2017 Top 40 under 40 Woman-Caroline Somba

How many 29 year-olds do you know who head up the finance function of a multi-national organization, manage to find time to run an amazing blog and a mentorship program to inspire young people to pursue their careers and passions concurrently? Not too many I believe!

I am delighted to introduce you to a fantastic lady who fits this bill, her name is Caroline Somba.

At just 28, Caroline was appointed as the head of the East African region’s finance division at National Oilwell Varco, a global oilfields equipment manufacturing company present in over 65 countries. 

When she is not being a kick-ass professional, Caroline feeds her love for travel and the outdoors. She started a blog called ‘My Global Attitude’ where she talks about her travels around the world and gives advice to young people on how to plan trips without breaking the bank. At 10 months old, her blog was nominated for the prestigious 2017 Annual Bake Awards. Twice a year, she donates sanitary pads to girls through partnerships with Children’s Homes within Kayole and Ruai areas.

CB: What do you consider as your greatest achievement to date?

C: Starting a Finance department at National Oilwell Varco Kenya from scratch and running it to become the best managed unit in Africa is my greatest achievement. This was my first ‘start up’ to work with. Setting up the Kenyan unit and the rest of East Africa from scratch and seeing the portfolio we have built in the last 3 years brings us (the team) great satisfaction! I also take it as an achievement when I see my team succeed; especially the fresh graduates who I’ve trained and have now become experienced team members.

I am also fortunate to have started a Travel Blog and Mentorship programme. I run a blog called www.myglobalattitude.com where I write about my passion (Travelling) and give pointed advice on how to plan trips without spending too much. My blog was nominated for the Best Travel Blog 2017 in the Annual BAKE Awards at 10 months old.

Using the blogging platform, I mentor young people on pursuing their careers and hobbies concurrently with utmost success in both. I’m currently running a programme at Multi-Media University where I give mentorship talks dubbed Career+Hobby with an aim to inspire young people to pursue their careers and passions concurrently.

CB: What has your career path been like as you have navigated through your chosen field leading up to your current role/position?

C: I began my career at Galana Oil Kenya as an Intern, and  worked as an Assistant accountant until 2014. I later joined National Oilwell Varco as a ledger controller where I was hired to start up the company’s Finance department in Kenya, and expand to East Africa. Two years later, I received a promotion to  Finance Controller, which is my current role.

Climbing the corporate ladder as a young African woman in an international company requires a lot of hard work. I have learned to speak candidly and pay attention to my leadership style. It’s only through this approach that I have been able to beat the outdated perception that some positions can only be occupied by men.

CB: What advice would you offer to young people on figuring out the balance between work, family life and social life?

C: Striking a balance between work, school and life has always been a challenge which I have learnt to manage over time. I’ve overcome this by only doing things which I think add value to my projects.

Climbing the corporate ladder is not an easy path and I am genuinely grateful to God for what I have achieved in life.

I also believe that young people can pursue their careers and passions concurrently. It is possible to be a great professional and still pursue your interests and hobbies, and thrive at it all!

CB: What is your greatest piece of advice to the young upwardly mobile individual?

C: Start building your career as early as possible. Talk to people in the industry you would like to work in, and never sell yourself short when given the opportunity.

CB:  What drives you?

C: Ambition.  When I read about people, especially women who have achieved a lot and continue to push for more, I get inspired. I have a role model who is Ory Okolloh Mwangi. She is one woman who does it all and succeeds while at it; from blogging, to career especially at Google Africa, to digital activism to family… she does it all!

CB:  Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

C: The Oil and Gas industry is still very young in Kenya therefore there are fantastic opportunities to rise further career wise. I am looking at rise to the CEO/Country Manager position in the next 5 years.

I would also like to expand the Career+Hobby project to other Universities and reach out to as many young people as possible.

I believe nothing is impossible!

