Leadership

Marko Tomicic, St Antony’s College, Oxford, 2006.

Marko Tomicic brings over 20 years of distinguished international experience in senior governance, public sector reform, trade and development. A permanent resident of Kenya, he has held prominent leadership positions across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas within diplomatic services, international organisations and major development programmes funded by FCDO, USAID and the UN.

His professional record includes senior roles with the National Democratic Institute, Global Integrity and IPE. While serving in Croatia’s diplomatic service at the OSCE and UN in Vienna, he led negotiations for the OSCE secretariat’s first major financial and operational reform since 1975. More recently, he has served as a Consultant and Advisor for the Center for International Private Enterprise and a Senior Advisor for Interpeace, focusing on strategic peacebuilding and private sector development across East Africa. He is also a co-founder of DataRoad, a knowledge graph and AI company.

Marko holds an MSc in Global and Area Studies from the University of Oxford (St Antony’s College), where he was a Chevening Scholar, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Zagreb. He is an alumnus of the German Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) and the Humboldt University in Berlin, where he participated in the International Parliamentary Scholarship programme. A Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute in the UK, he also leads its working group on Artificial Intelligence. Outside of his professional commitments, he enjoys playing guitar and harmonica, tennis and cycling, while remaining dedicated to youth mentorship in governance and civic responsibility.

Patricia Mativo, Oriel college Oxford, 2023.

Patricia is a recent graduate from the University of Oxford, with a Masters in Environmental Change and Management funded by Mastercard Foundation Scholarship AfOx initiative. She is also a Rhodes scholarship finalist (2023). She is the former Vice chairperson of the Youth Advisory Board of the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and formerly worked as the Coordinator of the Global Network of Young persons with Disabilities. She was appointed by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration ,with the support of the United Nations Resident coordinator’s office, as the youngest member of the Independent Panel of Advisors for the review of Kenya’s Peacebuilding Architecture Process. She is also a Season 2 Ms. President finalist representing Nairobi County in Kenya’s national TV show (KTN). Patricia has been named by the Business Daily newspaper as one of the top 40 under 40 women in Kenya in 2023 and also among the 50 Most Influential Women in Kenya 2024 by AfriCapitol due to her influence in supporting various communities. Her areas of expertise are in climate, gender, disability and education.

Dr Nungari Mwangi, Wolfson College, 2013.

Nungari graduated with an MPhil (Wolfson College, 2013) and PhD (Jesus College, 2019) in International Development from the University of Cambridge. Her doctoral research was on the political economy of SMEs in the Kenyan cut flower industry exporting to European markets. While at Cambridge, she was one of the founding members of the African Students of Cambridge University (ASCU) and the Africa Together platform and served as President of the society in 2014-15.  She has a B.A (hons.) in Political Science from Brown University (2010) and in 2016, she was awarded the Global Andrew E. Rice (Truman) Award for leadership and innovation by a young professional in international development by the Society for International Development in Washington, DC. Nungari currently works at the African Development Bank as the Strategy and Program Development lead for the De-risking Agricultural Finance and Climate Resilience team. She has over a decade of experience in development strategy, policy and research having previously worked at AGRA and at Dalberg Global Development Advisors providing strategy, investment advisory and developing continental leadership initiatives including the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture for the African agriculture sector. She has also worked with a range of international humanitarian organizations including Christian Aid and Save the Children. Nungari is passionate about leadership, mentorship and youth employment and sits on the board of the Digital Opportunity Trust and the Kenya National Committee for United World Colleges.

Nadeem Ahmed, Keble College Oxford, 1997.

Nadeem is CEO of a property development real estate business in Nairobi. The group has completed over 35 large multiple unit residential developments.. He has also partnered in a consortium to successfully build, complete and operate one of the largest retail malls in Kenya. His experience spans across the real estate sector and he is also involved in various dealings in commercial real estate, land transactions and office tenant representation.

Nadeem was also a founding shareholder and director of a commercial bank in Kenya; he served on the bank’s board and was key to a subsequent share subscription offer by a large overseas bank and thereafter to an outright shares sale for the bank. Earlier through the Strathmore Business School, he has lectured on different aspects of Management, Leadership and Succession Planning through various executive education programs.

Nadeem was a member of Keble College in Oxford and has an MBA from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and before that completed a Bachelors (Honours) degree specialising in Economics and Corporate Finance from the London School of Economics. Prior to returning to his home country Kenya in 2003, he worked in different financial roles for the American multinational Eli Lilly & Company based in Geneva, Riyadh and Vienna. Earlier in his working career he worked for Unilever Tea Company in Kenya.

