Meet Gina DIn-Kariuki: A Girl From Nanyuki Who Grew up To Run The World

Gina suggested that we go with the name ‘Safaricom’ and not ‘Vodafone’ to ensure we entered the market as a Kenyan company,” said Michael Joseph, the former CEO of Safaricom. I had been thinking about this line the past few days leading up to my meeting with Gina. “Don’t call me Gina, you’re far too young, it’sAuntie Gina to you,” she chuckled.

Everything, from the parking to her offices, was exactly what you’d imagine from a woman whose career spanned over 20 years and across numerous borders. On the way to the elevators, I brushed shoulders with politicians and dignitaries. Their every step was a testament to their power and position; you could instantly pick them out from a crowd.

A clean glass door separated the Gina Din Group from the rest of the world and even from the corridor, you could tell that the design was intentional. At first glance, all you see is the company logo seemingly suspended in midair, followed by a well-lit wall of awards. Inside, the walls are decorated with works of art and quotes that affirm their position in the PR industry. One quote which was underlined, written in large bold letters and positioned at eye level, stood out: “Those who tell stories, rule the world.” Which is funny because Gina is a seasoned story-teller and just might be one of those women who run the world. Her office wall of fame is covered in photos of her with A-list Celebrities, the most passionate Dignitaries, forward-thinking Billionaires and Presidents.

Just as I arrived and settled into the visitor’s lounge, Gina’s meeting with a diplomat had come to an end. She walked him out while she aired two or three points which dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on the meeting they had just had. In the meantime, Wanjiru, Gina’s executive assistant, gave me a tour of the office. The entire place buzzed with activity. It was busy… unsentimental... efficient.

As the tour wrapped up we were back at the starting point where we found Gina waiting. She smiled, made direct eye-contact and extended her hand. “Hello… Welcome, have you had a refreshment yet?” She asked as we walked to her office, which had the word “BOSS” written on it in black bold large letters… subtle! We settled in while making small talk, the casual ‘we have this person in common… they’re so great’ and the mindful ‘hope your day’s going fine’ which slowly built up into in to this:

A business personality is a lot of things to a lot of people but how would you describe yourself?

I am ambitious, driven, complex, gentle, and gregarious; a bit of a nomad!

What was your childhood like? Did you enjoy it? Who were your role models?

My childhood was magical. I had a truly incredible and diverse childhood with loving parents. I grew up in a hotel in Nanyuki and was exposed to people from all walks of life very early on. My dad was a complex man…courageous, a visionary. A man before his time. He always questioned the status quo…never accepting that a solution to anything couldn’t be found. He read widely- probably more widely than most of his peers. He was the wisest man in the village. He taught me a lot about people about business about resilience and grit. My dad had grit. Even when things seemed overwhelming he just buckled down and moved on. I am a bit like that. In my21 years of owning my own business, I have been through so many challenges.

Looking back were there any personality traits in your early life that pointed to a career in communications & business?

My dad was a great storyteller and so I guess my communication skills were drilled into me quite early. My mother was much quieter but kind. In the late 50’sbefore I was born she used to cook for the women freedom fighters and secretly take the food to them in the MountKenya forest. She taught me a lot about being a woman and supporting women. I learnt so much about nature from her. She loved her garden and I always love to tend to our garden at home.

Were you the model student? What was your relationship like with authority?

I was not a model student at all and hated school. My various teachers either thought it was endearing how terrible I was to teach or were not amused at all. I have always questioned the status quo even at a young age. I found so many things at school quite pointless.

Do you feel that education has adequately equipped you for your career and business? If not, what changes would you advise to help improve the quality of education?

I think it’s only after I left school and well into adulthood that I became fully aware of the gaps in education systems. An ability to memorise dates, for instance, did little for my intellectual potential. All it does is prove we can retain information. Having seen my two adult children through school and college, I am more aware than ever that what you learn at school is entirely dependent on where one ends up, how good your teachers are, which examination board you sit and whether your school is well funded or stretched for resources. I found we were being forced to narrow down our options at an age when we really don’t know who we were and what we really wanted.

You grew up in Nanyuki, around your family owned hotel. What impact did this have on how you turned out?

