Get to know APN

About Apex Porter Novelli

Everything we do at APN is designed to achieve one goal; to transform the opinions, beliefs and behaviours of those who matter most to our clients.

We have been in business for well over a decade and our work has not only delivered real business results for our clients, but it has made a difference in the lives of those groups of people who matter most to our clients.

We’re uniquely positioned to create the targeted, tailored, highly-crafted messages that today’s dramatically shifting communications world requires.

About Us

Get to know APN

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About Apex Porter Novelli

Everything we do at APN is designed to achieve one goal; to transform the opinions, beliefs and behaviours of those who matter most to our clients.

We’re uniquely positioned to create the targeted, tailored, highly-crafted messages that today’s dramatically shifting communications world requires.

Where We Are

North America

Atlanta
Austin
Boston Chicago
Ft. Lauderdale Irvine
Los Angeles Montreal
New York
San Diego
San Francisco Seattle Sunnyvale Toronto Washington, D.C. Winter Haven

South America

Bogotá
Brasília
Buenos Aires Caracas Guatemala City La Paz
Lima
Managua México City Montevideo Panama City Quito
Rio de Janeiro San José
San Salvador Santiago
Santo Domingo São Paulo Tegucigalpa

Asia Pacific

Auckland Bangalore Bangkok
Beijing
Jakarta
Karachi/Islamabad
Kuala Lumpur
Guangzhou
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Manila
Melbourne
Mumbai
New Delhi
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Sydney
Taipei
Tokyo

EMEA

Abu Dhabi
Amstelveen
Athens
Barcelona
Beirut
Berne
Bratislava
Brussels
Bucharest
Budapest
Copenhagen
Dar es Salaam
Dornbirn
Dubai
Dublin
Edinburgh
Gothenburg
Helsinki
Istanbul
Jeddah
Johannesburg
Kiev
Kuwait City
Lagos
Lisbon
London
Madrid
Maribor
Milan
Moscow
Munich
Nairobi

Our Team

We have a can-do attitude backed up by more than 20 years experience delivering high-end, creative solutions on time and on budget.

Lawrence Gikaru

Managing Director

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Judy Gikaru

Public Relations & Editorial Advisory

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Josiah Mwangi

Business Development & Strategy Director

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Biko Chachah

Chief Operations Officer

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Norman Mudibo

Senior Account Director

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Sam Madoka

Creative Director

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Elivs Muturi

Lead Designer

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Edgar Nyandong

Account Manager

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Carolyne Nyarang'o

Account Manager

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Yvonne Nkirote

Account Manager

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Steve Biko

Production Executive

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Grace Waigumo

Account Executive

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Novena Musyoka

Account Executive

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Christine Wairimu

Account Executive

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Lawrence Gikaru

Managing Director

Lawrence Gikaru is the Managing Director of Apex Porter Novelli (APN), a full-service Public Relations and Strategic Communications agency, which he founded more than 15 years ago.

Over the years, Lawrence has overseen the design and implementation of strategic communication and public relations programmes for clients in the private, government, non-profit and international sectors, that have tackled complex corporate and national issues.

Some of the clients that his firm has worked for include; the European Union, Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, Trade Mark East Africa, the National Treasury, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Google, Philips, Vivo Energy, Bamburi Cement, Sanofi Aventis, Kenya Commercial Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank.

Drawing from his vast experience, Lawrence now concentrates on bringing clarity and structure to clients’ business challenges. He achieves this by coaching the APN leadership team to build alignment between APN’s resources, talent and capabilities and the challenges faced and opportunities presented by clients. This he believes helps integrate communication as both a strategic input and a steering wheel to deliver what matters most to client organizations— results directly linked to their business goals.

Lawrence draws from a rich multi-disciplinary base of education combining the sciences, business management, strategic communication, social impact/sustainability and responsible business practices. He has an equivalent of an MA obtained under a Fulbright Fellowship programme at the University of Minnesota in the US, a bachelor’s degree in science and education from the University of Nairobi as well as a post-graduate diploma in mass communication from the same university. A life-long learner, Lawrence has undertaken executive education courses at the Harvard Business School, Strathmore Business School and the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in the US among others.

