Julie Gichuru

Julie is the Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer at the Mastercard Foundation overseeing corporate, programmatic, policy & thought-leadership communications and a team spanning Africa and Canada. Prior to her role at the Foundation, Julie had a two-decade career in the fields of broadcast, print, digital media, and development communications.

Her profile in Kenya grew as she pioneered investigative television and political and current affairs programming. She conceptualized and launched numerous top shows and developed the pan-African television show, Africa Leadership Dialogues. Following the 2007 elections, Julie’s peace specials resonated with viewers. As a result of her calls for non-violent action in 2008, she was awarded the Martin Luther King Salute to Greatness. Julie also established the Great Debaters Contest, a high school debate platform focused on teaching students that differences need not result in conflict and violence. Her career focus shifted to curating impactful engagements and driving conversations focused on African leadership, growth, and development. Over the past decade, Julie has worked very closely with partners like the World Bank, the IFC, the African Development Bank, various UN agencies, the Uongozi Institute, and the World Economic Forum.
She sits on several Boards and is part of several Fellowships, including the Tutu Fellowship, the Aspen Global Leadership Network/Africa Leadership Initiative, and the Young Global Leaders under the World Economic Forum.
Julie has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2019, she was listed as one of the 100 Most Influential African Women by Avance Media, and one the of 100 Most Influential Africans by New African.