Claudine Gakundi
Intrapreneur
Nairobi
Summary
Experienced fintech strategist with 10 years of expertise in driving scalable growth in emerging markets through BNPL and e-commerce solutions. Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional teams, spearheading product innovation, acquiring merchants, and executing go-to-market strategies. Skilled at cultivating ecosystems of over 30,000 merchants, optimizing P&L, and launching financial products through strategic partnerships and customer-centric offerings. Proficient in data-driven decision-making, fluent in growth strategies, product launches, GTM execution, and stakeholder engagement.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages
Work History
Country Manager
ShipShap
09.2024 - Current
- Company Overview : E - Logistics
- Spearheading ShipShap’s market expansion strategy in Kenya, aligning product offerings with merchant needs and growth opportunities.
- Developed go-to-market (GTM) strategies targeting SMB and enterprise segments, resulting in improved merchant onboarding and activation.
- Established operational frameworks including merchant onboarding processes, KPI/OKR tracking, and partner management systems.
- Designed and implemented scorecards for fulfillment accuracy, service volume, pricing consistency, and partner performance.
- Led integrated marketing, sales, and operations strategies; introduced performance-based commission structures to accelerate revenue growth.
Country Manager
Sky.Garden
05.2023 - 08.2024
- Company Overview: E-Commerce Marketplace (Acquired by Lipa Later)
- Revamped the Sky.Garden platform, enhancing conversion, user experience, and logistics infrastructure within a 30,000+ merchant ecosystem.
- Launched segmented campaigns to attract and retain SMBs and enterprise sellers, driving a notable increase in transaction volume.
- Streamlined end-to-end workflows across customer experience, inventory, and delivery operations.
- Designed and assessed quarterly marketing and partner engagement strategies.
- Collaborated with product and engineering teams to implement data-informed UX improvements.
Country Manager
Lipa Later Limited
09.2020 - 08.2024
- Company Overview: BNPL Fintech
- Led national operations for a leading BNPL fintech, managing a cross-functional team of 100+ across customer success, business development, and marketing.
- Oversaw full P&L ownership and strategic execution to grow merchant acquisition and revenue across Kenya and Rwanda.
- Onboarded and managed relationships with over 5,000 merchants, including key partnerships with Mastercard, Carrefour, Airtel, Flutterwave, Telkom, Jumia, and DPO.
- Directed marketing efforts to increase brand visibility and drive adoption among SMB and enterprise merchants.
- Developed and launched Lipa Later’s credit card and motor vehicle financing products.
- Led Lipa Later’s expansion into Uganda and Rwanda, including regulatory setup and the establishment of a physical branch.
- Introduced performance dashboards and OKRs aligned to customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), repayment efficiency, and merchant activity.
Head of Business Development
Lipa Later Limited
11.2015 - 08.2020
- Launched Kenya’s first BNPL solution in partnership with national retail and electronics merchants.
- Built and scaled the BD and partnerships function across sales, accounts, and territory expansion.
- Secured over 1,500 merchant partnerships, including exclusivity with top brands like Samsung, Tecno, and Oppo.
- Designed and executed GTM strategies for Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Naivasha.
- Managed brand activations, ATL/BTL campaigns, and co-marketing strategies.
- Provided market intelligence and merchant feedback to shape product features and rollout plans.
Finance Associate
Chase Bank Kenya
04.2014 - 07.2014
- Supported the corporate banking team with credit risk reviews, client documentation, and financial portfolio analysis.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance Major
Strathmore University
Nairobi, Kenya 07.2011 - 06.2015
Skills
- Strategic Leadership: P&L Ownership Market Expansion High-Performance Team Building (100 employees)
- Payments & Fintech: Merchant/Acquirer Solutions BNPL Platforms Embedded Finance Risk Analytics
- Merchant Acquisition/Management : Ecosystem of 30,000 merchants Marketplace Management
- Growth Optimization: CAC/LTV Management Conversion Funnel Analysis A/B Testing
- Stakeholder Management: Investor Relations Cross-Functional Collaboration Government/Regulator Engagement
- Technical Acumen: Agile Product Development API Ecosystem Understanding
References
Nielsimms Sangho – Co-Founder & Head of Partnerships, ShipShap
nielsimms@shipshap.com | +254 722 201 127
Caroline Wanini – Head of Retail, Hotpoint Appliances Ltd
wanini@hotpoint.co.ke | +254 722 220 055
Abraham Muthia – Founder, UzaPoint Ltd
ambuthia@uzapoint.com | +254 710 872 000
Timeline
Country Manager
ShipShap
09.2024 - Current
Country Manager
Sky.Garden
05.2023 - 08.2024
Country Manager
Lipa Later Limited
09.2020 - 08.2024
Head of Business Development
Lipa Later Limited
11.2015 - 08.2020
Finance Associate
Chase Bank Kenya
04.2014 - 07.2014
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance Major
Strathmore University
07.2011 - 06.2015
Similar Profiles
Mark Andrew WanjauMark Andrew Wanjau
Cyber Security Specialist at Deckfirm Technologies HubCyber Security Specialist at Deckfirm Technologies Hub
Grace NgigiGrace Ngigi
Process Engineer at Tetra PakProcess Engineer at Tetra Pak
MARTHA KAJWANG'MARTHA KAJWANG'
Legal Researcher at Amsterdam Law ClinicLegal Researcher at Amsterdam Law Clinic
LUCY NYAMBURA MAINALUCY NYAMBURA MAINA
Sales Person at KIDVENTEROUS HOTELSales Person at KIDVENTEROUS HOTEL
Lily NgarambeLily Ngarambe
Country Manager at Yellow Card FinancialCountry Manager at Yellow Card Financial