He has served as an independent board director in two national government institutions through appointments by the respective governments of Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta and draws from this experience, realities and insights that he brings to client challenges.

Before setting up APN, Lawrence had previously worked in Kenya, Tanzania and the United States. He worked for the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Commonwealth Regional Health Community Secretariat in Arusha, UNICEF in New York and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs Regional Office in East Africa. He is also a social entrepreneur and co-founder of a social enterprise—Doctors for Healthy Living.

Lawrence is active in preparing the next generation of professionals and has served as an adjunct faculty at the United States International University – Africa where he co-created and taught a case-based module graduate course on strategic communication based on practical work undertaken by APN.

He is also the founding chairman of the Association of Public Relations and Communication Management Firms (APReCoM) that brings together more than 30 communication agencies in Kenya. He has been a featured conference speaker in Kenya, South Africa and the UK. Lawrence is also active in humanitarian service and has served as the president of the Rotary Club of Milimani.

Judy Gikaru

Public Relations & Editorial Advisory

A co-Founding Director of APN, Judy drives the firm’s focus of delivering excellence consistently on each client assignment, no matter the size. She draws this passion from her 12 years Agency experience in business development, strategic PR programming, media leveraging and account management. A stickler for details and a queen of process, she keeps the APN team grounded and focused on leveraging the ‘APN way’ to achieve outstanding results for clients. Judy has overall responsibility for developing the APN team’s capabilities and competencies.

Because she understands the value of aligning client opportunity and the Agency’s internal capabilities – through her leadership, for two consecutive years – 2010 and 2011, the APN team steered Unilever-Kenya’s Lifebuoy Hand Washing with Soap Campaign to set the Guinness World Record titles for the most number of people washing hands at the same time.

Judy has extensive experience in developing and implementing award-winning PR campaigns to support public awareness programs and business-to-consumer marketing programs. She has a particular gift for creatively framing clients’ issues and developing content that connects with audiences and has authored many publications for organizations including the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program, USAID-Kenya and the East African Community.

Judy has more than 20 years combined experience as a PR practitioner, Journalist, Development Writer and Editor. In the early 90s, she worked as a writer for Kenya’s premier political weekly magazine – Weekly Review. She is an alumnus of Strathmore University’s Women in leadership Programme and holds Public Relations and Journalism qualifications from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UK and the Africa Literature Centre for Journalism, Zambia, respectively. A recreational student, she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations (on-line) at the University of Stirling in Scotland, UK.

Judy chairs the Bahati Girls School Alumni Association which works to inspire the dreams of high school girls by linking them with women mentors and exposing them to career opportunities by providing real workplace experience. “Above all, I am proud wife and mother of two young adults,” she says.

Josiah Mwangi

Business Development & Strategy Director

Josiah has worked in the communications and public relations industry for the past 15 years. He has a wealth of experience in corporate communications, media relations, strategy development and implementation of communications plans and programs.

He has worked with leading FMCGs, development partners, global multinationals, and government agencies in several countries in sub Saharan Africa. His skills include communication strategy development, campaign design, corporate communications, crisis communications, media relations, sustainability communications and stakeholder relationship management. In his career, he has overseen communication programmes for government agencies and Ministries and supported by various development agencies including the World Bank, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, IFC, USAID, DANIDA, SIDA, GIZ, SIDA, DANIDA, the EU, TradeMark East Africa, among others. He has also worked on communication assignments for leading private sector firms including Unilever, Samsung, Coca-Cola, P&G, HP, Google, KCB Foundation, Lafarge Bamburi, ARM Cement, among others.

Josiah has been involved in the design and implementation of communication campaigns which have received industry awards over the past few years. These include: Relaunch of Lifebuoy soap in Kenya, a social marketing programme for the World Food Programme, the 2009 Kenya Population Census, the Samsung NextHero Campaign, Tegua Siri ya Afya Tele for the World Food Programme, among others.

A GRI certificate holder, Josiah has great interest in sustainability and the role communication plays in helping businesses understand that this plays a key role in determining their reputation. He’s interacted with sustainability programmes – the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan and Coca-Cola’s Live for A Difference, and Lafarge’s Building Better Cities – working with the local teams to bring the plans to life in Africa.

