Jacob Kamau
Global Brand & Marketing Strategist
Driving cross-border growth through GTM excellence, integrated campaigns and remote team leadership
About Me
Hello, I’m a Global Brand & Marketing Strategist with over 15 years of experience driving cross-border growth through GTM excellence, integrated campaigns and remote team leadership. My mission is to help organisations expand their market presence, accelerate revenue growth and deliver data-driven campaigns that build lasting impact across diverse industries and geographies.
Over the course of my career, I have delivered high-impact results that prove the strength of my approach. For example, I boosted company revenue by 43% in one year by executing a region-specific GTM strategy and I successfully directed a USD 1.5M cross-border project that was completed ahead of schedule. I have also led large rebrands and demand-generation campaigns, including a nationwide media campaign for the Media Council of Kenya that increased audience reach by 41%, demonstrating my ability to combine creativity with commercial strategy for tangible outcomes.
I am proficient in leading tools and systems that enable seamless marketing operations, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft CRM, Google Workspace, Monday.com, Trello, Asana and Slack. My fluency in both English and Swahili strengthens my ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, while my track record of managing cross-border teams underscores my readiness to excel in fully remote, multicultural environments. I thrive in situations where autonomy, collaboration and adaptability are essential.
My professional standing is underpinned by a BSc in International Business Administration (Marketing), alongside specialised training in Business Model Innovation, Digital Marketing and Microsoft Systems Engineering. I am committed to partnering with global teams and leveraging my expertise in integrated campaigns and GTM execution to drive measurable growth while building high-performing remote and multicultural teams.
COMPETENCIES
Strategic Brand Leadership
I have consistently led brand strategy at scale, shaping positioning and GTM narratives that directly fuelled enterprise growth. For example, as Co-Founder at GG Concepts I spearheaded brand development and campaign strategy for regional clients, which improved client retention by 37% through enterprise-focused positioning and targeted GTM packages. This impact was reinforced by overseeing rebrands such as the digital relaunch at OSHO Chemicals, where my leadership aligned the company’s image with modern B2B expectations, resulting in stronger market presence and measurable revenue growth.
Cross-Border Market Expansion & Project Delivery
I have a proven record of expanding brands and executing projects across multiple countries under complex conditions. At Kenya Industrial & Allied Safety Service, I led cross-border projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Djibouti, which significantly increased brand footprint and secured new enterprise accounts. Additionally, I directed a USD 1.5M hotel safety equipment installation project in Burundi, delivering it two weeks ahead of schedule, proving my ability to deliver high-value projects with precision and measurable results.
Data-Driven Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement
I integrate data analytics with stakeholder management to drive both marketing outcomes and regulatory alignment. While Marketing Director, I restructured stakeholder engagement protocols, streamlining licensing and compliance processes while also producing thought leadership reports that influenced strategic direction. At the same time, I conducted competitor and market analysis that informed tailored content strategies, directly improving sales outcomes and ensuring stakeholder trust.
Strategic Marketing
I specialise in translating business objectives into market-facing strategies that deliver measurable revenue impact. At OSHO Chemicals, I directed marketing across four divisions, producing a 19% increase in annual revenue through campaign-driven conversions. I also rolled out Microsoft CRM to enhance demand generation reporting and customer service response times by 44%, proving that my marketing approach is grounded in measurable results and operational efficiency.
Contract Negotiation & Commercial Strategy
I have successfully negotiated and executed high-value contracts that strengthened both profitability and market reach. At OSHO Chemicals I secured a $2M contract with CID Belgium, broadening the supplier portfolio and anchoring new enterprise partnerships. Similarly, I designed a lease pricing model at Kenya Industrial & Allied Safety Service that increased profitability by 30% and lease uptake by 47%, demonstrating how my commercial strategies consistently translate into financial growth and long-term advantage.
Case Study: Cross-Border Agro-Product Launches Drive 19% Revenue Growth Across Six African Markets
Executive Summary:
Between 2013 and 2017, I led OSHO Chemicals’ cross-regional marketing and customer service programmes to launch farmer-focused innovations such as the Mazii Can (in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Calf Milk Replacer, potato fungicides and the Mastikinga mastitis kit. Managing a 75-member team across six countries, I applied a pull-and-push strategy blending education, distributor enablement and multi-channel campaigns. These initiatives expanded operations into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and Rwanda, ultimately delivering a 19% increase in annual revenue and securing long-term leadership in critical agricultural markets.
