#23
MAUREEN SANDE
MANAGING PARTNER, P&L CONSULTING
I have spent 23 years in Nairobi, coinciding with the length of my career. However, I do not consider it home; rather, it is where I work. Nairobi is where I was born, but my family relocated to Mombasa when I was three years old. We resided there until I turned 16, after which my parents retired and we moved to Kakamega.
I attended high school at Moi Forces Academy in Lanet and later pursued higher education at Daystar University, Athi River. Thus, Nairobi is initially a place I passed through, visited relatives, and eventually settled in for work.
I like to say my career chose me. An avid reader from a young age, I constantly had my face in a book. Stories ignited my imagination, and I fancied writing some of my own someday.
The news was mandatory in my household growing up. We could negotiate our way out of some things – but never the news. I watched Christiane Amanpour (CNN) report on the Gulf War and was in awe of her command and authority. She made me want to be a journalist.
In high school, on a Journalism Club field trip to KTN, I met Christine Nguku, and she inspired me. She was on TV, and she was here – not a distant role model on the other side of the world. I was more interested in talking to Christine than in touring the KTN studios, and she was generous with me, and very impressive.
In August 1996, during our First-Year convocation ceremony at Daystar, the late Prof. Talitwala – then the Vice Chancellor (VC) – addressed the diverse backgrounds and motivations among us. His words resonated deeply, particularly because, at 17, my aspirations were broad, and my goals were simply to graduate in Communication.
Maureen Sande
By my third year, I had encountered strategic communication and moved on from journalism. I had found my passion, but being such a vast field, the more I learned, the less I knew about what I specifically wanted to pursue.
In a pivotal encounter, feeling overwhelmed by indecision, I turned to my Dean of Faculty for guidance. He reassured me that, at 20, I did not need a master plan; instead, he encouraged me to embrace exploration. He advised me to purposefully work in agency, development, and corporate sectors within the first five years of my career. He believed that through this diverse experience, I would eventually find clarity.
I accomplished this precisely, and I credit it first to God’s favour, and second to my dogged determination – I never encountered a challenge that I did not say ‘yes’ to.
I began my career at Ogilvy PR, joining as an intern, where I began to earn my stripes. The work was gruelling, yet also rewarding.
A few years and many milestones later as Information and Communication Officer at UNAIDS Kenya, I encountered SteerCo participation with government, development partners, and civil society for the first time. Though brief, it was immensely fulfilling to contribute to advocacy efforts that endure for posterity.
Similarly, years later as a Communications Consultant at International Finance Corporation (IFC) Africa, I had the opportunity to implement outcome and impact storytelling, supporting program teams working in Climate Change and Sustainable Business in collaboration with private sector finance institutions.
At British American Tobacco (BAT), I learned multi-country communication management, coordinating and overseeing communication delivery for up to 38 countries. My competence in Strategy leap-frogged in this role. With a matrix of a reporting structure, I learned workplace stakeholder management, travelling to countries that I never imagined I would visit. At the end of my five-year circuit, I had learned that I wanted to do it all – my path was in consultancy.
After a brief stint as Chief Corporate Communications Officer at Telkom Kenya, I found my way back to PR consultancy – my happy place.
Over the past decade, I have had the honour of leading, coaching, and mentoring teams of exceptionally talented individuals, guiding them in conceptualising and executing outstanding campaigns. These endeavours include spearheading Kenya’s Ease of Doing Business Reforms program and orchestrating Choose Kenya – the national campaign for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2015, hosted in Kenya. Additionally, in 2022, I served as a project management consultant for East African Breweries PLC centenary communications campaign (EABL At 100) – an exhilarating and challenging assignment.
In my current role at P&L Consulting, I am privileged every day to play a role in leading the firm into its next chapter. In 2023 (our 10th year) we made our first new market expansion – into Tanzania – and I am beyond excited to have contributed to this.
I prioritise supporting and valuing my teams, celebrating successes, and turning challenges into growth opportunities. I learned this from Keith Gretton at BAT, one of my most influential role models.
I am often struck by the passage of time and how drastically the industry has changed. Technology advancements, increased knowledge, and evolving client industries have all played significant roles in this transformation. Factors like rising regulation, consumer protection, data privacy, and social consciousness have underscored the importance of strategic communication experts in maintaining stakeholder relationships in an era of dwindling trust. My aspiration is to embody leadership qualities synonymous with dependability, ensuring that my contributions consistently yield positive impacts.
I have had many significant influences. Parents that individualised their children’s aspirations and supported my siblings and I, always ready with wise counsel. Advisers that took my questions seriously. Sisters and cousins that celebrate every milestone with me. Mentors that became personally invested in my growth. Friends that speak my name in rooms where I am not present. Leaders that entrusted me with the opportunity to lead. Even the would-be discouragers, from whom I learned when to plug my ears, wear blinkers and focus on the goal.
AUTHOR: MAUREEN SANDE
EDITOR: KAREN NDUKU