Being a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Kenya, he has served as the Scholarship Secretary since 2011. In addition to working with the committee on society affairs and activities, his primary role remains working with the OCSK Scholarship Trust, Wolfson College (Cambridge) and St Antony’s College (Oxford) in the identification and selection of qualifying Kenyan candidates in financial need looking to complete postgraduate study in Oxbridge. He is keen to increase OCSK activities in Kenya and bring alumni together through different channels and partnerships to increase engagement and collaboration amongst the membership.

Geunhak Shin, Gonville & Caius College, 2010.

Geunhak Shin grew up in Kenya and has always considered it home, even as his education and career have taken him across different countries and disciplines. He studied Law at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge from 2010 to 2013 as an undergraduate, before beginning his career at Anjarwalla & Khanna in Nairobi. While he valued the rigour of legal training, he soon realised he was more drawn to solving complex problems at a systems and organisational level, which led him into management consulting with Open Capital.

From there, Geunhak moved deeper into the operations space by joining Rescue.co as a Project Manager, where he worked on building and scaling tech-enabled emergency response systems. He recently joinedOne Acre Fund Kenya, where he is leading the development of their chili value chain—connecting smallholder farmers to global markets and building sustainable, end-to-end systems. Geunhak is admitted as an Attorney-at-Law with the New York Bar, and is also PMP certified.

As Social Secretary of the Oxford & Cambridge Society of Kenya, Geunhak is passionate about bringing together people from different disciplines and backgrounds. He believes the Society has huge potential as a platform for collaboration, mentorship, and lifelong friendships, and is excited to help foster a strong and engaged alumni community.

Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, travel, team sports, and exploring Nairobi’s ever-evolving food scene. He is also a new parent to a beautiful six-month-old baby girl and an ever playful 2 year old dog.

Cynthia Wamukota, Worcester College, 2023.

Urban Planning, Urban Development & Public Policy Expert.

Cynthia is an accomplished urban planner with deep expertise in sustainable development, climate resilience, and transformative urban governance. She specializes in translating complex policy challenges into actionable, evidence-based solutions that advance equitable and climate-smart cities. Her work spans the full spectrum of urban planning, from strategic land use planning and spatial analysis to policy design and implementation, with a consistent focus on creating inclusive, resilient communities that can thrive amid environmental and social change.

With rigorous academic training and a multidisciplinary perspective, Cynthia holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where she concentrated on urban policy and climate policy. She also earned an MSc in Sustainable Urban Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi. This combination of qualifications equips her with both theoretical depth and practical expertise across planning systems, governance frameworks, and development contexts, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions.

Cynthia’s approach is distinguished by her ability to integrate innovative planning methodologies with stakeholder engagement and data-driven analysis. Whether developing comprehensive land use frameworks, assessing climate vulnerabilities, or evaluating policy impacts, she consistently prioritizes sustainability, social equity, and long-term resilience. Her work addresses critical urban challenges including climate adaptation, transport planning, informal settlement upgrading, disaster risk management, and participatory planning processes.

Driven by a commitment to creating cities that work for everyone, Cynthia is dedicated to advancing policies and plans that not only meet today’s needs but also anticipate future challenges. She envisions urban environments where sustainability and inclusion are not aspirations but foundational principles. Cities designed to protect vulnerable populations, mitigate climate risks, and foster opportunity for all residents.

Dr Jacinta Victoria S. Muinde, Wolfson & Newnham Colleges, 2011 & 2013.

Dr Jacinta Victoria S. Muinde is an Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Oslo. Trained at the University of Cambridge (PhD, Newnham College and MPhil, Wolfson College) and Maseno University (BA), her scholarship examines the political economy and socio-cultural dimensions of health policies, global health initiatives, and philanthropy, the impact of disease outbreaks especially on disadvantaged communities, and how health and welfare systems can become fairer and more resilient. She is an award‑winning scholar (Commonwealth Scholar; RAI Sutasoma Award; ASAUK Audrey Richards Prize) and her international interdisciplinary projects have been supported by major funders including the European Research Council and the Research Council of Norway. Dr Muinde currently leads a large multi-country project that investigates financing mechanisms for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. She also sits on several international boards that shape research and partnerships between Africa and Europe, helping turn research into real-world solutions for pandemic preparedness and response, and stronger health and welfare systems.