After the father formed his house cabinet, he asked Catherine to be his executive secretary and to write notes for the cabinet meetings. She was given this role because she was the ninth child of 10 children, hence too young to be a Cabinet minister. Catherine did not only take notes of the home cabinet but also did the same for the meetings the father chaired as a village elder and advisor. This was the beginning of Catherine’s journey to leadership. She shares the influence and impacts her father had on her and her siblings, who still meet monthly with their spouses! Unsurprisingly, she proceeded to study law and evolved to focus on the company secretaryship.
Catherine shares how integrity is her most important value and two things that give her a “kick” – governance and enablement. She is passionate about enabling women to join Boards; hence she co-formed Women On Board Network (WOBN) with three people in 2014. WOBN provides a platform that brings together women from diverse fields and ranks, facilitates those already serving on Boards to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively, and upskills and prepares for the boardroom of those women who are already in senior leadership roles aspiring to serve on Boards.
Catherine Musakali is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya. She is the Founder of Dorion Associates LLP, a firm specializing in governance matters and commercial legal consultancies. Before founding Dorion Associates, Catherine worked for Kenya Shell Limited as their Company Secretary and Head of Legal for over fifteen (15) years. She is currently the Company Secretary of several Companies and sits on various Boards, including those in the public and private sectors. Catherine has led the development of three landmark codes of Corporate Governance. She has served as the Chairman of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and sat on the Council of the Corporate Secretaries International Association, a global body bringing together governance professionals.