As both my parents were entrepreneurs, they taught business and financial principals from quite young ages. I am the youngest of four girls and all four of us own our own businesses - all of us working with people. I guess growing up with parents that were hoteliers gave us people-skills very early. As young children, we were involved in our parents in some way be it preparing menus, customer service work or helping with the hotel gardens. We realised the importance of hard work. There’s something really powerful watching a parent, the most influential person in your life, treat hard work as just what they did daily. The beauty of working in the hospitality industry was that we were forced to interact with unfamiliar individuals on a regular basis. I know watching my parents solve problems helped me think creatively.

It’s rumoured that the Hotel in Nanyuki is where you met your husband, Christopher Kariuki. What was it like navigating an interracial relationship in those days?

Yes, I met my husband in Nanyuki. My childhood sweetheart! I don’t even want to start about interracial relationship.....it was very difficult from both sides. SadlyI doesn’t think there’s been that much progress. Of course all these years later everyone loves everyone but I still find it ridiculous there was so much judgment on both sides about people they didn’t even know.

Tribalism and racism stem from the same place. How do we, as a country, rise above these instincts?

It’s so strange to think that someone can see the contours of ones face, or hear his accent, or learn from where in the country they are from and almost reflectively know you don’t like them. The “ME” and “US” politics is what divides us as people. I think politicians use tribalism to support their own agenda and we need to start questioning what they say and being objective. We keep hearing of“community interests” causing fear amongst the masses when in fact it’s purely for the benefit of the politicians. Ultimately the buck stops with us. We must take charge of our destiny. We must question....poke holes into what we are being fed.

You started out at Barclays in the early 1980s. What was it like settling into this institution? What advice would you give to new hires/ interns to help them acclimate?

My time at Barclays was incredible. I was very young....about 22 and in a senior management position. I learnt a lot on the job but had incredible mentors and role models. I immersed myself into everything I could, even those that didn't really concern my role. I was like a sponge wanting to absorb, everything I chose.

You were at Barclays for about 14 years. What little lessons did you pick up that could help the career-person reading this, on their corporate climb?

My 14 years at Barclays were marvellous. I was very young. I had responsibility and big budgets. It was quite intimidating at first. I think I was successful because I wasn't a banker and my ideas were different to everyone I was surrounded by. I challenged current thinking. I always found ways to challenge the paradigm. I was always visible, showed initiative and made recommendations. I made sure I was seen as a problem-solver and I was a good team player.

What are the tell-tale signs that it’s time for a change in your career?

I am the sort of person that lives on adrenaline and challenges. I am not good at routine whatsoever. Luckily in my business, no two days are the same. I love the variety and learning about so many different businesses. I want to become an authority in my clients business so I can tell their story well.

Most people move from one employer to another. What motivations drove you to set up your own ‘shop’?

I started out on my own mainly because had I left Barclays to go to another corporation, the actual work would have remained the same. Barclays treated me well

I loved my role. It didn’t make any sense to move for the sake of it. I stayed at Barclays for a good and happy 14 years. I started out on my own when I had two young children and I was restless. Inside me, I knew there was something much more I wanted to do. Most people I worked with in Banking were functional people. And so I was very different. I wasn’t functional at all. I look at myself as a vital person. My colleagues would see themselves as competent when they improved processes but I was more about ‘results’. Processes weren’t my thing. I was always the one that asked “why” we did things a certain way and “what” things would look like in the future. For me, it was all about creating value and so I never saw my colleagues as competitors but rather as partners.

Most people in the bank joined at18 and stayed until retirement. The bank trained them and they were real, true bankers. And to be honest it worked for them. They had stability, low-interest loans and good pensions. I had that option too.

The thought of continuing to do what I had done for 14 years scared me and I was quite happy to trade stability for the unknown value of my own personal brand.

While starting out is there any challenge that made you think ‘this is it, we can’t possibly move past

I can basically sum up my journey asfollows:

1. Start-up: Testing the market. I had far less time on my hands and much more stress.

2. Wilderness: struggling ‘solopreneur’ juggling several roles

4. The Desert: too small to be a big business and too big to be a small business

5. Performance: Steady growth, high-valuation, investable, great time, culture, profitable

Of course, it’s not been a walk in the park. But it’s been more than I ever imagined it would be. I have had an incredible 21 years.

You’re one of Africa’s foremost evangelists. How do you strike a balance between the reality, and vision you have, for the continent?

My goal is to shape the African conversation. However, I am a realist when it comes to the continent. And whilst a number of African economies are recording encouraging annual growth rates this does not mean the lives of average citizens are necessarily moving at the same rate. However, I do believe the world view of the continent must recognise our success stories and shift the current narrative to one that encourages investment and makes us proud to be African.

