Few professionals navigate reinvention as effortlessly as Mimi Mavuti. After more than 15 years spent shaping the corporate narratives of some of the region’s most recognisable brands, the seasoned communications strategist is embarking on a new chapter, now as an entrepreneur and independent storyteller.
For nearly a decade, Mavuti played a pivotal role at British American Tobacco (BAT), where she most recently served as Head of Business Communication and Sustainability for Sub-Saharan Africa. Her work placed her at the heart of the company’s transformation into a purpose-led organisation—an undertaking that required balancing corporate strategy, sustainability commitments and public perception in one of the world’s most scrutinised industries.
But while her rise in corporate communications may appear deliberate, Mavuti describes the beginning of her career as almost accidental.
“I had enrolled to study law for my bachelor’s but after two weeks of classes, I quickly realised it wasn’t for me,” she recalls. “I pivoted to communication—a field I had never even considered before. But people had always said I had a knack for language and creativity.”
That instinct proved right. Over the years, Mavuti developed a reputation as a sharp strategist capable of translating complex corporate goals into compelling narratives. Before BAT, she helped shape brand communications at KenolKobil, now Rubis Energy, where she worked on one of the company’s boldest consumer campaigns—the launch of a mass market fuel card at a time when prepaid fuel systems were still unfamiliar to many Kenyans.
The challenge, she explains, was not the product itself but consumer trust.
“Even though the fuel card had a significant discount, people were sceptical. They asked: ‘Is my money safe? What if there’s a shortage?’ Our messaging had to meet consumers at their level of concern and address those fears directly.”
It was this ability to align storytelling with audience psychology that helped define her professional philosophy. Mavuti often references the concept of “neurocoupling,” developed by Uri Hasson, which explains how effective storytelling synchronises the minds of the storyteller and the audience.
“For communication to be impactful, the message must be informed by insights and data, and it must resonate emotionally with the audience,” she says.
Her leadership in corporate storytelling and sustainability reporting earned industry recognition. She oversaw sustainability reporting for BAT’s listed entities in Sub-Saharan Africa, including BAT Kenya and BAT Zimbabwe, ensuring their narratives reflected transparency, compliance and real impact. The work helped BAT Zimbabwe earn the Best Practices in ESG Integration Award from ESG Network Zimbabwe in 2025.
Recognition followed closer to home as well. Mavuti was named among the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Marketing in 2022 and later listed as one of the Eve Women to Watch by The Standard Group in 2023. In the same period, an internal communications campaign she led at BAT East and Southern Africa won the Internal Communications Campaign of the Year award from Public Relations Society of Kenya.
Yet despite a flourishing corporate career, Mavuti felt the pull toward something more personal—something creative and deeply rooted in local culture.
That vision is now taking shape through Sengani, a “made-in-Kenya” eclectic living brand she founded that works exclusively with local artisans. The venture blends design, sustainability and storytelling—three themes that have defined her professional journey.
Her goal is not simply to create products, but to build a community and a legacy.
“My work in sustainability inspired Sengani,” she says. “We want to contribute to social impact by creating decent work for local artisans while building a brand narrative that resonates with our consumers.”
Beyond entrepreneurship, Mavuti continues to shape conversations around sustainability and corporate storytelling. She has moderated and spoken at high-profile platforms such as the Africa Private Sector ESG Forum in Lagos and sustainability masterclasses hosted by Nairobi Securities Exchange.
For Mavuti, storytelling has always been more than a professional skill. It is a tool for connection, influence and change.
Source: Link