‘’Be prepared to spot growth opportunities when they present themselves- because they are the key learning opportunities. You’ll know because they make you uncomfortable, and your initial impulse may be that you are not ready. But remember: Growth and comfort never co-exist’’ Ginni Rometty, Chairlady, President and CEO, IBM

See you same time next week.. I will introduce you to one of the few women actuaries in Kenya.  In case you didn’t know, Kenya only has a handful of qualified actuaries country-wide! She is also a recipient of the prestigious Young Insurance Achievers Award, a recognition for her outstanding contribution to the insurance sector. Talented, brilliant and definitely conquering the world… one number at a time!

2017 Top 40 under 40 Woman - Carol Ng’ang’a

Courage, strength and resilience are some of the words that instantly come to mind when I think about Carol Ng’ang’a. Carol was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013. At the time it was discovered, it had spread into her uterus and she made the decision to undergo a laparoscopy hysterectomy, an operation which led to her uterus been removed. She says that it was a personal decision that she admittedly knew would end her child-bearing. Throughout this incredibly difficult experience she realized how much the support and encouragement from her family kept her strong. This led her to found the Hold Every Lady in Distress Foundation (HELD Sister) as a way to offer support and care to cancer patients.

HELD Sister spearheads the fight against cancer by amplifying the need for prevention and supporting cancer patients in order to ease their journey. The foundation offers voluntary community service through which 170 people diagnosed with precancerous cells have been saved from cancer and in aggregate; the organisation has assisted 270 patients in accessing medical attention.

Her humble, honest and tireless efforts have seen her receive the Women Inspiring Change in Africa Award from Eco Bank in 2014, the Timeless Woman of Wonder (Health Category) Award in February 2016 and the Red Chilly Spiced Social Change Maker Award in 2016.

Meet the phenomenal woman who suffered a devastating diagnosis but has handled it with grace, resilience and strength.

C: What do you consider as your greatest achievement to date?

CN: What I would consider as my greatest achievement is being able to impact lives directly from my painful personal experiences. Through God’s grace, being a source of hope to so many people whose hope is diming is my greatest achievement.

C: What has your career path been like as you have navigated through your chosen field leading up to your current role/position?

CN: My Career (hmm), I need to think about this one! To be honest, I do not really know how to answer this question. Throughout my education, the word ‘career’ was a heavier term than it is today. I worked towards achieving a lot – I have always been a high achiever.

When I landed my first job as a field officer for a USAID youth funded program at Mercy Corps, I had huge ambitions of growing up the ladder. However little did I know that with God, it’s possible to skip the stairs from an entry level position at an NGO to founding and running one. 

My career goal posts shifted the day I chose to help women via an NGO that I blindly founded. I say blindly because I knew what I wanted to do but I didn’t necessarily know how I would achieve this. When I started HELD Sister Foundation, I had no idea how I would run it but I knew what I wanted to do through it, and that was to help men and women with cancer. My career goals shifted and what I thought was previously viewed as ‘’achievement’’ was redefined when I quit employment to help people who could not pay me back. Four years on and I have learnt so many lessons. I have failed, I have touched lives, I haven’t had any financial gain but I am the most fulfilled woman on earth and I would still pick this line of work over and over again given the chance!   

C: What advice would you offer to young people on figuring out the balance between work, family life and social life?

CN: Do you. When you do you, you are in touch with the real YOU. You know what you are made of and therefore, you allow yourself to live a full life. You will be hard on yourself if need be and you will celebrate your smallest milestones hence building confidence in your mission, a mission that everyone around you will have no choice but to believe in. I always tell my mentees that the best gift you can give yourself is being YOU!

Finally I would say; stop rushing. Stop being in a hurry to nowhere. Take deep breaths, life is not an emergency and you have no control over your life. If you were in control, you would do away with what seem like misfortunes not knowing that they are meant to define YOU. For instance if I was to choose, I would not have chosen to be diagnosed with cancer..but little did I know that if that had happened, I wouldn’t be saying these words today.

C: What is your greatest piece of advice to the young upwardly mobile individual?

