Susan Mburu

Senior Account Manager  ·  Nairobi, Kenya

Building brands.
Winning clients.
For over two decades.

A results-driven Account Manager with 20+ years of experience across East and West Africa — turning client briefs into award-winning campaigns and long-term brand relationships.

20+ Years Experience
8 Agencies
30+ Brands Handled
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Safaricom PLC L'Oréal East Africa Kenya Airways New KCC Wilmar Africa Family Bank Nairobi Hospital PSI Kenya APA Insurance Celtel Tanzania Bidco Uganda Two Rivers Burger King Stima Sacco M-Gas HFC Housing Finance Safaricom PLC L'Oréal East Africa Kenya Airways New KCC Wilmar Africa Family Bank Nairobi Hospital PSI Kenya APA Insurance Celtel Tanzania Bidco Uganda Two Rivers Burger King Stima Sacco M-Gas HFC Housing Finance
01

About Me

I am a Senior Account Manager with over two decades of experience in advertising and brand communications across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ghana. My career spans some of East Africa's most respected creative agencies, where I have built deep expertise in client relationship management, campaign development, and strategic brand building.

I began my journey at KUL Graphics in the client servicing and production department, before cutting my teeth at ZK Tanzania and growing through the ranks at Express DDB, Brainwave Communications, SCANAD Kenya, Village Creative, and Tessera Communications. Along the way, I have had the privilege of handling some of East Africa's most iconic brands — from Safaricom and Kenya Airways to L'Oréal and New KCC.

My approach to account management is grounded in deep consumer understanding, proactive communication, and creative problem-solving. I believe in building relationships that go beyond the brief — becoming a trusted strategic partner to every client I serve.

Account Management Client Relations Campaign Development Brand Strategy Consumer Psychology Presentation Skills Negotiation Problem Solving Multi-tasking
2022 — 2025
Senior Account Manager
Tessera Communications Ltd · Nairobi
2018 — 2021
Account Manager
Express DDB · Nairobi
2016 — 2017
Account Manager
Village Creative · Nairobi
2015 — 2016
Brand Partner
SCANAD Kenya · Nairobi
2010 — 2015
Account Manager
Brainwave Communications · Nairobi
2004 — 2006
Account Manager
ZK Tanzania · Dar es Salaam
02

Major Achievements

Ghana · 2014 · Award-Winning

Frytol 360° Campaign — Wilmar Africa

Served as Project Lead on a full 360° campaign for Frytol cooking oil in Ghana, targeting the peri-urban and rural markets. The campaign introduced Frytol sachets as a hygienic, affordable alternative to unregulated dollop vendors — and was an overnight success. Voted the Most Creative and Effective Campaign in Ghana in 2014.

Kenya · Brand Relaunch

Nice & Lovely Relaunch — L'Oréal East Africa

Spearheaded the relaunch of the Nice & Lovely hair and body range following L'Oréal's acquisition from Interconsumer Products. The challenge was to modernise the brand's visual identity without alienating its loyal consumer base. The campaign drove a significant uplift in sales and brand awareness across the region.

Kenya · Public Health · 360° Campaign

Male Circumcision Campaign — PSI Kenya

Led a regional 360° campaign promoting voluntary male circumcision across western Kenya. The initiative drove a measurable surge in uptake at circumcision centres in the target region — a meaningful public health outcome achieved through culturally sensitive, community-focused communications.

Kenya · Consumer Health

Lactose-Free Milk Campaign — New KCC

Managed the New KCC Gold Crown Lactose-Free campaign — "Milk That Loves You" — which educated Kenyan consumers about lactose intolerance and positioned the product as the solution. The campaign drove significant awareness and sales growth in Nairobi and Mombasa, where the condition is most prevalent.

