Cofounder & Director, Charter Pay
MARTHA NJAMBI
Charter Pay (Orion Charter Pay Limited)
Nairobi
Overview
Kenyan lawyer, Certified Public Accountant and INSEAD MBA (Class of 2026) with over ten years' experience in payroll, tax, employment compliance and finance operations. Cofounder and Director of Charter Pay (Orion Charter Pay Limited), supporting EOR, COR and outsourced payroll services across Africa. At Yellow Card Financial Services, led payroll across 17 jurisdictions, covering statutory filings, employee benefits, payments in multiple currencies, provider relationships and international mobility. Former Head of Legal & Tax at RSM Law LLP, with earlier tax, legal advisory and corporate governance experience at Centum Investment. Combines payroll execution with international contracting and regulatory oversight.
12+
Years of experience
01+
Certification
Work History
08.2026 - Current3 Months
Cofounder & Director
Charter Pay (Orion Charter Pay Limited) | Nairobi
- Cofounded Charter Pay, a Kenyan Employer of Record (EOR), Contractor of Record (COR), outsourced payroll and market entry business serving international employers hiring across Africa.
- Lead legal, employment compliance and governance workstreams, translating labour, tax and payroll requirements into service agreements, operating controls and guidance for clients and delivery teams.
- Draft and review EOR and managed service agreements covering employer responsibilities, payroll funding, statutory remittances, benefits, confidentiality, client approvals and lawful termination arrangements.
- Structure international employment and contractor engagements, distinguishing direct employing arrangements from delivery models supported by local partners and documenting responsibilities and local limitations.
- Advise on employee lifecycle matters, including onboarding documents, contractual amendments, leave and benefits, work authorisations, immigration, grievances, disciplinary processes and compliant offboarding.
- Establish payroll governance requirements for authorised client instructions, payroll approvals, funding deadlines, payment controls, reconciliations, statutory filing evidence and escalation of exceptions.
- Act as Data Protection Officer, supporting privacy governance for employee, contractor, candidate and client records, including confidential information, third party processing and international transfers.
- Support client proposals, due diligence and commercial negotiations, combining legal, payroll and employment expertise to develop clear, workable service commitments for clients.
06.2025 - 08.20252 Months
MBA Associate
Victory Farms, Finance & Corporate Affairs
- Completed an MBA Associate placement lasting three months in Finance & Corporate Affairs at Victory Farms during the INSEAD MBA programme.
02.2024 - 05.20251 Year 3 Months
Head of Legal & Tax
RSM Law LLP
- Served as Head of Legal & Tax at RSM Law LLP, combining legal and tax workstreams in a leadership role informed by regulatory and commercial advisory experience.
- Brought an integrated legal, tax and finance perspective to the role, building on prior corporate tax management, due diligence and governance responsibilities at Centum.
05.2022 - 01.20241 Year 8 Months
Senior Manager, Finance Operations
Yellow Card Financial Services
- Managed group payroll across 17 jurisdictions spanning sub Saharan Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, coordinating with local finance teams and external providers.
- Oversaw monthly payroll, payslips, payroll taxes, pensions, medical contributions, statutory levies and salary payments in local currencies and, where applicable, USD.T.
- Led relationships with Gusto, Workpay and Bento payroll providers and maintained employee records in BamboohR to support accurate payroll processing and monthly reporting.
- Coordinated US payroll reporting, including Forms 1099, 940 and 941 and state payroll registrations; supported compliance registrations in ten Nigerian states.
- Advised on international contractor arrangements through a US group company in markets lacking a local employing entity, considering related legal and payroll implications.
- Supported executive relocation to the UAE from Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria under a global mobility programme, coordinating employment documents and mobility requirements.
- Coordinated visas, work permits and immigration processes across African markets, using legal expertise to respond to employment authorisation queries from teams and stakeholders.
- Drafted and implemented third party payment, employee reimbursement, mileage and credit card policies, supporting consistent finance operations controls across 17 countries.
- Evaluated expense management platforms and implemented Zoho Expense, standardising vendor, travel and employee expense approval, payment and reporting workflows throughout the group.
- Maintained statutory compliance trackers, supported quarterly finance risk reviews and coordinated centralised leave administration for more than 220 employees.
- Coordinated three Finance Operations departments, prepared weekly operating expenditure reports, supported budgeting and worked with legal and compliance teams on controls.
01.2020 - 05.20222 Years 4 Months
Tax Manager
Centum Investment Company Plc | Nairobi
- Managed corporate tax and statutory compliance at Centum, coordinating with finance and legal teams to monitor obligations, filing deadlines and relevant tax exposures.
- Supported financial, legal and tax due diligence for investee companies, reviewing compliance gaps, missing records and matters requiring management attention.
- Reviewed commercial arrangements and investment transactions for tax and regulatory implications, advising on potential liabilities and appropriate follow up measures.
- Maintained tax and audit compliance trackers supporting accurate filings, timely statutory reporting and resolution of open regulatory matters.
- Prepared compliance updates, worked with finance and legal stakeholders and supported responses to tax authority correspondence and audit requests.
- Supported corporate governance processes, including contracts, notices, board and shareholder materials, and monitoring ongoing contractual obligations.
08.2014 - 12.20195 Years 4 Months
Senior Tax Associate
Centum Investment Company Plc | Nairobi
- Progressed from graduate trainee and analyst to Senior Tax Associate within Centum's Legal & Tax function, supporting tax analysis, compliance and due diligence.
- Prepared legal and tax research, memoranda, notices and contract reviews, collaborating on transaction documentation, regulatory queries and management reporting.
- Centralised active and terminated contracts, improving visibility of ongoing obligations, contract terms and documentation for governance and compliance reviews.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
INSEAD | 01.2026
INSEAD
01.2026
GPA: 26J
Postgraduate Diploma
Kenya School of Law
Kenya School of Law
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) | Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Skills
Certification
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA), professional qualification
- Professional memberships, Law Society of Kenya; Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya; Institute of Certified Public Secretaries
References
Available upon request.
Timeline
Cofounder & Director
Charter Pay (Orion Charter Pay Limited)
08.2026 - CurrentRead more
MBA Associate
Victory Farms, Finance & Corporate Affairs
06.2025 - 08.2025Read more
Head of Legal & Tax
RSM Law LLP
02.2024 - 05.2025Read more
Senior Manager, Finance Operations
Yellow Card Financial Services
05.2022 - 01.2024Read more
Tax Manager
Centum Investment Company Plc
01.2020 - 05.2022Read more
Senior Tax Associate
Centum Investment Company Plc
08.2014 - 12.2019Read more
INSEAD - Master of Business Administration (MBA),
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Kenya School of Law - Postgraduate Diploma,
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University of Nairobi - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
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