Seasoned Corporate Affairs and Communications leader with over 20 years’ experience driving strategic transformation, public policy advocacy, and sustainability initiatives across Africa. Proven track record of delivering measurable impact — from pioneering Unilever Kenya’s circular packaging innovation and coordinating a €100M Covid-19 humanitarian response, to securing regulatory reforms that safeguarded billions in market value. Recognized for thought leadership in sustainability and social enterprise, with extensive pan-African and global stakeholder networks spanning government, multilateral agencies, and the private sector. Passionate about leveraging communication, strategy, and advocacy to align business growth with societal progress.
Hi, I’m
JOE SUNDAY
Nairobi
Summary
Overview
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Unilever, East & West Africa
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS
01.2016 - 01.2024
Job overview
- Core Delivery: Led cross-functional teams to develop and implement strategic public policy and reputation management initiatives across East & West Africa.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivated relationships with key stakeholders to foster collaboration and drive business growth.
- Employee Engagement: Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
- Reputation Risk Management: Proactively identified potential risks and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on corporate and brand reputation
- Sustainability Thought Leadership: Pioneered adoption of sustainable practices, leading to industry recognition and awards including the delivery of Kenya's first circular packaging model in FMCG.
- Financial prudence: Successfully managed Functional budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Performance Culture: Supervised employee engagement and internal communications strategies that build a high-performance culture across all geographic business units.
- External Representation: Represented Unilever on external industry forums including critical business associations in Kenya – Kenya Association of Manufacturers-KAM,
- Leadership: Board Member at Packaging Producer Responsibility Organization - PAKPRO, Member of East & West Africa Executive Leadership and Global Extended Communications & Corporate Affairs Leadership Team.
Diageo-East Africa
GROUP HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
01.2011 - 01.2016
Job overview
- Managed corporate reputation and investment relations for the second most capitalized business in East Africa.
- Designed and executed one of the most successful public policy advocacy and communications campaign leading to 10% excise duty reduction for one of the business’ critical value brands.
- Developed sustainability impact communication strategies positioning EABL as the most celebrated icon among sourcing communities in areas of water, health and education investment.
- Advised on marketing and brand PR communications in service of maintaining top quartile consumer love scores for EABL flagship brand Tusker.
- Devised and implemented a high impact employee engagement campaign to drive performance successfully delivering a four-year negative business growth spell turnaround.
- Acted as principal leader on crisis communications including addressing consumer brands reputational risk and regulatory headwinds.
- Conceptualized and led the rebranding of EABL corporate identity in 2012 for the first time in nearly 60 years.
Population Council – Gates Foundation Reproductive Health Program
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
01.2010 - 01.2011
Job overview
- Directed communications for the Gates Foundation–funded Reproductive Health Output Based Aid Program.
- Coordinated stakeholder forums integrating government and donor community.
- Advised the Country Director & Global President on regional media issues.
- Developed online platforms and project content, including briefs, policy papers, and a quarterly newsletter reaching 4,000+ global health experts.
- Served as member of the Global Communications Leadership Team.
Population Services International
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
01.2006 - 01.2010
Job overview
- Developed PR strategies driving behavior change in HIV, malaria, safe water, sanitation, and reproductive health.
- Managed donor communications and annual reports for USAID and FCDO programs.
- Designed digital engagement tools for USAID-funded HIV programs.
- Organized major events, including annual World Malaria Day.
- Acted as principal spokesperson, building media networks and securing a CNN feature that led to a national malaria grant.
- Led crisis communications for NACOP’s “Condom Scare” with Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
- Coached and media-trained executive leadership.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Senior Account Consultant
01.2003 - 01.2006
Job overview
- Planned and executed corporate communications for Coca-Cola and GSK Consumer Healthcare.
- Produced Coca-Cola’s first Corporate Citizenship Report for East Africa & Islands.
- Managed medical marketing and PR for GSK’s analgesics, nutrition, oral care, and enterprise brands.
- Led the successful switch of GSK’s flagship brand from prescription-only to OTC in Kenya (2004).
Education
University of NairobiNairobi, Nairobi Province, Kenya
Master of Arts from Communication Studies
09-2012
University Overview
Egerton University
Bachelor of Science from Chemistry & Mathematics
12-1998
University Overview
Skills
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Long-term strategic planning
- Stakeholder relationship management
- Strategic business planning
- Strategic analytical skills
- People management
- Strategies and goals
- Change management
- Business strategy & planning
- Regulatory compliance
- Crisis management
- Government relations
- Corporate communications
- Performance evaluations
- Investor relations
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
- Strategic Crisis Management: Restored consumer confidence in Dasani bottled water in Kenya through regulatory audits, media engagement, and brand ambassadorship — winning the Global Sabre Trophy for brand repositioning.
- Public Policy Advocacy: Designed and led the Senator Excise Duty Remission Campaign at EABL, securing presidential repeal of a 10% excise duty, safeguarding 40% of business volumes and protecting 30,000 farmers’ livelihoods.
- Sustainability Leadership: Pioneered Unilever Kenya’s circular plastic packaging initiative, achieving 22% resin cost savings (USD 430K cumulative) and positioning the company as the first FMCG in East Africa to close the packaging loop.
- Global Humanitarian Impact: Coordinated Africa-level rollout of Unilever’s €100M Hygiene & Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC) during Covid-19, reaching 1.2 billion people with lifesaving hygiene messaging and distributing 20 million soap units across six countries.
- Industry Thought Leadership: Advised Kenya’s Ministry of Public Health during the HIV prevention “condom scare,” restoring public trust. Published sustainability insights and spoke at the Eastern Africa Waste Management Conference and other leadership forums.
- Organizational Transformation: Directed EABL’s first corporate identity refresh in 60 years, redefining vision, mission, and values. Guided Unilever through board transition in Nigeria, re-onshoring in Ethiopia, and commissioning tea plantations/factories in Rwanda and Tanzania.
- Cross-Cultural Leadership: Successfully managed pan-African teams across 13 countries under remote line management, aligning global executives with local execution.
Social Impact: As pro-bono Board Leader of Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation, drove Kenya’s first National Policy on Emergency Medical Care and supported half of Kenya’s counties in developing emergency care plans.
LANGUAGES
English (Fluent)
Swahili (Fluent)
Congolese (Intermediate)
French (Basic)
References
References
- Ben, Langat, Vice President, Unilever East and West Africa, Unilever
- Githinji, Gitahi, Global CEO, Amref Health Africa, Amref Health Africa
- Debra, Mallowah, Head of Africa, Bayer Crop Science, Bayer Crop Science
AWARDS
AWARDS
International SABRE award for best crisis management program (Coca-Cola), Ogilvy PR Global Professional Award for Best Issues Management and Brand Repositioning (Dasani), Global entrepreneurial award for best Brand Consumer Marketing Strategy (GlaxoSmithKline EA)Timeline
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS
Unilever, East & West Africa
01.2016 - 01.2024
GROUP HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
Diageo-East Africa
01.2011 - 01.2016
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Population Council – Gates Foundation Reproductive Health Program
01.2010 - 01.2011
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Population Services International
01.2006 - 01.2010
Senior Account Consultant
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
01.2003 - 01.2006
University of Nairobi
Master of Arts from Communication Studies
Egerton University
Bachelor of Science from Chemistry & Mathematics