An avid Rotarian, Josiah is a sports enthusiast and is also the immediate Vice Chairman of the Nairobi Basketball Association.

Biko Chachah

Chief Operations Officer

Biko is the Chief Operations Officer and heads the social/digital, creatives and production units. He has over 10 years’ experience in the communications industry having worked with various public and private organisations. Biko is a seasoned professional with expertise in strategic project management, business development and logistics co-ordination, branding and digital communications.
He has worked in various roles at BSD Group and APN where he led the development, execution and successful delivery of key projects.
Some of the clients that Biko has worked for include the Family Bank Ltd Corporate Bond, Longhorn Publishers Rights Issue and the rebrand of Mwalimu National Sacco and Agricultural Finance Corporation. Others are UNICEF, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Competitiveness Project, a World Bank Funded Project implemented by the Ministry of Industrialization, Internet Solutions, Liberty Life, Mwalimu National Sacco, Keroche Breweries, Communication Authority of Kenya and DUIS Africa Ltd.
Some of his notable achievements include Worked together with the Porter Novelli Africa Team that put together the proposal and pitched for the P&G business in Africa, the launch and communication of Wadi Degla Club Brand, the development, launch and roll out of the Goodlife Pharmacy Brand and Metropolitan Canon Insurance and the launch and the rebrand of Central Depository & Settlement Corporation Limited.

Biko holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from University of Nairobi and has undergone trainings such as the BrandQuad Series; Columbia Business School and attended the Porter Novelli EMEA Conference 2013.

Norman Mudibo

Senior Account Director

Norman is the public relations strategist with overall PR oversight at APN. He has vast experience in Media, Public Relations, Marketing, Digital, Internal & External Communications and Corporate MC spanning 16 years.

His expertise emanates from several assignments working for leading local and global brands including Nation Media Group, IFC (World Bank Group), AIG Insurance, Intel, Microsoft, Ernst & Young, Central Bank of Kenya, Family Bank, among others. He currently oversees the strategic PR planning process, oversees campaigns including setting and managing media targets and social media activity to align brand and communication targets.

Some of his notable achievements include implementing Family Bank’s communications and PR strategy while he was the senior corporate communications and Public Relations manager. He was responsible for content development and provided editorial oversight, in addition to providing production direction and oversight.

Norman has also served as the strategic communications advisor for various clients including Masters Card International and has an understanding of national and international communications. He is in addition a notable MC and moderator and has moderated national and international forums and launches, some of which include recently National Cohesion and Integration Commission and moderated half-day summits by the National Council of NGOs on the Status of NGOs in Kenya and Localizing Sustainable Development Goals.
Norman holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington International University, a diploma in broadcast journalism from Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, various certifications from numerous institutes including Daystar University, International Institute of Journalism in Germany, Golda Meir International Training Centre in Israel. He is currently pursuing his Executive MBA from The Management University of Africa supported by KIM.

Sam Madoka

Creative Director

Sam oversees all creative elements of client campaigns. He has over 30 years’ experience in the creative industry in Kenya, working at leading advertising agencies including NuturnBates, Ogilvy & Mather and McCann Erickson.

He has an in-depth understanding of the creative industry, ensuring ideas are both inspirational and aligned to client objectives. He has worked with The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever Kenya, Aventis, Air France, Total Kenya, Kenya Breweries Limited, Raymonds Blankets and Mumias Sugar Company, among others.

Sam has won a number of awards including the International Award for Raymonds Blanket TVC, Marketing Award for Kenbrew Launch, Marketing Award Winning Campaign for Tusker Malt Lager Launch, Marketing Award for Mumias Sugar Co. Launch, and Marketing Award for Baby Meko (Total Kenya Brand).

Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Design from the University of Nairobi and a diploma from Harvard Business school.

Elivs Muturi

Lead Designer

Muturi, in creative parlance, is the ideas man responsible for interpreting a client’s vision, and making it tangible and deliverable as a product. In addition to having a thorough understanding of principles of design and layout, Muturi has an in-depth knowledge of advertising, social media and digital communication.

At the studio, Muturi oversees the design process from concept creation, iteration to the final delivery.As a graphic designer with a keen eye for detail, he has been instrumental in strengthening APN’s Creative Design capacity.

