Natalie Njenga
Consumer-Centric Brand Leader | Marketing & Business Growth Strategist
Nairobi, Nairobi Province
Summary
Dynamic and commercially astute marketing leader with 6+ years’ experience building and growing brands across the FMCG, beauty, tech, and e-commerce sectors. Currently leading the International Brands portfolio at L’Oréal East Africa, I specialize in brand strategy, consumer insight, integrated marketing, digital innovation, and full P&L ownership. Adept at managing multifunctional teams and driving impactful 360 campaigns that grow both brand equity and business performance. Recognized for my ability to translate insight into action, build high-performing teams, and lead with clarity, passion, and a deep understanding of East African consumers.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Certifications
Work History
Business Lead – International Brands
L’Oréal East Africa
01.2024 - Current
- Winner of L’Oréal Digital Shelf Award (2024) for leading content integrity to +88%, with standout growth in Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris.
- Grown international brands from 20% to 49% of division turnover in 3 years.
- Led Garnier to 5× growth and first-ever profitability for Garnier and L’Oréal Paris under my leadership.
- Expanded footprint across East Africa — successfully launched and activated international brands in Uganda and Tanzania, tailoring go-to-market strategy per market.
- Propelled L’Oréal Paris from #7 to #3 in category rankings, gaining +450bps share and outpacing the market by 5× through relevant innovations and precision pricing.
- Led award-winning campaign performance: – #1 influencer share in skincare and makeup for Garnier and Maybelline – Garnier highest top-of-mind brand at 35% in face care (from 29%) – 71% conversion from awareness to usage – #1 Share of Voice on TV, with optimized media spend
- Drove pricing and margin gains through sourcing optimizations, hero SKU relaunches, and mix strategy — Maybelline turnover +30% through global pricing realignment.
- Tripled brand penetration and portfolio breadth by launching affordable hero formats and scaling accessible innovations for emerging segments.
- Responsible for the full strategic and operational leadership of Maybelline, Garnier, and L’Oréal Paris across East Africa.
- Drive brand, business, and profitability performance across the portfolio — overseeing media, campaign strategy, product mix, advocacy, pricing, trade activations, distribution, and market development.
- Lead a team of 7 direct reports across brand, digital, and trade — while managing full P&L accountability, merchandising, forecasting, and profitability targets.
- Oversee strategic planning and commercial alignment via S&OP, JBP, and annual business planning across sales, supply, and finance.
Brand Manager – Garnier
L’Oréal East Africa
06.2022 - 01.2024
- Awarded Employee of the Year 2023 for outstanding impact across business, brand, and team performance.
- Launched Garnier AHA BHA Charcoal Serum with a 360 campaign, delivering 3× turnover vs prior hero SKU within 3 months — campaign was selected as a global best practice.
- Grew Garnier turnover by +87% and improved Gross Margin by +500bps, leveraging product mix strategy, pricing optimization, and sourcing/supply chain efficiencies.
- Elevated Garnier to #1 face care brand in Kenya with 40%+ market share, doubling distribution and growing e-commerce contribution from 8% to 20% of total brand turnover.
- Delivered triple-digit growth of the hygiene category (Roll-on) by reversing a category decline through smart mix prioritization and media focus — contributing significantly to 3× brand growth in 2 years.
- Led award-winning digital strategy for Garnier Vitamin C, earning a L’Oréal Global Brand Award. Combined localized storytelling, influencer-led advocacy, and consumer education to create the #1 growth driver for the brand in 2023.
- Built Garnier’s first-ever WhatsApp beauty channel, growing a community of 100K+, with 15% average conversion rate through social commerce and 4% engagement rates on advocacy-led content.
- Launched national “Pure Active Acne Tour”, educating 10,000+ students across 11 universities and 5 high schools — boosting brand relevance and product trial among Gen Z consumers.
- Led end-to-end marketing strategy, P&L management, and brand building for Garnier in Kenya. Delivered breakthrough growth through consumer-first campaigns, strategic pricing, media innovation, and distribution expansion.
Junior Brand Manager – International Brands
L’Oréal East Africa
09.2021 - 05.2022
- Led the official launch of L’Oréal Paris in Kenya, overseeing product portfolio selection, pricing, demand planning, and go-to-market execution in collaboration with global brand teams, supply chain, and commercial functions.
- Supported the strategic and executional management of the Garnier, L’Oréal Paris, and Dark and Lovely brands across East Africa. Played a pivotal role in launching new brands and campaigns that elevated category performance and brand equity.
- Spearheaded Garnier’s “Pure Confidence” digital and advocacy campaign, resulting in viral social engagement and double-digit turnover growth within the skincare franchise.
- Executed in-store visibility enhancements with Naivas supermarket chain, including category navigation tools and hero product focus, leading to Garnier becoming the #1 face care brand in Naivas (45% market share) and #2 nationally in modern trade.
- Rolled out Dark and Lovely Water Gel launch, managing creative, media, and retail activation through cross-functional and agency collaboration.
Brand Manager - Ecommerce and Digital Marketing
Kutuma Kenya
04.2021 - 09.2021
- Company Overview: E-commerce & Logistics company. Brands owned are Dial a Delivery, Yum Deliveries, Yum Turnup & Swyft
- Creating and executing and measurement of brand and communication strategies for the 3 key brands, DAD, Yum & Turnup
- Insight and data led digital & Offline media planning and buying resulting in month on month sales and revenue growth
- Preparation and deployment of marketing budget
- Continuous competitor activity and market share analysis to gather insights and measure marketing effectiveness
Marketing Communications Trainee- Central East & West Africa
Beiersdorf
03.2020 - 03.2021
- Continuously planning, executing and implementing strategic campaigns on digital and offline media across CEWA exceeding planned KPIs.
- Management of Consumer Interaction Management generating insights used to make business & communication decisions.
- Managed skincare and personal care brand projects across the CEWA market.
- Monitoring and tracking marketing budget for CEWA markets.
- Liaison between digital and media agencies in briefing, reverts and follow up of all agency deliverables.
Education
MBA - Strategic Management
United States International University
Nairobi 01.2024 - Current
Bachelor Of Commerce - Marketing Major
STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY
Nairobi 06.2015 - 6 2019
Skills
- 360° Campaign Development (ATL, Digital, Advocacy)
- Trade & Channel Strategy
- Stakeholder management
- Team leadership
- P&L Ownership & Budget Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration (S&OP, Finance, Supply, Sales)
Certification
CIM - Chartered Institute of Marketing (Level 6) (2021-01 - Present)
Timeline
Business Lead – International Brands
L’Oréal East Africa
01.2024 - Current
MBA - Strategic Management
United States International University
01.2024 - Current
Brand Manager – Garnier
L’Oréal East Africa
06.2022 - 01.2024
Junior Brand Manager – International Brands
L’Oréal East Africa
09.2021 - 05.2022
Brand Manager - Ecommerce and Digital Marketing
Kutuma Kenya
04.2021 - 09.2021
Marketing Communications Trainee- Central East & West Africa
Beiersdorf
03.2020 - 03.2021
Bachelor Of Commerce - Marketing Major
STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY
06.2015 - 6 2019
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