CN: Believe in you. Invest in You. Appreciate people, things and circumstances that push you to the next level. They are served in good and bad measure; people could be your cheering squad or your naysayers.

C: What is the greatest lesson/ nugget that you have picked up in life?

CN: Be resourceful and of good character; the rest will fall into place. Resources will always find your resourcefulness and should therefore not be a reason why you are not doing what you have always wanted to do. Most people who have ever done great things had NOTHING or VERY LITTLE when they begun. For a very long time, I viewed this the other way around. If you have resources and are not resourceful, you will only make very few steps before you fail miserably. However if you are resourceful and you find resources, you will build an empire. Talent, resources, knowledge and education may move you up the ladder, but character sustains you up there.  

"The truth is I have from the very beginning listened to my instincts. All of my best decisions in life have come because I was attuned to what really felt like the next right move for me."

Oprah Winfrey

How many 29 year-olds do you know who head up the finance function of a multinational organisation overseeing a pool of countries, manage to find time to run an award- winning blog and run a mentorship program to inspire young people to pursue career and passions concurrently? Not too many I believe! See you next Tuesday where I will be introducing you to another phenomenal lady who fits this bill!

2017 Top 40 under 40 Woman-Dr. Borna Nyaoke- Anoke

She has a superb career in the field of medicine and has built a fantastic name for herself. She oversees an initiative that promises to solve one of humanities biggest challenges—HIV/Aids. Imagine for a second a world without HIV or Ebola? Now imagine a woman who works tirelessly day and night to achieve this! This is exactly what my second interviewee for the Top 40 under 40 women series does for a living..

Introducing the phenomenal woman, Dr Borna Nyaoke-Anoke!

Borna received the honourable title of Top 40 woman for a host of reasons… her passion in the pursuit of vaccines for tropical diseases such as Ebola ranks TOP among these reasons. She is the Clinical Trials Manager at Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Nairobi. She is a Harvard Medical School scholar and Master’s degree graduate in Public Health from the University of Liverpool. At 30, her achievements are more than impressive to say the least. She lives and breathes medicine and gets a kick out of successful development of vaccines! 

I hope you draw a ton of inspiration from her story.

C: What do you consider as your greatest achievement to date?

B: Founding together with two other doctors Health and Wellness Solutions Limited. It is a personal and corporate health solutions company that focuses on preventative care. We conduct home based care, health talks, medical camps and provide mentorship programmes to students.

C: What has your career path been like as you have navigated through your chosen field leading up to your current role/position?

B: After graduating from Medical School I did my internship at Kenyatta National Hospital then went on to work as a Medical Officer at the Nairobi Hospital. I felt a need to expand my career beyond the clinical work I was doing and decided to venture into clinical research specifically clinical trials. Treating patients was great but I felt I could impact more lives by venturing into clinical research. I proceeded to do the Global Clinical Scholars Research Training (GCSRT) Program with Harvard Medical School that provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills in this particular line of work.

I currently work as a Clinical Trials Manager at KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi where I am mostly involved in clinical vaccine development. We have worked on HIV vaccine clinical trials and I am now managing an Ebola Phase II vaccine clinical trial sponsored by Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V. This was after successfully completing the Phase I Ebola clinical trial.

 

C: What advice would you offer to young people on figuring out the balance between work, family life and social life?

B: Work-life balance is a misnomer that I believe is used to make individuals especially professional women feel more inadequate than what they are already experiencing. Most corporate 9-5 jobs do not end when you clock out and if you include meetings and travelling then this is a big chunk of your life. This becomes more difficult when you have to add your role as a spouse and a parent; for women this is a bit more negatively skewed. (I rarely hear men at conferences being asked who they left their kids with! Haha! ).

There is also your role as a daughter, sister and friend. Thus my belief is, do not strive for an unattainable goal, instead look for work that makes you happy and fulfills you, look for a spouse that you truly love and is supportive of your career and goals and is willing to walk through ‘life’ with you. Give all your other roles in this life your best but always remember that your best may never be enough to everyone, and that is okay!

