Nairobi, Kenya, April 2026 — The Safal Group has announced the appointment of Olivia O. as Group Head – Human Resources, marking a strategic leadership addition as the organization continues to strengthen its people and transformation agenda across Africa.
Olivia brings over 20 years of progressive HR leadership experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Her expertise spans organizational effectiveness, operating model design, talent strategy, and large-scale enterprise transformation, making her well-positioned to lead Safal Group’s people function during a period of growth and evolution.
In her new role, Olivia will be responsible for shaping and executing the Group’s human resources strategy, driving organizational alignment, leadership capability, and workforce transformation across multiple markets. Her appointment reflects Safal Group’s commitment to building a future-ready organization anchored in strong governance, capability development, and a high-performance culture.
Prior to joining The Safal Group, Olivia served as Head of Talent, Africa Program at Heifer International, where she led the Talent and Organisation Effectiveness agenda across the Africa region. In this role, she partnered with senior leadership to drive global organizational transformation, focusing on workforce planning, leadership capability, and talent governance across more than 10 countries.
Before that, she worked as an OD and HR Transformation Consultant, delivering advisory assignments for multinational and mission-driven organizations across Africa and the Middle East. During this phase, she supported executive teams in organization design, workforce planning, and capability building, enabling enterprises to navigate complex transformation journeys with clarity and structure.
Olivia also held a key leadership role at Airtel Africa as HR Director, Africa HQ and Head – Talent & Capability Development, where she led the people and organization effectiveness agenda across 14 African markets. She played a critical role in operating model design, leadership development, and talent pipeline strengthening, supporting the company’s rapid expansion and integration.
Her extensive experience at Standard Chartered Bank saw her lead as Global Head of HR for HR, driving transformation across a 2,500-member HR function spanning over 60 countries. She also served as Head of HR, Consumer Banking Africa, where she led workforce transformation initiatives across multiple markets, aligning talent strategy with business growth objectives.
Earlier in her career, Olivia spent over eight years with Shell East Africa, holding progressive HR leadership roles that focused on workforce planning, talent development, and organizational capability building across the region.
The Safal Group is one of Africa’s leading manufacturers of building solutions, with a strong legacy dating back to 1962. Headquartered under Safal Investments Mauritius Limited, the Group operates manufacturing facilities across 10 African countries and markets its products across the continent.
Driven by its vision of “An Africa built with Pride,” Safal Group focuses on delivering innovative, high-quality building solutions while maintaining a strong commitment to customer value, ethical practices, and community development. With a continued emphasis on innovation, partnerships, and sustainability, the Group plays a critical role in shaping infrastructure development across Africa.
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