Join us for a candid and necessary conversation examining whether global brands are truly embedding authentic African narratives into their strategy — or simply layering representation onto pre-existing global templates.
As Africa’s cultural influence reshapes music, fashion, technology and consumer behaviour worldwide, the question is no longer whether the continent matters. It is whether it is being understood.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
Tusker Brewhouse - East African Breweries Limited (EABL) Nairobi, Kenya
11th June 2026
16:00 - 20:30
Join us for a candid and necessary conversation examining whether global brands are truly embedding authentic African narratives into their strategy — or simply layering representation onto pre-existing global templates.
As Africa’s cultural influence reshapes music, fashion, technology and consumer behaviour worldwide, the question is no longer whether the continent matters. It is whether it is being understood.
This debate will interrogate what meaningful representation actually requires:
We will explore both sides of the argument:
Expect opposing viewpoints, robust exchange, live audience interaction and a format designed to challenge comfortable consensus.
Who Should Attend:
This event is curated for senior and C-suite leaders across marketing, advertising, media and communications.
If you influence strategy, creative direction, brand investment or cultural positioning — this conversation is for you.
Whether client-side, agency-based, consultancy-led or part of the broader creative ecosystem, this is an opportunity to engage with peers who are shaping how Africa is represented on the global stage.
WiM Africa welcomes professionals of all genders who believe in rigorous thinking and responsible leadership. The debate will particularly resonate with women leaders and changemakers redefining marketing across Kenya and the continent.
Why Attend:
Opening Positions
Selected speakers will take clear positions for and against the motion: Are global brands truly committed to authentic African representation? Expect structured, well-argued viewpoints — not safe soundbites.
Moderated Exchange
A senior moderator will interrogate both sides, surface tensions, challenge assumptions and push the conversation beyond comfortable consensus.
Live Audience Participation
This is an interactive debate. Real-time polling and an open Q&A will ensure the room shapes the direction of the discussion.
Curated Networking
Before and after the debate, connect with senior industry peers over drinks and refreshments — continuing the conversation in a more informal setting.
Key Themes We Will Interrogate
Authenticity vs Optics
Is representation embedded in strategy — or layered on for visibility and virtue signalling?
Power & Narrative Control
Who defines Africa’s story in global brand rooms — local experts or distant headquarters?
Portrayal of African Women
Are campaigns reflecting complexity, leadership and modernity — or defaulting to symbolism and stereotype?
Centralised vs Local Decision-Making
How much autonomy do African markets truly hold within global marketing structures?
The Risk of a Single Story
Does global marketing still flatten Africa’s vast regional, linguistic and cultural diversity into one digestible narrative?
Commercial Growth vs Cultural Responsibility
Can brands scale profitably while remaining respectful, context-aware and accountable?
Investment in Insight
Are brands meaningfully investing in local data, research and lived understanding — or relying on assumptions?
Global–Local Partnerships That Work
Where are we seeing genuine collaboration between global networks and African talent — and what can the industry learn from those examples?
SPEAKER - Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Kantar
SPEAKER - Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Kantar
Ndeye Diagne is a strategy and insights leader who helps brands navigate complexity and make confident decisions that drive sustainable growth.
In her role at Kantar, Ndeye partners with brand leaders across Africa to translate data, culture and creativity into clear, actionable strategies. She specialises in uncovering the signals shaping consumer behaviour and market change, enabling organisations to move beyond insight generation and towards meaningful business impact.
Known for her ability to make complex challenges simple and accessible, Ndeye combines analytical rigour with a deep understanding of brands, people and culture. Her work helps leadership teams identify opportunities, challenge assumptions and make the bold decisions needed to build stronger brands in rapidly evolving markets.
Passionate about the intersection of data, human behaviour and growth, Ndeye believes that while technology can enhance decision-making, it is people who ultimately shape the future of brands and businesses.
GUEST SPEAKER - Head of Brand & Marketing, Safaricom
GUEST SPEAKER - Head of Brand & Marketing, Safaricom
Zizwe Vundla is an experienced marketing leader with a strong track record of driving brand growth, business transformation and integrated marketing strategies across the consumer goods and telecommunications sectors.
She currently serves in a senior marketing leadership role at Safaricom, where she brings together commercial strategy, consumer insight and brand building to drive growth in one of Africa’s most dynamic markets.
