Frontière Advisory has launched in Africa with Kenya named among its priority markets, as the country’s rapid fintech expansion and digital activism reshape the business environment.
In a strategic move, Profit & Loss Consulting Group (PLCG) Founder Mercy Randa has joined the firm as Partner, bringing her extensive experience in strategic communications and reputation management to the new advisory.
Kenya attracted approximately US$482 million in venture capital funding in Q1 2024, more than the total secured in all of 2023, underscoring its role as East Africa’s innovation hub. Yet regulatory shifts, political contestation, and heightened online scrutiny mean that corporate behaviour and reputation are under more pressure than ever.
“I share Frontière Advisory’s belief that trust is built through everyday actions in local communities, not just in corporate boardrooms.
“I’m excited to bring this perspective from Kenya – a market of world-class innovators, where reputational missteps travel faster than ever through digital platforms.
“Companies that take trust seriously at both the grassroots and policy levels are the ones that endure here,” said Mercy Randa, Frontière Advisor, Kenya.
Kenya’s trajectory sits within a wider African picture. UNCTAD reports foreign direct investment to Africa reached a record US$97 billion in 2024, up 75 percent year-on-year, though flows remain highly concentrated and highly sensitive to governance and community risk.
Deanne Chatterton, CEO South Africa and Africa, added: “The firms that do best are those that take local trust seriously before it is tested, not after.
Reputation is not just about communication – it is about enterprise value. Leaders who manage stakeholder relationships with credibility unlock growth. Those who don’t, erode it.”
Reputation risk is a global board issue. Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey places damage to brand and reputation among the top risks worldwide, underscoring why stakeholder confidence has become strategic currency.
“Boards have learned the hard way that reputation is a business risk, not a PR line item. What we do is help leadership earn the right to operate and keep value intact when conditions turn,” said Kim Polley, CEO UK and Africa.
For sectors central to Kenya’s growth – from fintech and telecoms to agriculture and infrastructure – the stakes are measurable.
McKinsey finds major projects across emerging markets continue to face schedule delays and cost overruns, while research associated with the Harvard Kennedy School estimates that a world-class project can lose about US$20 million per week in net present value when production is delayed by social conflict.
Frontière Advisory was founded on the ethos that business can be a force for stability in uncertain places – but only when it earns the right to be trusted.
The firm combines senior-led counsel with in-market expertise through a panel of Frontière Advisors in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, ensuring strategies are informed by lived experience and executed locally.
About the founders
- Deanne Chatterton is a recognised business leader who has worked across Africa, the UK and Asia, helping organisations navigate crises, embed ESG, weather M&As, IPOs and investor scrutiny, and to build reputational resilience.
- Kim Polley is a senior communications and reputation strategist with almost 30 years’ experience advising global and African businesses on unlocking value and mitigating risk in resources, agriculture, energy, financial services, and technology.
What Frontière Advisory does
- Reputation – evidence-based positioning tailored to local expectations
- Stakeholder Strategy – practical pathways to sustain trust with governments, regulators, communities and investors
- Risk & Crisis – value protection and rapid recovery when risk escalates
- ESG – alignment to unlock capital and future-proof strategy
Frontière Advisory’s teams have helped clients protect millions in enterprise value, enter new markets with credibility, and manage crises under pressure without losing sight of long-term legitimacy.