Context and Challenge:
Context: As Group Head of Marketing, I was tasked with driving market penetration and product innovation in the agro-inputs sector across East and Southern Africa. My remit spanned brand positioning, market entry and farmer engagement while managing a large, cross-functional team spread across borders.
Challenge: Smallholder farmers faced significant income losses from milk spillage, potato blight and mastitis in dairy herds. At the same time, distributors and agro-dealers lacked the training to effectively support end users. The challenge was to introduce new, technically advanced solutions while ensuring rapid adoption, farmer trust and product availability across diverse regional markets.
Strategic Approach:
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Phase 1: Education and Market Readiness: I designed farmer-centric campaigns that combined on-the-ground seminars, webinars and vernacular radio broadcasts. By running 10+ seminars and webinars weekly, I accelerated awareness and demonstrated practical product benefits.
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Phase 2: Channel Training and Enablement: I developed structured training for wholesalers, agro-dealers and retailers, ensuring they could confidently train farmers themselves. Distributor incentives and merchandising campaigns (caps, pens, hats, jackets) reinforced loyalty and visibility.
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Phase 3: Execution and Stakeholder Alignment: I spearheaded roadshows, trade events and market-day “storms” to drive visibility and adoption. Simultaneously, I secured CEO and senior management buy-in, aligned internal customer service teams and coordinated logistics to guarantee consistent product availability at retail level.
Results and Impact:
Quantifiable Outcomes:
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Achieved a 19% increase in annual revenue within four years.
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Expanded into six new countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda).
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Delivered multiple market-leading product launches, including the Mazii Can, Calf Milk Replacer, potato fungicides and Mastikinga kit.
Qualitative Achievements:
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Built farmer trust through consistent education and hands-on engagement.
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Strengthened distributor loyalty and expertise, turning them into credible trainers for end users.
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Created internal alignment across sales, fulfilment and customer care teams.
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Enhanced OSHO’s reputation as a trusted innovation leader in agricultural markets.
Key Takeaway & Strategic Insight:
The success of this project demonstrates that sustainable market growth in fragmented, multi-country environments relies on pairing education-led adoption with channel empowerment and stakeholder alignment. By creating a common language across the value chain, innovation scaled faster and more credibly.
Conclusion:
This project highlights my ability to design and execute multi-country GTM strategies, blending education, distribution training and stakeholder management to achieve measurable revenue and market share growth. It reflects my broader strength as a remote-ready leader capable of managing complex, cross-regional initiatives with strategic precision.
Technical Proficiencies Utilised:
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Microsoft CRM: Supported customer data management and alignment across markets.
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Webinar Platforms (Zoom/GoToWebinar): Delivered farmer training and remote distributor sessions.
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Vernacular Radio Broadcasting: Amplified product messaging in rural markets.
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Trade Event & Roadshow Toolkits: Enabled impactful face-to-face engagement campaigns.
Core Competencies Displayed:
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Strategic Brand Leadership
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Cross-Border Market Expansion
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Stakeholder & Distributor Engagement
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Remote Team Leadership
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GTM Strategy & Execution
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Education-Led Adoption
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Case Study: Innovative Leasing Model Drives Clean Power Adoption and Business Continuity Across East Africa
Executive Summary:
In 2019, I identified a critical market gap: power fluctuations were damaging sensitive equipment across Kenya, but the high upfront cost of stabilisers blocked widespread adoption. To solve this, I launched a leasing and hire-purchase model, partnered with Guvenis Elektrika (Turkey) to secure reliable supply and built a 10-person regional team to drive education and adoption. This model delivered 3,500 stabilisers, 1,000 building installations, 500+ high-power generators and 750+ off-grid solar systems across East Africa. During COVID-19, I ensured continuity by implementing digital collaboration and supply chain strategies that safeguarded projects, minimised client losses, and strengthened regional operations.
Context and Challenge:
Context: As Marketing Director at Kenya Industrial & Allied Safety Service, I was responsible for driving growth in clean power solutions across East Africa. The company aimed to solve infrastructure and energy challenges in fast-growing sectors like construction, healthcare and property management. My role included strategy development, regional expansion and scaling client adoption of essential technology solutions.
Challenge: Frequent power outages caused costly disruptions in hospitals, labs, data centres and buildings using sensitive equipment such as lifts and medical machines. Despite the urgency, stabilisers ranging from 5 KVA to 10,000 KVA were prohibitively expensive upfront, creating a major adoption barrier. A solution was needed that could remove financial obstacles, build trust in a new category and deliver reliable, scalable infrastructure across multiple markets.
