We're retained to find an exceptional Country Director for GardaWorld Security, based in Kenya.
About the Role
This is the country-level leadership role for GardaWorld's Kenyan business. You will take full ownership of commercial performance, financial results, operational delivery, people leadership and senior stakeholder relationships across a diverse security-services portfolio.
The opportunity is bigger than maintaining today's operation. You will protect a strong guarding business while accelerating the move toward a more balanced, higher-value mix of integrated security, technology and specialist services. You will be expected to understand the detail, make clear decisions and lead from the front with clients, teams and partners.
What you'll be responsible for
Own the business and its P&L
- Take end-to-end accountability for revenue, profitability, cash performance, budgeting, forecasting and contract economics.
- Use financial and operational insight to make sound choices on pricing, investment, cost, risk and resource allocation.
- Protect performance while building a clear strategy and budget for the next phase of growth.
Lead commercial growth
- Own selected strategic client relationships and remain personally involved in major opportunities, proposals and negotiations.
- Strengthen the sales agenda across the business, holding teams accountable for retention, organic growth and new-business delivery.
- Build trusted senior relationships with clients and position GardaWorld as the provider of choice for organisations that value security, safety and reputation.
Transform the service mix
- Accelerate growth in integrated security solutions, technical services, mobile response, facilities management, asset tracking and journey management.
- Help clients understand how people, technology and insight can work together to solve their security risks more effectively.
- Improve margins and reduce reliance on growth that is driven mainly by adding headcount.
Deliver with discipline
- Set a high bar for service quality, operational consistency, business resilience and continuity across the Kenyan operation.
- Ensure risk, quality and business-management standards are understood and applied across functions and locations.
- Make clear, timely decisions in a complex market while keeping clients, teams and regional leadership aligned.
Lead people and stakeholders
- Unite a large, diverse workforce around a clear direction, stronger accountability and shared ways of working.
- Lead organisational change thoughtfully, including restructuring, workforce transitions and the removal of long-standing silos.
- Represent the business credibly with government, regulators, unions, partners, competitors and regional and global colleagues.
How you show up
- You are commercially curious and naturally close to customers; you do not see sales as someone else's job.
- You combine strategic perspective with the willingness to understand what is happening on the ground.
- You are agile, technology-aware and prepared to challenge established ways of working constructively.
- You communicate a compelling direction, earn trust across different audiences and hold people accountable with fairness.
- You stay calm in ambiguity, make considered decisions and act with visible integrity.
Your strong foundation
Experience
- Kenyan citizenship is required for this appointment, together with deep knowledge of the local business and stakeholder environment.
- Senior leadership experience in a country, business-unit or general-management role with genuine P&L accountability.
- A strong commercial track record across sales, strategic accounts, client retention, negotiation and growth.
- Experience leading a complex, multi-site service business; security-sector exposure is valuable but not essential.
- Evidence of leading transformation, such as improving margins, launching new services, digitising operations, restructuring or changing culture.
- Experience working in a multinational or matrixed environment with multiple reporting lines and remote stakeholders.
Execution
- You understand low-margin, cash-sensitive businesses and can translate financial information into practical action.
- You can connect commercial promises to operational delivery, quality, risk and client outcomes.
- You have led sizeable teams through demanding operating conditions and meaningful change.
- You can move from strategic intent to clear priorities, ownership and measurable follow-through.
Communication and influence
- You can engage confidently with boards, clients, government bodies, regulators, unions and employees at every level.
- You can turn complex ideas into clear proposals, decisions and messages that move people to action.
- You build productive networks inside and outside the organisation and collaborate without losing accountability.
Qualifications and business insight
- A relevant bachelor's degree is required; an MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification would be an advantage.
- Strong financial literacy, including the ability to read, question and manage a P&L, budget and cash position.
- A practical understanding of technology-enabled services, product development or project delivery.
- Or - you may not have held every expected title, but you have operated in high-stakes, high-velocity environments and can demonstrate the breadth, judgement and results this role demands.
This role is not for you if...
- You prefer to remain behind the scenes and leave client growth entirely to the sales team.
- Your leadership experience has been limited to one function, without accountability for delivery, financial results and people.
- You are most comfortable preserving established ways of working rather than leading difficult change.
- You have worked only in high-margin environments and have limited exposure to cash pressure, contract economics or workforce-intensive operations.
- You need a narrowly defined job description to tell you what to do in a changing and complex business.
About GardaWorld
GardaWorld is a global security-services organisation. In Kenya, the business delivers guarding, mobile response, facilities management, asset tracking, journey management and technical security solutions to organisations operating in complex environments.
Kenya is one of the organisation's most significant East African markets. The business is building on a strong operating base while investing in quality, innovation and a more integrated approach that combines people, technology and specialist expertise.
What's in it for you?
- The opportunity to lead a significant national business with real ownership of its strategy, performance and future direction.
- A visible role shaping the evolution of security services in Kenya, from traditional guarding toward integrated, technology-enabled solutions.
- The chance to work with experienced regional and global colleagues while remaining the clear focal point for the Kenya business.
- A platform to lead meaningful commercial, operational and cultural transformation with impact across clients, employees and the wider market.
- An executive reward package aligned to the scope of the role; details will be discussed during the recruitment process.
Qazi Works is supporting GardaWorld with this appointment.
Get in touch to discuss the role in confidence, or apply below to register your interest.