C: What is your greatest piece of advice to the young upwardly mobile individual?

B: Work hard, but more importantly work smart! Use your 20-30s to burn the midnight oil and put in the hours you need to. Amass as much knowledge and skill that you can acquire during your youth and let it work for you when you are older in your career! Another important thing to remember is that despite the obstacles you may face, believing in what you want is the surest way to achieving it!

C: What is the greatest lesson/ nugget that you have picked up in life?

B: The world is your oyster...you just need to figure out how to deal with the sand!

‘’One can be beautiful, strong, confident, a great wife and mother while still being a kick-ass professional all in a day. We need to remind girls that all they need is within them and hard work doesn’t kill’ Dr Borna Nyaoke- Anoke.

Gentlemen, this statement applies as much to men as it does to women! 

‘Always take on new challenges- even if you are not sure you are completely ready’ Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

See you same time next week Tuesday.. I will be introducing you to a woman who suffered a devastating diagnosis but courageously rose above it and went on to receive the Women Inspiring Change in Africa Award, the Timeless Woman of Wonder (Health Category) Award and the Red Chilly Spiced Social Change Maker award. See you then! 

2017 Top 40 under 40 Woman- Umra Omar

Umra Omar kicks of the 2017 Top 40 under 40 women series, and deservedly so. When I approached her to be a part of this, she was more than willing to do it and she struck me as a very humble woman. She is bold and utterly phenomenal.

Umra Omar is the Founder of Safari Doctors, an organisation she started in 2014 to provide accessibility and mobility of health services to remote villages in Lamu, Kenya. Umra was last month nominated as the most influential person of African descent by the United Nations, under the humanitarian category, in recognition of her organization Safari Doctors. In 2016, she was listed among CNN Heroes and earlier this year nominated for the African Leaders for Change Awards in South Africa.

She has certainly set the tone for this interview series... Buckle up and enjoy! J

C:   What do you consider as your greatest achievement to date?

U: Of course number one is the cliché but severely underrated - the earned title of Mama. This means the joy of building a roof over my children’s lives and a little schooling to go with that- being constantly on my toes to nurture healthy babies full of grit and joy. That aside, my greatest achievement to date is being able to sit down at the end of every day, stare into the endless sky and feel like I am making a difference in my world and get to fully engage with friends and family.  It is both rewarding and scary to put together a committed team for whom work is more than a job, it is a purpose. All in all, it is more than an achievement - it is a major blessing!

C:  What has your career path been like as you have navigated through your chosen field leading up to your current role/position?

U: My so-called career path has been super windy. I felt like I had to study the sciences to qualify as smart and have a job as a doctor yet I preferred swimming classes and hoped to be an 100m Breast Stroke Olympian. I had a hard time studying for my exams because I wanted to learn salsa dancing instead. Haha!

And not to mention, my best performing class in University was visual arts. What I was yet to discover deep down is that I am a creative at heart with a spirit that feeds on everything to do with serving humanity. This is something that a lot of the ‘prescribed/chosen fields’ do not offer at an early age. You can study medicine and become a doctor. Or go the legal route and become a lawyer -  so on and so forth. A chosen field - begs the question of ‘chosen by whom?’ This is because you can only choose from a set of options set by someone/thing else.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a Masters in Social Justice and worked at the American Psychological Association. A couple of years later I moved from the United States to Kenya to work with the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa.  These were both very promising jobs supporting societies to thrive. However, the biggest missing element in my previous jobs has been community connection. This is what led me to quit and a year later, I stumbled upon a conversation about a medical initiative in Lamu that had come to a halt. And that is how I founded Safari Doctors. I never studied medicine, but I now have the pleasure of sharing the pursuit of health with those that have limited access. 

C: What advice would you offer to young people on figuring out the balance between work, family life and social life?