With expertise spanning business strategy, insight generation and integrated marketing, Zizwe is known for building strong, high-performing teams and developing brands that resonate deeply with consumers. Passionate about African creativity, culture and storytelling, she brings a distinctly people-centred and commercially grounded perspective to modern brand leadership.
PANELIST - Marketing Director: Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care East and West Africa; Unilever
PANELIST - Marketing Director: Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care East and West Africa; Unilever
Vivian Achieng Oyugi is a senior marketing leader with extensive experience building brands and driving commercial growth across East and West Africa.
She currently serves as Marketing Director for Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care at Unilever, where she leads strategy and brand development across a diverse regional portfolio. Over the course of her career, Vivian has worked across consumer marketing, customer experience and commercial transformation, developing a strong reputation for combining strategic thinking with consumer insight and operational excellence.
Her experience spans leading regional brand initiatives, driving market growth and shaping customer-focused strategies in fast-evolving African markets. Recognised as part of the inaugural Africa CMO 100 list, Vivian is regarded as one of the region’s influential marketing leaders helping shape the future of brand building and consumer engagement on the continent.
MODERATOR - Africa Digital Hub Lead; Diageo
MODERATOR - Africa Digital Hub Lead; Diageo
Waithera Kabiru is a senior digital transformation and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving brand growth and innovation across Africa.
She currently serves as Digital Hub Lead for Africa at Diageo, where she leads digital strategy and transformation across 15+ markets, redefining how brands connect with consumers in a rapidly evolving landscape.
With over 15 years’ experience working with global organisations including AT&T and Coca-Cola, Waithera has built a reputation for delivering commercially impactful, future-facing solutions. Her work includes spearheading East African Breweries Limited’s first direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform during the pandemic — now a multi-million dollar revenue stream — and founding Diageo Africa’s first in-house digital creative team, unlocking both efficiency and value for the regional creative economy.
Beyond her corporate role, Waithera is an AOEC-certified executive coach and an active mentor, committed to developing the next generation of African marketing leaders. She is also a recognised industry voice, serving as a jury member for global awards including Cannes Lions, WARC and the Gerety Awards, and regularly speaking on digital innovation, leadership and purpose-driven branding.
Recognised among Kenya’s Top 25 Most Impactful C-Suite Executives, Waithera brings a distinctive combination of commercial rigour, creative thinking and people-first leadership to her work.
MODERATOR - CEO, CK Marketing Coaching
MODERATOR - CEO, CK Marketing Coaching
Carolyne Kendi is a seasoned brand and commercial marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth across FMCG, beverage, telecommunications and financial services sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
She has led the development and management of major global and regional brands, consistently delivering both top-line and bottom-line growth in complex, high-growth markets. Her approach combines strong commercial acumen with consumer and data-driven insight, enabling the creation of effective, scalable strategies across diverse audiences and territories.
Carolyne is known for her ability to lead cross-functional teams and agency partners to deliver impactful, growth-driven marketing, underpinned by disciplined P&L management and strategic clarity. Alongside her commercial work, she is deeply committed to capability building — championing the craft of brand building and the role of technology in driving more effective and efficient marketing.
Passionate about unlocking potential, Carolyne is driven by a growth mindset and a belief in connecting people, ideas and opportunities to create meaningful impact.
PANELIST - Executive Creative Director; The Partnership Africa
PANELIST - Executive Creative Director; The Partnership Africa
Megha Dutta is an award-winning creative leader with over 15 years of experience shaping brands across two of the world’s most dynamic markets — India and Africa.
She has held senior creative roles at leading global agencies including Ogilvy, Y&R, JWT and DDB, delivering work that has been recognised for both creativity and effectiveness across international and regional platforms.
Megha’s work has earned accolades at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Young Guns, Effies, SOAA, AAAI and Cristal Awards — a trajectory that saw her rise to Creative Director within just seven years.
As one of the few female Creative Heads in Kenya, Megha is a vocal advocate for inclusion and representation in advertising, using both her work and leadership to challenge industry norms and drive more authentic storytelling.
PANELIST - CEO, Belva Digital
PANELIST - CEO, Belva Digital
Serah Katusya is a transformational business and growth leader with over 16 years of experience driving strategic marketing, media and digital transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa.