Strategic Approach:
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Phase 1: Business Model Innovation: I pitched and secured approval for a leasing and hire-purchase model, covering 60% of production and shipping costs upfront, reducing client risk and enabling faster adoption. I partnered with Guvenis Elektrika (Turkey) for proximity-driven supply chain efficiency, reducing delivery cycles to 6 weeks without requiring large stockholding.
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Phase 2: Market Education and Positioning: I built a 10-person regional lead-generation team and positioned us as trusted clean power advisors. We ran seminars, technical training and demos to educate engineers, architects and healthcare providers while leveraging early-adopter success stories to validate ROI.
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Phase 3: Awareness and Remote Collaboration: We amplified adoption through industry events, regulator partnerships and targeted outreach. During COVID-19, I implemented Slack and Notion for distributed team collaboration, ran virtual presentations and coordinated safe site visits. This ensured continued delivery despite supply chain disruptions.
Results and Impact:
Quantifiable Outcomes:
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3,500 stabilisers installed in elevators across East Africa.
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1,000+ buildings equipped with clean power stabilisers.
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500+ high-power generators delivered and installed.
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750+ off-grid solar systems provided to clients.
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Maintained continuity of critical projects during COVID-19, avoiding costly client delays.
Qualitative Achievements:
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Positioned the company as a trusted leader in clean power advisory and implementation.
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Expanded market share in healthcare and construction during a time of crisis.
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Strengthened resilience of distributed teams by adopting digital collaboration tools.
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Built enduring relationships with regulators and decision-makers across multiple regions.
Key Takeaway & Strategic Insight:
By innovating the business model and pairing it with strong remote collaboration, I demonstrated that financial barriers and operational disruptions can be overcome with creativity, proactive market education and agile digital adoption. This approach established a blueprint for scaling infrastructure solutions in complex, high-risk environments.
Conclusion:
This project highlights my ability to design and execute strategies that blend innovation, operational resilience and cross-border collaboration. It also demonstrates how I can deliver measurable impact while ensuring business continuity, key capabilities I bring to any remote, senior-level role.
Technical Proficiencies Utilised:
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Slack: Enabled real-time communication across distributed regional teams.
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Notion: Centralised documentation, project tracking and remote knowledge sharing.
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Zoom/Webinars: Delivered remote training, demos and industry education sessions.
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CRM Tools (internal): Tracked leads, managed pipelines and maintained client engagement.
Core Competencies Displayed:
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Business Model Innovation
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Remote Team Leadership
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Cross-Border Market Expansion
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Stakeholder Engagement & Education
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Strategic Partnership Development
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Operational Resilience During Crisis
Case Study: Hybrid Diabetes Symposium Strengthens Regional Collaboration and Boosts Client Retention by 37%
Executive Summary:
In 2019, as Co-Founder & Lead Consultant at GG Concepts, I spearheaded the first concurrent Kenya–Ghana Diabetes Conference for Sanofi Pharmaceuticals. My role was to design and deliver a multi-city hybrid event that closed critical knowledge gaps in diabetes care by bringing together doctors, policymakers, and healthcare providers across regions. Through meticulous planning and execution, for example, combining physical forums in Nairobi and Mombasa with virtual participation from Accra. I drove engagement and established a model for future hybrid medical education. The outcome was transformative: we achieved record attendance, facilitated regional collaboration and delivered a 37% increase in client retention for Sanofi’s consumer health products.
Context and Challenge:
Context: Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical leader, wanted to position itself as a thought leader in the fight against non-communicable diseases while also strengthening its regional market presence. They commissioned GG Concepts to organise a groundbreaking diabetes symposium that could bridge East and West Africa. I was directly responsible for planning and executing this milestone event, coordinating across borders to ensure seamless delivery.
Challenge: The task was ambitious: host simultaneous conferences across Nairobi, Mombasa and Accra while engaging hundreds of doctors in a coordinated dialogue on diabetes care. Beyond logistics, the challenge was to ensure high-value participation, strengthen prescriber confidence and create lasting engagement that translated into measurable commercial results for Sanofi.
Strategic Approach:
Phase 1: Strategic Alignment and Team Formation: I worked closely with Sanofi’s consumer health division to clarify objectives and secured buy-in from regional leadership. I established a digital project team spanning East and West Africa, with clearly defined workstreams for logistics, delegate management and post-event analytics.
Phase 2: Hybrid Event Design and Coordination: I managed invitations, confirmations, vendor contracts and venue logistics. Using Notion as a central collaboration tool, I coordinated audiovisuals, giveaways and sample distribution while designing a hybrid model that integrated physical sessions with virtual Zoom participation.
