Farah Esmail is a strategic business advisor with 20 years’ experience in North America and Africa, and a special focus on social impact and social enterprise. Her strong background in senior management roles in corporate governance, legal, strategy and HR make her an invaluable resource to clients in developing strategies and recruiting leadership to drive sustainable growth and make an impact.
Professional Focus
- 20 years’ experience in senior leadership, corporate governance, human resources, consulting, and commercial/corporate law
- Advises social enterprises and social impact organizations, as well as start-ups, family-run businesses and multinationals in a range of industries
- Board services, including assessment, appointments and performance improvement
- Deep expertise in business and human capital strategy, organizational change, compliance, risk management, business development, strategic partnerships, international best practices
- Extensive international experience in North America and across Africa
- Adept at working in multicultural teams and a vast demographic, with strong understanding of cultural, local, regional and international team dynamics
- Fluent in English
Business Expertise
- Head of Kenya at a global board consulting and search firm based in Nairobi, Kenya
- HR and Legal Director, East Africa at KK Security (a GardaWorld company), Nairobi, Kenya
- Group Head of Legal and Human Resources, East Africa Region at Orbit Chemical Industries, Nairobi, Kenya
- VP and Senior Legal Counsel, Africa Region at Bridge International Academies, Nairobi, Kenya
- Senior Manager of Board Services of the Toronto District School Board
- Senior Legal Counsel at Connections Education LLC, Baltimore, U.S.
- Civil Litigation Associate at Zeppieri and Associates, Toronto, Canada
- Commercial Litigation Associate at Beard Winter LLP, Toronto, Canada
Practice Membership
Global Cross Sector Practices
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
Additional Expertise
- Corporate Governance/Board Services
- Social Enterprise/Social Impact
- Legal Services
- Human Resources
- Education
- Professional Services
- FMCG
- Security
- Technology
Education & Certifications
- MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, Toronto, Canada
- JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, Canada
- BSc (Hons.) in environmental science from University of Toronto, Canada
- Ontario Bar Admission, Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
- Harvard University Certificate Course: Entrepreneurship for Emerging Economies
- Sirdar Applied Directorship Programme Certificate Course: Corporate Governance
Awards & Affiliations
- CMO Asia Africa's Woman Leadership Award, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Panellist, World Woman Leadership Congress, Mumbai, India
- Advisory Board Member, Merican Limited
- Board Director, Sohail Regency Management Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
- Board Director, Sports for Change, Nairobi, Kenya
- Board member and various officer positions, Association of Corporate Counsel, U.S., Canada and Kenya
- Judge, National Bodybuilding Championship (2018), Kenya Bodybuilding Federation, Nairobi, Kenya
- Organizing Committee Member, Wild Charge animal conservation non-profit, Nairobi, Kenya
- Trustee, The Mango Tree Trust education non-profit, Nairobi, Kenya
- Board Member and Chair, Back on My Feet homeless assistance non-profit, Baltimore, U.S.
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