U: It is very easy to feel like you do not have the time for certain aspects of your life. The problem is that you are not making the time. I am yet to master this process (if there is anything like mastering time management). Haha!  I have been fortunate to be living in a place and with a group of people with whom work, family and social life intersect rather well here in Lamu. I am sure once you add 2 hours of traffic in the equation then balancing that becomes a different beast all together.  One of the best culprits in figuring out this mix is technology, aka the smart phone!

(Cant we all relate?)

I am working on a personal policy that if I am in the middle of something and the phone rings - if it would be inappropriate for the person calling to be right in front on me at that given time - then I should not be picking up right then. I should text if I can or call them back later. 

C: What is your greatest piece of advice to the young upwardly mobile individual?

U: Animal biology is a class that is not on any school curriculum in Kenya where wildlife tourism contributes to more than 14% of our Gross Domestic Product. Moral of the story is my greatest piece of advice - don’t rely on choosing a field - create one. A lot of what we learn is not necessarily what we love, nor is it in some cases what our circumstances need. Dare to dream and fly out of the box!

C: What is the greatest lesson/ nugget that you have picked up in life?

U: Wow. Heavy question. In the 34 years of my life, the greatest lesson that I have learned is not to burn any bridge - keep creating them. You never know when or how your actions will either help you cash in or go bankrupt in the currency of life. However big or small. You will be very surprised how this trickles out to those around you even generations to come. A lot of what we are able to do with Safari Doctors today is thanks to my father’s role in Lamu before I was even born. Some of the villages that we visit are extra welcoming because of his connections with them decades ago. I have travelled to a meeting in New York only to sit in the same room as a visitor that I shared a boat ride with at Lamu Airport. I have learned that all connections count, from the fisherman to the senior executive, the young to the elderly, regardless of season or reason.

‘’No matter where you go, don’t lose who you are.’’ Leanne Caret, President and CEO of Defence, Space& Security, Boeing

See you next week Tuesday morning where I will share with you another phenomenal story. A story of a woman who is working to solve one of humanities BIGGEST challenges and who believes that“One can be beautiful, strong, confident, a great wife and mother while still being a kick-ass professional all in a day!’

Catch you then! J

2017 Top 40 under 40 Women Series

When the 2017 list of Top 40 Under 40 Women was unveiled this year, I was so excited to see the women featuring in this year’s list. I drew SO much inspiration from the stories of these women in Kenya and I honestly hoped to channel this inspiration into my blog- to share stories that would uplift, inspire and encourage. This year’s list did not disappoint in as far as inspiration goes!

I then got an exciting but rather ambitious idea to run an amazing series featuring the stories of this year’s nominees. I look at this as a labour of love, passion and determination to share only the best and most uplifting content. This series seeks to inspire just one person; to have at least one point of influence! 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure- Marianne Williamson 

Before we get started, and for the benefit of those who may not be familiar with what the Top 40 under 40 list is, let me give some background. J

What is the Top 40 under 40 Women Award?

The Top 40 under 40 Women Award is an annual award which recognizes the top 40 women across the country doing great things, smashing the quintessential glass ceiling and going against all odds to emerge top in their chosen fields. The list of women is generated by Kenya’s top business newspaper, Business Daily. Business Daily has been running this for the past nine years (imagine that!)

What is the process of identifying the Top 40 women?

As you would imagine the process is intense! Business Daily invites applications from the general public to nominate exceptional women. A carefully constituted panel of judges then assesses all applications to identify outstanding women across Kenya. After the selection, Business Daily ascertains each candidate’s age, data on the size of the enterprise they have founded, companies they work for, scope and complexity of what they do and competitive landscape of their respective industries.

Who are this year’s Top 40 under 40 women?