Phase 3: Execution and Engagement: Over four months, I oversaw delivery across cities, ensured CPD accreditation to drive attendance and facilitated knowledge-sharing between regional healthcare providers. I also tracked participation metrics and guided follow-up activities, including mini-symposia in Thika, Mombasa and Nairobi.
Results and Impact:
Quantifiable Outcomes:
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500 invitations issued with 80% physical attendance and 70% virtual participation.
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37% increase in client retention for Sanofi, with new doctors and clinics prescribing their treatments.
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Multiple follow-up mini-symposia conducted, expanding reach beyond major cities.
Qualitative Achievements:
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Pioneered the first regional hybrid medical symposium on diabetes in Africa.
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Strengthened East–West Africa collaboration between medical practitioners.
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Enhanced Sanofi’s positioning as a thought leader in NCD management.
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Introduced patient innovations for sugar-level tracking and long-term disease management.
Key Takeaway & Strategic Insight:
This project demonstrated how a hybrid, remote-first approach can overcome geographic barriers, scale impact and deliver measurable business outcomes in healthcare. The success proved that well-structured remote collaboration can simultaneously advance medical education and strengthen commercial growth.
Conclusion:
By combining strategic foresight, digital collaboration tools and cross-border leadership, I delivered a pioneering symposium that set a new benchmark for hybrid healthcare events in Africa. This achievement reinforced my ability to lead remote, multi-stakeholder initiatives that deliver both social impact and measurable business growth.
Technical Proficiencies Utilised:
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Zoom: Enabled live participation for doctors in Accra, ensuring cross-border knowledge-sharing.
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Notion: Served as the central platform for task allocation, tracking and remote collaboration.
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Audiovisual Systems: Facilitated seamless hybrid delivery with high-quality streaming and in-person engagement.
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Survey Tools: Captured post-event feedback to measure retention and event impact.
Core Competencies Displayed:
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Remote Team Leadership
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Strategic Event Design
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Cross-Border Collaboration
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Vendor & Stakeholder Management
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Data-Driven Decision Making
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Healthcare Marketing & Engagement
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Case Study: Ethics Localisation Achieves 100% Compliance Across East Africa
Executive Summary:
In 2020, I was contracted by Sanofi to localise its global Code of Ethics handbook for the African and EMEA markets. The challenge was to translate a multinational framework into a culturally relevant tool while preserving strict alignment with global standards. I designed and executed a six-month strategy involving regional workshops, staff participation in photography, creative production, and structured roll-out. The result was 100% adoption across East Africa, strengthening compliance, cultural alignment and shared corporate values across teams.
Context and Challenge:
Context: As Co-Founder & Lead Consultant at GG Concepts, I was engaged to conceptualise and adapt Sanofi’s Code of Ethics into a practical resource for East Africa. The handbook covered three main categories; respect and protection of people and the environment, integrity in managing information and integrity in business practices, spanning 15 sub-categories that shaped everyday behaviour and corporate identity.
Challenge: The existing global handbook, while comprehensive, was not tailored to local cultural and operational realities. Without localisation, employees risked perceiving the code as abstract, leading to inconsistent adoption. The task was to contextualise these principles into accessible, region-specific narratives while ensuring global compliance and winning stakeholder approval across EMEA.
Strategic Approach:
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Phase 1: Securing Buy-in and Cultural Interpretation: I engaged the East Africa Hub to demonstrate the project’s value, then led collaborative workshops to translate each ethics category into culturally grounded examples.
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Phase 2: Creative Development and Production: I negotiated staff modelling contracts for photography in Kenya and Ethiopia, coordinated videography and design and managed approval cycles with Sanofi’s global team.
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Phase 3: Roll-out and Orientation: I oversaw printing, delivery and structured orientation sessions, ensuring every staff member across the region was trained and aligned with the localised framework.
Results and Impact:
Quantifiable Outcomes:
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100% staff orientation and compliance training achieved across Sanofi’s East Africa operations.
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Six-month delivery timeline met, ensuring on-schedule roll-out despite complex multi-stakeholder approvals.
Qualitative Achievements:
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Strengthened cultural alignment between global standards and regional values.
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Unified corporate identity across diverse East African teams.
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Delivered a clear, contextualised understanding of Sanofi’s ethics, improving everyday integrity and accountability practices.
