Your thoughts and ambitions will shape your future

Loice Gichure is an accountant and a risk based auditor. She is also the finance manager of Isuzu East Africa, and chairlady of the company’s women’s council.  

What does a good workplace look like for you?

In the past, money would be the first thing I looked out for. But I realised that I spend so much time at work. So if the workplace encourages growth and teamwork, and enables me to utilise my skills and talent, that’s where I’d like to stay. I prefer an environment where there are growth opportunities, and where people recognise my strengths and are willing to develop them. 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered as a mentor?

Finding time outside my busy schedule. It is difficult for a woman (whom I mostly mentor) to meet for a mentorship session after 7pm. That leaves me with only the weekends. Finding a suitable place is also another challenge because there are costs involved both for me and for the mentee. 

As chair of Isuzu Women’s Council, what are your goals?

Being a male-dominated field, the council aims at growing the number of women in the company, because it’s been proven that organisations that have women in leadership positions often perform better. We take women through leadership training. All women leaders in our organisation have gone through the Female Future training programme conducted by the Federation of Kenyan Employers. It is a nine-month course that equips women with leadership skills. 

We also organise ‘Unconscious Bias’ training. This is a programme I put together for the management based on my research and experiences. It aims at ensuring that management decisions are made with both men and women in mind. 

The council also advocates for mixed-gender panels during interviews, the designing of more products targeting women, and improving the female customer experience. 

Why did you choose to become an accountant?

Initially it was just passion. I had planned to pursue any science-related course, then I was called to the University of Nairobi and I ended up graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. 

Because I like working with numbers, I am enjoying my job as an accountant. I feel very encouraged and motivated when I see people make sound business decisions based on my advice. 

What do you think should be done to enrich accounting courses and make them more relevant to students?

We must all embrace the digital space. Predictions have been made that accounting might be extinct by the year 2030. That means that knowledge in accounting will still be useful, but how it will be utilised and consumed will be different. 

There are five key skills necessary for any accountant today: Communication. You must be able to sell yourself and your skills to the organisation. They need to see your value. Critical thinking is another important skill. Collaboration, rather than competition, helps improve your output since you get to learn from others and exchange ideas. Teamwork enables you handle emerging challenges better. Lastly, is creativity and innovation. Any good accountant needs to meet and anticipate the ever changing customer needs. The role of technology cannot be underestimated. You must know more than just keying in data on an excel sheet. Students must take advantage of apps that improve the way data is presented.

How did you rise to become the finance manager of Isuzu East Africa?  What skills set you apart from your competitors?

Hard work and good problem-solving skills. When I joined the company, I dove deep, asked questions and learned very fast. I got my first promotion within five months. I also took advantage of complex situations at work to accelerate my learning experience. I constantly thought out of the box and came up with sound advice and solutions. I was never afraid to get out of my comfort zone. I accepted challenges, and was unafraid of getting noticed. 

Tell us about your first job

I worked for an organisation that sold computers on Luthuli Avenue in Nairobi. By then, I was in second year at UoN. I told my boss that I was a student of accounts and he asked me to work for them. I did not get a lot of money, but the job was exciting. 

If you could speak to your 23-year-old self, what would you tell her about career trajectory?

I’d tell her to be patient and to gain as much experience as she can. It is important to expand your mind because your thoughts and ambitions will shape your future. Knowledge is power. It helps you grow. Read a lot, get a mentor and do not isolate yourself.

Do you have a life mantra?

Yes. Everything is learned.​