About Me
Connecting talent, markets and opportunity across Africa and international markets.
I have built my career around identifying and engaging hard-to-find talent across complex and specialist markets.
I'm Tabitha Maina, a Talent Acquisition Partner and Executive Headhunter with over 11 years of experience identifying, engaging and connecting talent across Africa and international markets. My professional journey has taken me across industries, geographies and increasingly specialised recruitment environments, supporting organisations in identifying the leadership, technical and professional expertise required to achieve their objectives. Over the years, I've developed experience in executive and specialist search, full-cycle recruitment, talent intelligence, market mapping, talent pipeline development and recruitment operations. What has remained consistent throughout my career is my interest in understanding people, the environments in which they work and the opportunities that bring the two together.
My recruitment career has evolved through roles spanning recruitment consulting, talent acquisition and leadership responsibilities. I've worked with organisations operating across different industries and markets, supporting recruitment assignments that require both technical understanding and the ability to identify talent beyond conventional recruitment channels. My experience includes managing recruitment processes from initial stakeholder engagement and market research through sourcing, candidate assessment, shortlisting and recruitment delivery.
I've also supported recruitment teams, contributed to process improvements and helped develop scalable approaches to talent identification and pipeline management. These experiences have shaped my understanding of recruitment as both an operational discipline and a strategic function, one that requires research, sound judgement, relationship-building and an appreciation of wider market dynamics.
Sector Experience
Over the course of my career, I have recruited across a broad range of sectors and functions.
Energy & Power
Renewable energy, solar, BESS, power systems, grid and transmission, clean cooking, commissioning, energy access and technical project delivery.
Infrastructure & Industrials
Engineering, construction, project management, manufacturing, technical operations, data centres and industrial specialist talent.
Agriculture & Food Systems
Agronomy, soil science, agricultural value chains, agro-industrial programmes and specialist technical expertise.
Investment & Financial Services
Investment and project finance, infrastructure finance, fund structuring, climate finance, transaction advisory, capital markets and senior finance leadership.
Climate & Sustainability
ESG, environmental and social expertise, carbon markets, climate finance, energy transition, sustainability and technical advisory.
Corporate & Commercial
HR and People, finance, operations, procurement, business development, sales, marketing, communications and other corporate leadership functions.
Technology & Digital
Software engineering, DevOps, data, AI, digital platforms, cybersecurity, product, IT applications and digitalisation.
International Development & Advisory
Programme leadership, strategy, policy and regulatory specialists, MEL, research, community engagement, technical advisers and international consultants.
My broader recruitment experience also includes pharmaceuticals and life sciences, hospitality and creative industries.
Building Talent Before It Is Needed
A significant part of my work is focused on helping organisations move beyond reactive hiring.
I build targeted talent maps and specialist pipelines around recurring, difficult-to-find and business-critical skills, giving organisations a clearer view of where relevant talent sits and who they should be building relationships with before an urgent need arises.
I have also helped build and maintain a talent pool of senior, specialist and technical professionals for a client, alongside developing pipelines across technical, commercial, investment, advisory and leadership functions.