Key Takeaway & Strategic Insight:
Embedding global ethics frameworks into local culture is not just about compliance, it’s about making values resonate. True adoption comes when principles are translated into everyday realities, empowering teams to live the brand from the inside out.
Conclusion:
This project showcased my ability to align multinational frameworks with local context, manage complex cross-regional stakeholders and deliver results that impact both culture and compliance. The successful adoption demonstrated my strength in combining strategic vision with hands-on execution to drive measurable organisational outcomes.
Technical Proficiencies Utilised:
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Adobe InDesign & Photoshop: For handbook design and publication.
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Zoom & Microsoft Teams: For remote workshops, alignment and approvals.
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Trello: For project management and workflow tracking.
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Canon DSLR Photography: For professional staff imagery across Kenya and Ethiopia.
Core Competencies Displayed:
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Strategic Communication & Localisation
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Stakeholder Engagement & Buy-in
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Cross-Regional Project Delivery
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Creative Direction & Production Management
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Remote Collaboration & Team Orientation
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Compliance & Ethics Framework Implementation
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Case Study: Tiered Distribution Model Strengthens Partnerships and Delivers 10% Annual Sales Growth
Executive Summary:
In 2015, as Group Head of Marketing at OSHO Chemicals, I tackled a critical distribution challenge: how to make our Plant Health, Animal Health and Public Health products more accessible to consumers across East Africa. By designing and implementing a tiered distribution system with performance-based incentives, I repositioned distributors as true growth partners. Within a year, 15% of Tier 2 distributors moved up to Tier 1, new product launch cycles were cut in half and overall sales grew steadily by 10% per annum, while loyalty and market presence were significantly strengthened.
Context and Challenge:
Context: OSHO Chemicals is a leading regional provider of agricultural, animal health and public health solutions. In my capacity as Group Head of Marketing, I was responsible for driving growth, managing cross-border operations and ensuring products were consistently accessible to end-users through an effective distribution network.
Challenge: Despite strong product offerings, our distribution structure was inefficient. End consumers faced limited access, while distributors lacked motivation and recognition, resulting in slower product adoption and heightened vulnerability to competitors. The challenge was to design a distribution model that rewarded performance, built loyalty and accelerated market penetration.
Strategic Approach:
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Phase 1: Diagnosis and Strategy: I analysed the existing distribution system, benchmarked against industry best practices and held consultative meetings with distributors. This revealed that distributors needed to feel valued as long-term partners through structured recognition and tangible rewards.
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Phase 2: Execution and Incentives: I launched a tiered distribution model (large, medium, new distributors) with structured discount bands (15%, 12.5%, 10%) tied to annual volumes, plus a 5% rebate for surpassing sales targets. To boost morale and loyalty, I introduced exclusive international trips, regional conferences and awards dinners to recognise performance.
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Phase 3: Expansion and Segmentation: I created a dedicated team to serve institutional buyers directly, while adding a premier tier for distributors generating over KES 50M annually, offering them exclusive benefits and further strengthening relationships.
Results and Impact:
Quantifiable Outcomes:
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15% of Tier 2 distributors advanced to Tier 1 within the first year.
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New product launch cycles reduced from 12 months → 6 months → 4 months.
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Annual sales grew by 10% across key markets.
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Established a premier distributor tier exceeding KES 50M in annual sales.
Qualitative Achievements:
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Strengthened distributor loyalty and positioned OSHO as a preferred partner.
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Created exclusivity and prestige, motivating distributors through rewards and recognition.
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Reduced competitor product adoption by ensuring OSHO’s availability across East Africa.
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Built a separate channel for institutional buyers, diversifying revenue streams.
Key Takeaway & Strategic Insight:
True growth in distribution is achieved not by pushing products but by elevating distributors into valued partners, empowered with recognition, exclusivity and shared incentives for success.
Conclusion:
This project demonstrates my ability to combine strategic analysis with creative incentive structures to solve distribution challenges, strengthen partnerships and accelerate revenue growth. It highlights my capacity to design scalable, data-driven solutions that deliver measurable business impact across multiple markets.
Technical Proficiencies Utilised:
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MS Excel: For data analysis and forecasting distributor performance.
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CRM Systems: To track distributor sales and manage institutional accounts.
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PowerPoint: For presenting incentive models and training sessions.
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Email/Virtual Collaboration Tools: To engage and align cross-border distributors remotely.
Core Competencies Displayed:
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Strategic Channel Development
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Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Building
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Incentive Design & Sales Acceleration
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Cross-Border Market Expansion
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Data-Driven Decision Making
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Remote Collaboration & Communication