Here is the list of this year’s Top 40 women to watch:

1.       Naomi Rono- World Bank Advisor, Africa Group, 34

2.       Ciku Mugambi- Investment analyst at International Finance Corporation (Venture Capital), 29

3.       Caroline Wambugu- Head of Financial Decision Support, VP, Barclays Bank of Kenya, 37

4.       Dr. Borna Nyaoke-Anoke- Clinical Trials Manager, Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi, 30

Dr. Borna Nyaoke-Anoke

5.       Wariara Wairera Waireri- Co-Founder and Director, E-lab Africa, 30

6.       LeAnne Peris- Owner, Diner en Blanc Nairobi, 27

7.       Umra Omar- Founder, Safari Doctors, 34

Umra Omar

8.       Nina Galot Thacker- Commercial Director, London Distillers Kenya, 38

9.       Emily Orwaru- Aeronautical Planning Engineer, Kenya Airways, 29

10.   Dr. Shitsama Nyamweya- Neurosurgeon, Kenyatta National Hospital, 32

11.   Sheila Mwarangu- Partner, Gathara& Partners Consulting Civil and Structures Engineers, 38

12.   Carol Ng'ang'a- Founder, Held Sister, 32

Carol Ng'ang'a

13.   Irene Tulel- Project Manager, UNDP, 36

14.   Valentine Nekesa- Founder, V-Designs, 20

15.   Joyce Wanderi- Maina- Chief Operating Officer, Population Services Kenya, 38

16.   Nelly Tuikong- Founder and CEO, Pauline Cosmetics, 32

17.   Sitah Lang'o- Regional Manager, Swift East Africa, 34

18.   Fridah Muchina- Regional Head of Human Resources, Nestle Equatorial Africa Region, 39

19.   Lisa Mugure- Ex-civil engineer, China Communication and Construction Company (CCCC), 25

20.   Gladys Cherono- International Athlete, Winner of Berlin Marathon, 34

21.   Salome Gathoni- IT Programme Leader, General Electric Digital, 39

22.   Marion Atieno Moon- Founder and Managing Director, Wanda Organic Limited, 33

23.   Mbula Musau- Independent Consultant and Founder, Utake Coffee, 37

24.   Angela Githuthu- Ngaamba- Safaricom Youth Segment Lead, 37

25.   Mary Mueni Ngui- Group Head of Risk and Compliance, Resolution Insurance, 33

26.   Simaloi Dajom- Deputy Programmes Director, Royal Media Services, 35

27.   Iddah Asin- Director Government Affairs and Policy, Johnson & Johnson, 34

28.   Dr Stellah Wairimu Bosire- Otieno- CEO, Kenya Medical Association, 31

29.   Felisters Gitau-Mutugu- Head of Sales Operations, Farmers Choice, 31

30.   Caroline Mtai- Senior Prosecution Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), 37

31.   Rachael Gitonga- CFO, East Africa Reinsurance, 36

32.   Angela Ndambuki- CEO, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), 37

33.   Caroline Makenzi- Consultant, Climate Focus, 30

34.   Natalie Robi Tingo- Founder, Msichana Empowerment Kuria, 27

35.   Patricia Seroney- Partner, Deloitte, 39

36.   Margaret Achieng' Oyugi- Head of Actuarial, Resolution Insurance, 33

  Margaret Achieng' Oyugi

37.   Silvia Tonui Sambili- Founder, Marigat Gold, 32

38.   Martha Mbugua- Partner, Hamilton Harrison& Mathews, 32

39.   Dr Anne Musuva- Deputy Chief of Party, Population Services Kenya, 35

40.   Caroline Somba- Financial Controller, National Oilwell Varco, 29

  Caroline Somba

Here are some fun facts from this year’s list

1.       A little analysis on the different ages of these women showed this 

Women aged between:            Percentage of women on the list

20-25 years                                                           5%

26-30 years                                                          20%

31-35 years                                                          43%

36-40 years                                                          33%

(I hope that you can identify with an age bracket here! Meaning YOU can do it, age isn’t a factor! J)

2.       The youngest winner is 20 years old and the eldest is 39.

3.       Approximately 25% of the women are founders and CEOs of their respective enterprises.

I hope this series sparks a fire in you, and more than that, I hope it inspires deliberate and conscious action towards becoming the greatest version of yourself and achieving your fullest potential.

Let’s kick off this series..shall we?