Trademark Africa, a prominent aid-for-trade organisation dedicated to enhancing prosperity through increased trade in Africa, has appointed Leah Kihara as its finance director.
Trademark Africa, a prominent aid-for-trade organisation dedicated to enhancing prosperity through increased trade in Africa, has appointed Leah Kihara as its finance director.
Leah’s appointment is effective 1 March 2024. With a rich background in financial management and a track record of delivering results in donor-funded international organisations, she brings a wealth of experience to her new role.
“I am excited about working with Trademark Africa,” she says. ‘As a strategic partner to the executive, I look forward to collaborating with various teams to develop and drive a finance strategy that supports the institution’s strategy. Trademark Africa has created immense impact in reducing barriers to trade and increasing volumes of trade. I look forward to working with the team to achieve an even greater impact on the continent and beyond.”
Leah’s professional journey of over 15 years has developed her expertise in financial strategy development, project management, and audit leadership. Before joining Trademark Africa, she led programme finance at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), where she headed the financial management of over 25 programmes across 11 countries. Her role involved leading the financial design, and overseeing end-to-end financial management of multimillion-dollar programmes funded by diverse donors and partners.
Prior to her tenure at AGRA, Leah had held key positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
“Working with numerous partners, I have become accustomed to managing the end-to-end of complex projects in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments. My audit experience at PwC afforded me the opportunity to lead high-performing teams in global non-profit and public sector entities. My approach is to take great interest in understanding each institution wholesomely and not just my functional areas. This includes the strategy – the why and the how we deliver, including desired outcomes and impact,” she says.
Her immediate focus will be on taking a deep, concerted dive into Trademark Africa to obtain and cement her understanding of the organisation better
“Trademark Africa launched an exciting strategy in 2023. My aim is to sustainably drive the institution to an even stronger financial health position. A key enabler towards achieving this plan is building a world-class finance team and strengthening collaboration with other functions within the organisation. I will also play a significant role in ensuring compliance with funding partners agreements and the laws of the countries of operation,” she explains.
Leah believes her appointment is the product of leading with integrity and authenticity. Being counted on to deliver quality on set timelines went a long way in building trust with her superiors in previous companies, many of whom have held her hand during her career journey.