What kind of leadership do you demonstrate? Has it evolved over the years? If so, in what ways?

I want to create more leaders, not more followers so I push my team to develop themselves to their full potential. I am so proud of the over 400 people that have either worked or interned for us and watching them in their spaces doing incredible things and adding so much value.

How do you stay centered, focused and motivated?

My children ground me. Nothing impresses them! They are both accomplished in their own right and they keep me centred on what’s really important. My team at my office motivates me. They are young, enthusiastic and driven.

You’ve ventured into more than just PR. How do you determine what is worth going into?

Yes, I am an entrepreneur with investments in a number of areas. Not all have been successful but I am not afraid of failure. I have done things that are way out of my comfort zone. I am just really comfortable being uncomfortable

A lot of African businesses barely make it past the first year. Yours celebrated its 21st anniversary. Is there a formula to longevity?

I guess I can put it down to grit. I am resilient and have faith. I am really proud of my brand and my team. I am glad we are the most awarded brand on the continent and given the incredible changes in our industry, I fully appreciate we need to move with the times and change as an organization.

You’ve had the privilege of being in close proximity to power. Did you take the chance to evangelise on the policies you’d like to see changed?

By nature, I nurture relationships and many of my contacts become close friends. I tend to evangelise to my friends in the areas I feel strongly about in the hope that we can collectively change policy where need be. I am passionate about the narrative around the African continent and feel particularly blessed to have so many great friends on the continent that are all so passionate about supporting growth and good governance.

What policies do you advocate for?

The areas I feel strongly about are around maternal health and ending early child marriage.

What was it like handing over the reins to your company?

Handing over the reins of my company hasn’t been as difficult as I thought. I have had such an incredible journey and so many experiences I never thought possible. I am very grateful for the opportunities my profession has opened up for me. I believe at some point in every business new skill sets are required and whilst I remain active in my business, I am excited to see us expanding our skill set to meet the market demands.

You’ve been quite fortunate and you actively give-back. How did you settle on giving back through your foundation?

I was first exposed to philanthropy when I worked for Barclays Bank many years ago. I was in charge of developing the social-corporate responsibility program and then assisted Safaricom to develop the SafaricomFoundation. I found that part of my work so fulfilling and satisfying. I have also been extremely blessed and find paying it forward is so important. Through my foundation, the Gina Din Foundation, we give financially and I give my time. I also spend time with the Kenya RedCross where I am the Goodwill Ambassador andUNFPA where I am the Honorary Ambassador. Giving is really important as it strengthens communities and I believe can create a nation that is emotionally aware.

Have your career and entrepreneurship made you a better person? If so, How?

I have had a lot of life lessons on my journey as an entrepreneur. I learn every day. And whilst I have been in my industry for a long time, experience alone is no guarantee for growth. What I have tried to do is regularly transform my experiences into new lessons. I have a real openness to experience and I am willing to make my contribution bigger than my reward. I am so grateful for the life I have had and the people in my circle.

What would you tell 20-year-old Gina if you met her today?

I say to my 20-year-old self not to fret so much. That things change quickly. It’s so easy to get caught up and stressed over what’s happening now when actually in five years’ time you won't even remember this stress. Compete with your intelligence and your kindness and not your looks. Be careful whose giving you advice....Take time on deciding who you bestow BFF status. You don’t know someone until you have experienced enough of life with them. Say yes more. Say thank you more. No matter how much it hurts, handle yourself with grace and dignity. No one can take those away from you.

One would argue that you’re at your prime. You currently have a powerful network and quite a bit of wisdom. So what’s next for Gina?

I have had a very full, busy and hectic life. I worked at a senior level in the corporate world, raised two children whilst establishing my brand, grew my business to be the most awarded communications agency on thecontinent....and being a typical TypeA personality, I am constantly doing something. One thing that I’ve been laying the groundwork for is a program that helps brilliant young women in high-school and college find their footing career-wise. This is one of the best ways to give back, with a bit of guidance- who knows how high these girls could go.

On a more personal note though I love to travel, and travel widely! I want to see as many new places as I possibly can. I am lucky to have a wide network but my actual circle is quite small. I really enjoy spending time with those that are in my circle and I have to say as I get older, I am excited by new opportunities and making more dreams come true.

There’s so much I want to do, both on a personal and on a corporate level. I have my goals list but this year I intend to prioritise ruthlessly and do a couple of the things on my list and do them really well.