The Kenyan corporate scene has in the past been dominated by members of the male gender - mirroring many other sectors of the society.
However, the proverbial glass ceiling is slowly but steadily being broken by trailblazing women who have worked hard to beat societal stereotypes and make a mark for themselves as respected entrepreneurs - and of course, they have made a fortune along the way.
Kenyans.co.ke tells these stories to inspire and celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation.
A report by Knight Frank in 2018 disclosed; out of the 125 Kenyans who are worth over Ksh 3 billion, only 23 of them are women.
Jane Wanjiru Michuki is among these 23 women. She has managed to be at the top, playing her cards right at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
As at 2018, Wanjiru had a 9.5 per cent in Britam which is reported to be worth Ksh5.4 billion. The stake is owned through an investment vehicle where she has a 44.4 per cent stake.
Profession
In addition to the stake business, Wanjiru is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 36 years of broad legal background in corporate and commercial law.
She is a Managing Partner at the Kimani and Michuki Advocates, a law firm that deals with Litigation and Commercial law.
Her areas of practice at the firm include contract negotiations, perfecting securities and financial negotiations.
Wanjiru's expertise in commercial law has seen her lead legal teams in some of the most significant commercial transactions in the financial sector.
"She has a strong grounding in international law and has been team leader in various international transactions on behalf of clients both local and international," reads an excerpt from the Kimani and Michuki website.
Previously, Wanjiru served as a Board Member and Chairperson of the Institute for Education in Democracy; Founding Member, Trustee and Vice Chairperson of Federation Of Women Lawyers.
In addition, she has served as a Board Member for the British American Tobacco Kenya, Board Member Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF).
Currently, she serves as a Board Member of Nyumbani Children’s Home and the Chairperson of The National Construction Authority of Kenya.
Education
Wanjiru graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in the Bachelor of Laws.
After her degree, Wanjiru went to the Kenya School of Law where she obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
In addition, she went to the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights where she attained her Certificate in Human Rights and International Instruments.
Afterwards, she went to the University of Warwick where she got a Masters in Law (LLM).
Family
Not much is known about Wanjiru's family.
Though she shares her surname with the late Transport Minister John Michuki, the two are not related.