He continuously pushes the creative boundaries; imagining new ways of producing eye-popping, award winning work that makes our clients’ vision come to life.

Edgar Nyandong

Account Manager

Edgar is an Account Manager, skilled in Content Development. He has worked with various accounts within APN among them Google, the European Union (EU), Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (KAPI), The Karen Hospital and RTI International.

He is a trained journalist in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Nairobi, holds a Diploma in Mass Communication, and is a registered Member of the Media Council of Kenya and the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).

Prior to joining APN, Edgar worked with Global Village Publishers as a media correspondent, a writer and an editorial coordinator. Earlier, he was a columnist with the People Daily newspaper.

Edgar has gained a wealth of experience across Customer Service, Tele-Sales and Marketing industries; having worked as a Customer Care and Tele-sales Team Lead for Horizon Contact Centers. He also held the position of Customer Service and Communication Representative at Milimani Resort in Kisumu.

“My one love is nature, and watching things grow provides me with profound pleasure.” Edgar says.

Carolyne Nyarang’o

Account Manager

Carolyne Nyarang’o is a corporate communications specialist with over 4 years of experience in strategic planning, development and implementation of communications plans, media relations, content development and crisis management. Carolyne is currently an Account Manager at APN and she is responsible for Strategic Communications planning, Event management and planning, Brand Management, Public Relations counsel and implementation of plans and programmes for various clients and is also involved in business development.

She has grown her career in managing corporate brands and organisations such as Unilever, Pfizer Laboratories, UNFPA – W4W Program, Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Samsung Electronic EA, dusitD2, ActionAid International Kenya, Transparency International Kenya. Ms. Nyarangó understands the true value of Public Relations is reaching a brand’s target audience in a timely and convincing manner.

Previously, Carolyne worked at Engage Burson Marsteller where she led in the Colgate-Palmolive 2016 #ColgateSmilefie campaign which was named the winner of 2017 GOLD SABRE AWARDS for Public Relations Campaign in the Eastern Africa region. With adept knowledge in crisis communication, Ms. Nyarangó was part of the team that managed negative press during Samsung’s exploding phones and washing machines crisis in 2016. Her passion in development communication led her to champion the first fundraising campaign promoting individual giving and encouraging Kenyans to support their own development in partnership with ActionAid International Kenya.

Ms. Nyarangó holds a Masters’ Degree in Communication Corporate Communication Option from Daystar University and a Bachelors’ Degree Communication and Media Technology with IT, Electronic Media Major, from Maseno University. She is also involved in Public Relations research and has participated in academic conferences such as Eastern African Multidisciplinary Applied Research Conference, USIU – Africa.

Yvonne Nkirote

Account Manager

Yvonne’s experience as a corporate communications specialist spans over 6 years in strategic planning, event management, media relations, content development and crisis management.

She is currently an Account Manager at APN where she not only provides unique ideas to clients but also does exquisite execution of project plans for clients such as; Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA), d.light Solar, Privatization Commission and National Treasury. She is also involved in business development.

She has grown her career managing corporate clients such as; Barclays Bank Kenya, Stanbic Bank, Sidian Bank, Uber East Africa, East African Breweries Limited, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Dow Chemicals, CMC Motors, and Trade-Mark East Africa among other clients.

Prior to joining APN, Yvonne worked at Redhouse Group where she was part of the key consultants who launched Uber in East Africa. She was part of the consultants who managed the Uber Crisis in 2016-2017 that won the PRSK Crisis Management of the Year Award.

Yvonne has previously played an instrumental role in the corporate communications process at Telkom Kenya- Orange and Barclays Bank of Kenya where she was charged with development and delivery of effective employee engagement activities and internal communications programmes that supported driving functional business objectives to all internal audiences for both organizations.

Ms. Nkirote holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication-Public Relations minoring marketing’ from Daystar University and she is currently pursuing master’s degree in Business Administration at the same institution.

Steve Biko

Production Executive

Steve is a well-versed video and photography wizard with a documented history of quality multimedia storytelling using photography, videography and information that accurately informs, entertains and engages the target audience each frame at a time. He has 11 years working experience in broadcast journalism and production.

