IWD 2025: CELEBRATING WOMEN AT THE FORE OF BRANDS: VOLUME 2 OF 2025

  • 21 Mar 2025
  • 5 Mins Read
  • 〜 by The Vellum Team

Background: 

Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates women’s achievements and contributions. The entire month of March has evolved into Women’s Month—an opportunity to honor women’s roles in shaping society and reflect on efforts to ensure they have an equal place in all areas of life.

This year’s theme, “Accelerate Action for All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment,” calls for meaningful steps toward gender equality and spaces where women thrive, lead, and innovate. In the world of marketing, women aren’t just participants—they’re redefining the game.

Women are leading the charge as strategists, innovators, and visionaries, guiding brands through market disruptions and shifting consumer demands. In an era where brand loyalty is more complex than ever, these women craft identities that resonate deeply. They don’t just create campaigns—they build brand experiences, tell stories that foster trust, and set new industry standards.

Today, sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles are at the core of successful brands. Women are integrating these values into marketing strategies, ensuring their brands are not only profitable but responsible. Whether advocating for eco-friendly products, fair labor practices, or ethical business conduct, they’re shaping brands that align with the values consumers care about most.

Their work goes beyond driving revenue; it’s about forging authentic connections with consumers through transparency, responsibility, and innovation. These women lead brands that thrive in volatile markets while making a positive impact on the world around them.

In this second special edition of Vellum IWD, we celebrate the women shaping the future of branding, marketing, and sustainability. They aren’t just adapting to change—they’re creating it, laying down legacies that will inspire generations to come.

 

Maryanne Nderu, Sustainability Manager & Stakeholder Engagement Manager, EABL Plc

Maryanne Nderu is a seasoned Corporate Affairs professional with over a decade of comprehensive expertise in sustainability, social investment, communications, strategic stakeholder relations, and partnerships.

Currently serving as the Sustainability & Stakeholder Engagement Manager at East African Breweries Plc, Maryanne is instrumental in localising and integrating Diageo’s sustainability agenda, Spirit of Progress. Her role revolves around championing initiatives that promote Positive Drinking, Inclusion & Diversity, and Grain to Glass Sustainability, thereby driving meaningful change within the organization and the broader community.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Maryanne is a member of Toastmasters International, where she continually hones her skills in leadership and communications. In her leisure time, she indulges her passion for fitness, finding solace in weightlifting, spinning and walking. 

 

Karen K. Basiye, Director Sustainable Business & Social Impact, Safaricom Plc 

Karen Basiye is a keen Sustainable Business Leader with over 15 years’ experience. Over the years she has worked at the National Environment Management Authority and Safaricom where she developed competencies in leadership, governance, strategic thinking and  Sustainability Reporting (both Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).

Karen holds a Joint Master of Environmental Science, Policy and Management degree from Lund University (Sweden), University of Manchester (UK), Central European University (Hungary) and University of the Aegean (Greece) and a Bachelor of Environment Science degree from Kenyatta University. She is also an alumna of the Strathmore Business School (SBS) Senior Management Leadership Programme.

Currently, Karen Heads the Sustainable Business and Social Impact Department at Safaricom. She is passionate about the interplay between people, purpose and profits.She has served at various university councils and seats on the Governing Council of KEPSA as the Vice chair of the Environment Sector Board and is a Strategic Advisor on various Boards. She has been recognised as an SDG Pioneer by the Global Compact Kenya.

 

Janet Kabaya, Head of Legal, Gender & Human Rights, Kakuzi Plc

Janet Kabaya is an accomplished legal expert and human rights advocate with extensive experience in gender, human rights, and corporate legal affairs. She currently serves as the Head of Legal, Gender & Human Rights at Kakuzi Plc, a role she has held since July 2024. In this capacity, she oversees legal compliance, gender inclusivity, and human rights initiatives within the organization, ensuring that Kakuzi adheres to ethical business practices and upholds its social responsibilities.

Before joining Kakuzi, Janet dedicated over 11 years to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), where she played a pivotal role in advancing human rights and legal reforms. She served as a Senior Human Rights Officer from February 2018 to June 2024, where she was instrumental in legal advocacy, policy development, and stakeholder engagement on human rights issues in Kenya. Prior to that, she worked as an In-House Counsel and Human Rights Officer from June 2013 to January 2018, providing legal advisory services and supporting strategic litigation efforts.

Beyond her tenure at KNCHR, Janet has contributed her expertise to several organizations. She worked as a Rapporteur for the Fred Hollows Foundation (2018-2019), documenting key insights from quarterly and annual review meetings. Additionally, she was a Programme Associate at the Kenya Human Rights Commission (2011-2012) and interned at the same institution earlier in her career. Her legal journey began at F.N. Njanja & Company Advocates, where she served as a Legal Associate from January 2010 to July 2011.

Janet holds a Master’s degree in Public International Law from the University of Nairobi (2019-2022), a Bachelor’s degree in Law from The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (2005-2009), and professional certifications in Management Development, Project Cycle Management, and Monitoring & Evaluation from Strathmore University.

Beyond her legal work, Janet is passionate about gender equality and sustainable development. She has actively advocated for women’s empowerment in agriculture, emphasizing the need to support women farmers and enhance their contributions to food security and sustainability. Her work highlights how businesses can integrate human rights and gender considerations into their operations, making a meaningful impact on society.

 

Charlotte Ludi – Group Sustainability Manager at KCB Group

Charlotte Ludi is a highly seasoned and dedicated professional with extensive experience in environmental and social risk management. With a career spanning over a decade in sustainability, corporate affairs, and climate risk management, Charlotte has successfully developed and implemented governance structures, policies, and frameworks to enhance ESG integration in business operations.

Charlotte is currently serving as Group Sustainability Manager at KCB Bank Group.  She has served in various roles within the Group. She started off at the Bank as a Corporate Affairs Specialist. She then moved up to being a Sustainability Manager, and later a Sustainability Coordinator before coming into her current role. Her expertise extends to climate risk management, sustainability governance, ESG reporting, and stakeholder communication, ensuring that sustainability efforts contribute effectively to national and international climate targets, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Charlotte holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management from United States International University – Africa, complementing her background in International Relations.

 

Josephine Bekoe – General Manager, Human Resources, CFAO Mobility Kenya

Josephine Bekoe’s wealth of experience spans different sectors and continents. She has previously worked for major telecommunications, aviation, retail, and gaming companies in the United Kingdom. Josephine joined the CFAO group in 2012 as Deputy Manager, Human Resources. She worked across the FMCG and Equipment divisions before going on to become the Human Resources Manager of CFAO Motors Ghana. In 2020, she joined the CFAO Headquarters team as Regional HR Manager for East and Southern Africa South Africa, AMS (Africa Mobility Solutions) Middle East and AMS South Africa, a position she successfully held till her appointment in 2023 as the General Manager of Human Resources in CFAO Mobility Kenya.