PROFILE: Milkah Kimani - The boss, the golfer, the life of the party

This story begins exactly where all great stories begin: at a party, with a glass in hand.

About a week ago, a fellow media colleague invited me to an inaugural networking cocktail held in honour of over 50 embassies and diplomatic missions in Kenya at the rooftop bar of Emara Ole Sereni Hotel. It was one of those evenings where you tell yourself you’re going for the networking, but the cold drink in your hand and the Nairobi skyline quietly suggest that perhaps you should not take the assignment too seriously.

Somewhere between the conversations, the clinking glasses and the obligatory exchange of business cards, we found ourselves sitting down with Milkah Kimani, Group Head of Sales at Ole Sereni.

For two decades, Milkah has built her career around selling hospitality; a job that requires her to understand people, anticipate markets and, above all, know what makes someone choose one hotel over another.

Her journey began at Cadbury Kenya, where she started out as a junior sales representative. Twenty years later, she has worked across some of Nairobi's leading hotels and risen to one of the most senior sales and marketing positions in the hospitality industry.

But there is more to Milkah than targets, forecasts and boardroom meetings. She is a mother, a golfer, runner and gym-goer who loves music, good food and dressing up. Her colleagues describe her as “the life of the party.”

Over a conversation that moved from her unlikely route into hospitality to the realities of selling hotel rooms, surviving Covid and managing high-profile guests, Milkah offered a glimpse of the woman behind the business title.

What were you doing before you got into the hotel industry?

I started off at Cadbury's Kenya Limited as a very junior sales representative, but my passion was always to work for hotels, so I joined the hotel industry 20 years ago.

Since then, I've worked with The Panari Hotel when they were opening, I worked for Ole Sereni, I worked for Crowne Plaza Upper Hill, and then came back to Ole Sereni.

What would you consider the biggest highlights of your career?

My highlight has been growing from one level to another; from a junior sales account manager to Head of Sales, and being able to meet different clientele.

I've had to be versatile, from dealing with corporate clients to travel agents, embassies, the United Nations and, of course, normal frequent travellers. You have to be very diverse to be able to handle all those kinds of people.

We've also been able to handle clientele internationally. We attend international trade fairs just to make sure we market our facility and Kenya as a destination; the likes of ITB in Germany, WTM in London, and Indaba in South Africa.

As someone who occupies a very senior position in leadership, what is the most fun part of your job?

The most fun? Being the boss and all. [Laughs] I'm kidding.

The most fun would be forecasting and projecting. When you work on a budget, understanding the market and the market forces - what is happening in the city or around the country - and you’re able to project that and hit it to the bullseye, that's the most fun part.

How do you ensure that you don't let your sales targets come at the expense of giving customers a premium experience?

We have cultivated a very good relationship with our clients, and we also do a lot of sales studies to ensure that we understand them.

There are some group resumes we do where we make sure that before your event starts, the entire team has been briefed and they know what is expected.

We also do after-sales service to ensure that the client is happy and that we have exceeded the expectation.

We have different seasons for different markets, and our understanding and proper planning helps us also in delivering the best. I mean, we knock the right doors at the right time, and that is really a plus.

As Group Head of Sales, I imagine there's a lot on your plate. But say on a typical Monday, what is the most important part of your job?

For me, Mondays are mostly the day to connect with my team.

The first thing that kickstarts my day, about 30 minutes after I check into work, is my sales brief meeting, just to touch base with my colleagues, understand what they're doing, what the challenges are, and any issues that might be affecting the business.

After that now, there are more briefs with the larger heads of departments and, of course, the owners.

How would you describe your leadership style in three words?

Sometimes I say it's better when someone else describes you. So let my team member answer that…

[Team member: Articulate, thorough and fun.]

Milkah is a mother. I love dressing up and having fun. I'm also very sporty; I play golf, I gym, and I run. I also love music and good food.

Actually, she [*points at colleague*] knows me better, so let her also answer this…

[Colleague: Milkah is the life of the party. She could be very sober, but she will hype up the entire party. She also loves the camera.]

Emara Ole Sereni was opened during the Covid season, how did you navigate that period?

It was very interesting. We opened our doors towards the end of 2019, and when Covid happened in 2020, we had to close the hotel.

However, during that time, we were able to venture into other market segments with weddings and staycations, which are what actually sustained us during that season.

To date, towards the weekend, we enjoy up to 70 per cent occupancy because we have staycation rates that are very enticing. You can check in early, and check out late. Meaning, you have one night and almost two full days. That makes it unique.

Is there a scenario in which you've hosted a president or a high-profile dignitary and it has affected other operations within the hotel?

The good thing about diplomatic bookings is that they have a plan. They usually have a plan, and as long as you're able to understand what their requirements are, [it will go smoothly].

For example, if you're hosting a president, that floor will have to be designated to them. The only challenge you might have is just trying to move the guests, but they're always cooperative when you tell them there is this kind of guest here and whatnot.

In fact, it’s usually for their own good and they’re very cooperative because you don't want to wake up in the morning and you have security outside your room.