Wairimu Njiru

As the Director of Human Resources and Talent, Wairimu leads global human resource operations for Co-Impact; she is responsible for leading all dimensions of our people function for Co-Impact’s global team.

Wairimu is a seasoned people leader with two decades experience in leadership roles in Africa and Western Asia predominantly in the development sectors. She has successfully led transformational change initiatives and developed and implemented human resource strategies in the areas of talent acquisition, performance and team development, career and succession planning, retention and engagement, learning and development, compensation and benefits, employee wellness, and organisation culture building across mission driven organizations, including in complex emerging states.

Prior to joining Co-Impact, she was the Head of Human Resources for Trademark Africa, where she was responsible for delivering human resource strategy and leading on transformative change projects across 12 African countries. Prior to that, she served in different capacities at Save the Children International, including as Director, Human Resources and Administration in Yemen, Somalia and Uganda; as Head of HR and Operations for Pact, Inc., and as Regional HR Manager for Mercy USA.

Wairimu considers herself a daughter of the African continent, born of a Kenyan Agricultural Economist turned educator father and a Rwandese Gender Specialist mother, as well as a citizen of the world, having lived on three continents. Through all of this she honed her love for travel and continuous learning, and her passion for people and creating impact through her work.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Marketing) from the University of Nairobi, a Higher National Diploma from the Kenya National Education Council (KNEC), a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), and a Master of Science in Management and Organisation Development from United States International University -Africa.

Based in Nairobi, Wairimu is a mother of two, a teen girl and a toddler boy. When not working she is found doing some type of physical activity, including walking, jogging, and swimming. She enjoys cooking, listening to music, reading a good book, and listening to a podcast or audiobook.