03

Career History

2022 — 2025
Tessera Communications
Senior Account Manager
Safaricom PLC · Safaricom Foundation · M-Gas · HFC Housing Finance · Mount Kenya Milk

Managed a diverse portfolio of blue-chip clients, overseeing end-to-end account delivery from brief to execution. Maintained and deepened existing client relationships while identifying and nurturing new business opportunities. Played an active role in the creative development process, ensuring all work met both client objectives and brand standards.

2018 — 2021
Express DDB
Account Manager
L'Oréal East Africa · New KCC · Stima Sacco · Nairobi Hospital · Family Bank

Managed a high-value portfolio of regional and international clients across FMCG, healthcare, and financial services. Led client presentations, briefed creative teams, and ensured timely delivery of campaigns that consistently exceeded client expectations.

2016 — 2017
Village Creative
Account Manager
Two Rivers · Centum · Haco Tiger Brands

Partnered closely with clients at the creative development stage, from campaign ideation and promotional material through to final execution. Managed both existing accounts and new business development with a focus on building long-term client partnerships.

2015 — 2016
SCANAD Kenya
Brand Partner
APA Insurance · Kenya Airways · NIC Bank · Soko Sawa · Burger King

Served as the primary liaison between agency and clients, ensuring all communications and campaign deliverables aligned with brand strategy. Ensured client objectives were consistently met while contributing to creative ideation across a diverse brand portfolio.

2010 — 2015
Brainwave Communications
Account Manager
L'Oréal East Africa · Interconsumer Products · Jetlak Foods · Wilmar Africa · CBM · Bidco Uganda

Managed a broad and demanding client portfolio across FMCG, healthcare, and NGO sectors in the East and West African markets. Led award-winning campaign work including the Frytol 360° launch in Ghana and the Nice & Lovely relaunch — both of which drove significant market impact and industry recognition.

2007 — 2010
Express DDB
Account Executive
Kenya Tourist Board · National Bank · Total Kenya · PSI Kenya

Supported senior account managers across high-profile accounts, gaining broad experience in client servicing, campaign coordination, and BTL activations. The PSI Kenya male circumcision campaign — a 360° regional initiative — was a landmark achievement during this period.

2004 — 2006
ZK Tanzania
Account Manager
Celtel Tanzania · Steers Tanzania · Copycat Tanzania

Managed client accounts in the Tanzanian market, contributing to brand launches and major activations — including the grand opening of Steers restaurant in Tanzania. Gained valuable cross-border advertising experience across telecoms, QSR, and retail sectors.

04

Core Competencies

i

Account Management

Managing client portfolios end-to-end — from brief to delivery — with a relentless focus on exceeding expectations, building trust, and creating value at every touchpoint.

ii

Consumer Psychology

A deep understanding of what motivates consumers across East and West African markets, enabling the development of campaigns that resonate on a human level and drive measurable behavioural change.

iii

Negotiation & Influencing

Powerful negotiating instincts and persuasion skills developed across two decades of client-facing roles — from presenting creative work to aligning stakeholders on complex, multi-market campaigns.

iv

Campaign Development

Active participation in the full creative development process — from insight mining and strategic briefing through to campaign execution and performance evaluation across 360° channels.

v

Client Presentations

Confident and compelling presentation of creative concepts, strategic recommendations, and campaign results to senior stakeholders — with the clarity and conviction to win rooms and build lasting confidence.

vi

Problem Solving

A calm, solutions-first mindset that thrives under pressure. Able to navigate complex client challenges, tight deadlines, and competing priorities without losing sight of the bigger picture.

05

Education

Professional Training

KUL Graphics

Diploma in Advertising & Marketing · Pre-Press, Printing & Production

Perth, Western Australia

TAFE — West Australia

Diploma in Sociology

Secondary Education

Hospital Hill High School

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Primary Education

Pangani Primary School

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

06

Get In Touch

Let's build something
exceptional together.

Whether it's a new brief, a collaboration, or simply a conversation about what great account management looks like — I would love to hear from you.

Susan