHIRA
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND CULTURE BRITAM HOLDINGS
Born in Nairobi, my story begins in Kiamworia village, Kigaa sub-location, Gatundu South Constituency in Kiambu County. My father was an engineer by profession, my mother a teacher, and together they were farmers raising both children and crops with equal care. We spent many weekends and holidays upcountry. I grew up moving between the structure of city life and the grounded simplicity of rural living between classrooms in Nairobi and the red soil of Kiambu. I began my education in Lavington and completed KCPE at Riara Primary School. Those early years shaped my adaptability and sharpened my ability to observe, listen, and learn skills I didn’t know then would one day become the foundation of how I lead.
I attended St. Lucie’s Kiriri Girls as a boarder, an experience that taught me independence, resilience, and the value of routine. Boarding school planted in me a quiet kind of leadership: one anchored in discipline, empathy, and service. I was a member of the school hockey team, where I learned the fundamentals of strategy, teamwork, and personal grit-and began dreaming of working beyond Kenya and contributing to something larger than myself.
While studying International Business Administration at USIU-Africa, I joined AIESEC, a global student leadership organization. That decision changed the course of my life. As a student leader in the AIESEC USIU-A chapter, I was selected to lead a country turnaround project in Thailand, the only African student. At 22, I moved to Bangkok to manage a cultural and operational transformation alongside Thai students. Although an unfamiliar environment, I soon found my footing and my voice. That assignment remains one of my earliest and proudest leadership moments.
I graduated in absentia in 2006, already immersed in real-world leadership. My parents attended my graduation in my place, a symbolic reminder that dreams are never ours alone. Later, while living in Mauritius, I pursued an MBA degree in International Business from Coventry University, deepening my academic foundation while raising my young family.
I have intentionally built my professional foundation through a number of certifications, integrating knowledge with meaningful execution. I am a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) through IHRM Kenya, and an International Facilitator accredited by DDI, equipped to facilitate strategic learning conversations and drive leadership development.
I am a certified practitioner in Personality and Ability Assessments, supporting data-driven talent decisions. Most recently, I completed a People Experience and Culture Strategist certification, with a strong focus on culture transformation and employee experience design, skills closely aligned with the work I lead today.
In 2024, I was honoured and humbled to be named 2nd Runner-Up – HR Trendsetter of the Year by IHRM Kenya, a recognition of my personal journey and leadership in shaping culture, engagement, and progressive people practices.
To unwind, sport has always been a grounding force in my life. While living in Singapore, I was part of a dragon boat racing team, a high-intensity water sport where teams of 20 paddle in unison across open waters. Dragon boating taught me rhythm, endurance, and the unmatched power of collective effort. Every stroke mattered. Everyone had to be in sync.
Over the years, I have completed a triathlon, ran the Standard Chartered Marathon multiple times, and participated in the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge.
Today, after a long break, I am rekindling my passion for long-distance running, aiming to clock 20-30 km a week, and proudly shows up as a “sports mum,” cheering my children on in their own athletic journeys. These moments remind me that balance is about being present in the places that matter most.
Sports continue to teach me what leadership often requires: resilience, discipline, and teamwork qualities I carry into every room I enter.
Two books have left a lasting imprint on my personal and leadership journey: The Richest Man in Babylon (1926) by George S. Clason taught me financial discipline, intentional living, and the power of delayed gratification. It shaped how I lead, how I make decisions, and how I invest in long-term impact over short-term gain. The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential (2020) by Wim Hof introduced me to breathwork, mental focus, and cold exposure and more deeply, mindset, courage, and resilience. This book reminds me that growth often lies just beyond discomfort, and that with the right mindset, we can push through fear and unlock new strength.
Together, these books anchor my belief in leading with clarity, courage, and calm under pressure.
My greatest passion lies in growing people. Whether through mentorship, storytelling, or coaching, I believe in walking alongside others as they discover their strength and step into their purpose.
Over the years, I have worked closely with students across Asia and Kenya, particularly through AIESEC and community outreach initiatives. I’ve seen young people rise from self-doubt to self-leadership, and many do reach out today reminding me that mentorship knows no borders.
I deeply enjoy working with children. There is something incredibly honest and energizing about their unfiltered passion and limitless imagination.
Currently, I mentor six women: four in Kenya, one in Uganda, and one in Botswana, each on their own unique journeys of growth and leadership. Whether through structured sessions or spontaneous check-ins, I remain committed to nurturing leadership wherever it wants to bloom. Giving back has always been part of my DNA. I see it not just as service, but as a responsibility to pay forward the doors that were once opened for me.
“When your external world is uncertain, your inner world must remain anchored.” I stand for honesty, grace, and authenticity. I lead with a human touch, believing that culture change begins with how we speak, especially when it is difficult. For me, leadership is about tone, presence, and building spaces where people feel seen, safe, and valued.
My professional journey has spanned across four countries: Thailand, Singapore, Mauritius, and Kenya but its heart lies in the people I have grown with along the way:
I began my career as a Country Project Manager in Thailand, supporting a national turnaround project. I was young, ambitious, and most times, the only African in the room, defining moments that taught me to speak up with confidence and lead with cultural humility.
From there, I moved to Singapore, where I navigated high-pressure banking roles at ABN AMRO and the Royal Bank of Scotland during the global financial crisis in 2007/2008. Those years tested my resilience and deepened my understanding of global workforces and leadership in uncertainty.
At Accenture Singapore, I worked as a Talent and Organization consultant, where I discovered my true passion for people, systems, and transformation. It was there that I began facilitating large-scale HR initiatives and building practical, people-centered solutions. I learned that behind every policy is a story, and behind every strategy is a person waiting to be empowered.
After a meaningful break in Mauritius to study and start my family, I returned home to Kenya in 2015. I did not walk back into a familiar space. I came back to a market that had evolved in my absence. I re-entered through Deloitte, where I served as a Human Capital consultant. It was through that lens that I began to truly understand the Kenyan HR landscape, its systems, structures, and distinct workplace dynamics.
That consulting foundation became my bridge into business-focused implementation. I made a deliberate shift from advisory to action, from designing and advising on strategies to owning them end-to-end.
Today, I lead the Employee Relations, Experience and Culture function at Britam Holdings, a leading Pan-African organization, where I have the privilege of guiding both strategy and people.
I work alongside a team of six passionate, purpose-driven professionals who champion employee experience, promote inclusive culture, and embed strong governance across our operating countries. Together, we have evolved this function into a powerhouse of culture activation, employee engagement, and strategic HR transformation.
Across my HR journey, I have had the opportunity to: spearheading the Blue Fusion Culture Transformation Journey, impacting over 1,000 employees and reshaping how we experience purpose, values, and leadership. This included immersive sessions and activating a regional network of culture champions across the group.
I have also co-created and embed refreshed corporate values brought to life through storytelling, executive alignment, and consistent reinforcement of desired behaviours across teams. In addition, I have designed inclusive mentorship and leadership programs such as SheThrives, ManCave, and the Women in Leadership Circle, supporting over 200 men and women across Kenya and our regional offices, through structured mentorship and leadership development. These journeys, among many others, have earned the respective team’s meaningful recognition and awards. These awards reflect deeper stories, including one of impact, inclusion, and intentional culture change. A story is still being written, with people at the centre and purpose at the core.
In these stories, I describe myself as a leadership gardener planting seed of possibility, cultivating trust, and growing people into their potential. From leading in Asia to implementing in Africa, from building strategy to raising future athletes, I remain committed to creating cultures where people thrive, with God as my compass.