She is currently CEO of Belva Digital, where she has led rapid business growth, delivering over 80% revenue uplift within her first year. Prior to this, Serah held senior leadership roles within the WPP network, including Managing Director at GroupM, where she was instrumental in establishing and scaling operations across more than 45 markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, including leading the Coca-Cola Africa media business.
Her experience spans working with some of the world’s most recognised brands and organisations, including Coca-Cola, P&G, Vodafone, Unilever, Airtel, KCB Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and DHL — delivering data-led strategies that drive both commercial growth and meaningful social impact.
A passionate advocate for sustainability and inclusive growth, Serah has led industry initiatives that bring together partners across the ecosystem, including convening conversations with organisations such as Kantar and Axum to challenge and advance sustainable business practices.
She is also a board member of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and an active supporter of entrepreneurship and innovation across Africa.
Recognised as one of the region’s most influential marketing leaders, Serah is known for building high-performing teams, transforming organisational culture, and driving growth through collaboration, data and purpose-led leadership.
PANELIST - Chief Marketing Officer; NBA Africa
PANELIST - Chief Marketing Officer; NBA Africa
Ope Lawal is a senior marketing and business leader with extensive experience driving growth across telecommunications, SaaS, cloud technology and fintech sectors in Africa, the Middle East and India.
She currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at NBA Africa, where she leads brand, consumer and commercial marketing strategy across the continent. Prior to this, Ope held senior leadership roles at global organisations including Google, HP, and Vodafone, where she was instrumental in building brands, scaling products and driving market adoption across multiple regions.
With a strong track record in developing and localising go-to-market strategies, Ope has led initiatives spanning product marketing, demand generation, partnerships and digital transformation. She is known for combining deep customer insight with commercial rigour to deliver transformational growth, including leading large-scale negotiations and building high-performing marketing organisations in fast-paced, emerging markets.
Her work sits at the intersection of technology, culture and growth — with a particular focus on expanding access, driving adoption and creating meaningful impact at scale.
PANELIST - Group CEO; WPP ScanGroup
PANELIST - Group CEO; WPP ScanGroup
Akua Owusu-Nartey is a seasoned marketing and business leader with over two decades of experience driving brand growth, transformation and innovation across Africa.
She currently serves as Group CEO of WPP Scangroup, where she oversees one of East Africa’s leading marketing communications networks, spanning creative, media, digital and PR agencies. Since stepping into leadership in 2013, Akua has built a strong track record of growing client businesses, leading cross-functional teams, and shaping high-performing agency environments across multiple African markets.
Alongside her commercial leadership, she plays a key role as a Culture Shaper within Ogilvy Africa, working closely with people teams to cultivate inclusive, progressive cultures that enable talent to thrive.
Akua has worked across creative, strategy, digital, PR and media disciplines, delivering impactful work for global and regional brands including Absa, Standard Chartered, Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Diageo, UNICEF, Visa and the European Union. Passionate about understanding consumer behaviour and building meaningful brands, she is also an educator and mentor, equipping teams with skills in strategy, brand development and leadership.
A strong advocate for change, Akua brings a forward-looking, optimistic perspective to the evolving African marketing landscape — with a focus on transformation, innovation and long-term impact.
PANELIST - Marketing Director, East Africa & Indian Ocean IslandS; Mastercard
PANELIST - Marketing Director, East Africa & Indian Ocean IslandS; Mastercard
Palak Radia is a marketing leader with over 15 years of experience across Africa and the UK, specialising in building brands through strategy, content and digital.
She currently leads marketing for East Africa and the Indian Ocean at Mastercard, where she is responsible for driving regional brand growth, delivering integrated campaigns and shaping market-relevant storytelling across diverse audiences.
Palak has led regional campaigns and contributed to global marketing transformation initiatives, working closely with cross-functional teams to deliver thoughtful, insight-driven and commercially impactful work. Known for her people-first approach, she brings a strong focus on connection, relevance and long-term brand value.
She holds professional accreditations including MCIM (Chartered Marketer) and ACCA, combining strategic marketing expertise with a solid foundation in finance — a balance that underpins her approach to delivering both creative excellence and measurable business outcomes.