Legal team size: 27 Lawyers

Major legal advisers/ external counsel : DLA Piper Africa, Bowman’s, Kaplan and Stratton.

Which recent political, economic or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in recent years?

The 2023 yield curve (interest rates) escalation on government paper threw a spanner in our works, necessitating difficult business decisions such as revaluation of some of our fund assets. This negatively impacted the return Britam gave its customers, which in turn impacted our customer retention. As the lead counsel, my job has been to sense-check the customer acquisition and retention strategies the businesses are putting in place due to negative market sentiment.

Further, the tightening monetary policy in Kenya and most of the other countries we operate in, has meant that disposable income in households has been reducing, and this negatively impacts on discretionary investments. This has meant that for Britam to meet its highly stretched targets, we must constantly dive into the Blue Ocean for untapped clientele, and this means that as lawyers we are called upon to constantly come up with creative legal solutions e.g. enhanced contracts.

Are there any causes, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

Yes, I am passionate about ESG and sustainability matters. Governance is at the core of efficient and sustainable business. There is a need to stay informed on evolving ESG perspectives to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, utilise opportunities as well as mitigate legal risks. This is especially key for a business like Britam that runs operations across countries in the eastern and southern Africa regions.

My job is to see that we incorporate robust ESG clauses in contracts to ensure adherence to sustainability commitments and to address third-party breaches. My KPI is to foster responsible business practices throughout the value chain.