At APN, Steve is responsible for creating video and sound production, including field shooting, editing and live streaming. His recent assignments include productions for clients such as the European Union, Philips and Kenya Bureau of Standards.

Biko was the Head of Production for 7 years in his recent post at Think Tank Marketing Limited. At the helm of the department, he pioneered live stream services for Equity Bank, Equity Foundation and the Co-operative Bank. He was instrumental in documentaries production and event coverage for organizations and corporates including Britam, the European Union, Nairobi Securities Exchange, The International Center for Transitional Justice, TJRC Kenya, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Judges & Magistrates Vetting Board, UNDP, KTDA just to name but a few.

Grace Waigumo

Account Executive

Grace Waigumo Mutisya is a Communications Specialist with a specialization in the Public Relations and Advertising sectors spanning over 3 years. She is currently an Account Executive at Apex Porter Novelli where she handles Media Relations, Public Affairs, Stakeholder Engagements, Events Management and planning, Strategic Communications planning, Brand Management, Public Relations counsel and implementation of plans and programmes for the Public Sector, Development Partners and Corporate clients.

Within the Public Relations industry, Grace has grown her career by managing different organizations such as the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Unilever, European Union (EU), National Treasury, Privatization Commission, Ministry of Energy, and Google. Mrs. Mutisya believes that the most essential aspect in this industry, is Time, and once wasted it cannot be recovered therefore, proper planning is key. She was part of the team that planned and executed the launch of the Kenya Quality Award in Kenya, World Metrology Day and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Conformity Conference 2019.

Before devoting her work fulltime to Public Relations, Grace has also gained skills in Advertising, Business Administration, and Medical Affairs in the FMCGs, Automotive and Pharmaceutical industries. She has also served in the Public Relations Society of Kenya for 6 years where she was awarded her 1st PR internship after winning a social development project while in campus. She has also undertaken a training in Corporate Governance.

Grace is also actively involved in planning and organizing PRSKs annual Galas (Nairobi and Mombasa) and is a sub-committee member in the Events and Membership committee.
She holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Mass Communication from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). She is currently pursuing her CIPR diploma at Simon Page College of Marketing.

Novena Musyoka

Account Executive

Novena’s career in public relations and communication has seen her work with both public sector and corporate organizations over the last four years. Her skills include media relations, content development, internal communications, corporate communications, campaign design, crisis communications and stakeholder relationship management.

Some of the notable assignments Novena has handled previously include producing the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ (KEBS) newsletters, Developing a communication strategy and IEC material for the Ministry of Water and Sanitation during the Water Sector Reforms, Communication support for the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) during their rebranding, Media relations for the Philips Back to Rhythm III Campaign and reputation and issues management for the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA). Other clients she has provided communications support for include Angelica Medical Supplies and Bamburi Cement Limited.

Novena is also an expert in planning and executing corporate events and some of her outstanding events include presidential events like the Ministry of Energy’s Kenya National Electrification Strategy (KNES) launch and exhibition and the ICAN 2018 conference.
Novena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication (Public Relations) major from the Multimedia University of Kenya and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Corporate Communication at Daystar University.

Christine Wairimu

Account Executive

Christine is a specialist skilled in strategy development, media relations, events management, client management and project operations management. She has experience in public relations, strategic communication, business development, and marketing. She has worked with clients from both the public and corporate sectors.

While at APN, Christine has worked on several accounts among them, BBC, Caritas Microfinance, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Anti Counterfeit Authority, Google, d.light, Ministry of Energy, the European Union, Bamburi, Unilever, Philips Healthcare, Stanlib Fahari i-Reit and KEBS amongst others. Most notably Christine worked on Doctors for Healthy Living (D4HL), an independent social enterprise involved in health education around non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For D4HL, she designed and ran events concepts, partnerships programmes, communication and social media strategy for the Know Your Numbers Health Campaign.

She holds a bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Public Relations Major from Daystar University and a Higher Diploma in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management. Prior to joining the APN team, Christine worked in client service where she served: USIU Africa, Daimler AG, CISCO Systems Kenya, Council of Governors and Resolution Insurance among other reputable public and corporate organizations.