Gina Din facts for kids

Gina Din-Kariuki is a famous businesswoman from Kenya. She was born Gina Din on October 23, 1961. She is an expert in helping companies talk to the public and build good relationships. This is called public relations or strategic communication.

She is most known for starting her own company, Gina Din Corporate Communications. She began this company in 1997 after working as a communications manager at Barclays Bank of Kenya.

Early Life and Learning

Gina Din was born in Nanyuki, Kenya, on October 23, 1961. She was the third daughter of Shamsu and Malek Din, who owned a hotel. Gina learned important lessons about how to treat people from her parents. She says they taught her that all customers want to feel important. She tries to use this idea in her own company.

Her very first job was when she was just 15 years old. She managed a disco night at her parents' hotel twice a week. She would charge people to come in, and this money became her pocket money.

In 1985, Gina Din finished her studies in journalism at the London School of Journalism. In the same year, she started working as a communications manager at Barclays Bank Kenya. She worked there for 14 years.

Starting Her Own Business

On October 1, 1997, Gina Din left her job at Barclays Bank of Kenya. She then started her own company, Gina Din Corporate Communications. Barclays Bank became her very first client. Gina has said that she started her business with a lot of hope and prayer. She was thankful that Barclays Bank helped her pay her first bills.

Over the years, her company worked with many big clients. These included Old Mutual, CIC Insurance, Kenya Commercial Bank, Safaricom, Kenya Red Cross, and Kenya Airways.

Handling Big Challenges

In 2007, Gina Din Corporate Communications helped manage the public relations for a difficult event. This was after a Kenya Airways plane crashed in Douala, Cameroon. Gina Din has said that this was some of the best work her company did in handling a crisis.

In May 2009, her company won a special award. They received the Marketing and Public Relations (MPR) gold award. This was for helping the electronics company LG reach its marketing goals in East Africa in 2008. Gina Din Corporate Communications won against 14 other companies.

Changes and New Partnerships

On March 16, 2012, the telecommunications company Safaricom ended its 13-year working relationship with Gina Din Corporate Communications. The contract officially finished on April 30, 2012.

Later that year, on December 7, 2012, Gina Din Corporate Communications won another award. They received the PR Event of the Year award at a ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya.

On August 6, 2013, it was announced that Gina Din's company had teamed up with Weber Shandwick. This is one of the world's biggest public relations firms. This partnership helped both companies grow their work in Africa.

On November 23, 2013, Gina Din Group was named the best PR firm in Kenya. This happened at the 2013 Public Relation Society of Kenya awards in Nairobi.

Helping Others

Gina Din-Kariuki is also known for her work helping others.

• On August 18, 2008, she was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Kenya Red Cross.
• In 2011, she helped start the 'Kenyans for Kenya' project with the Red Cross. This project aimed to help people during a very bad drought in Kenya.
• On March 22, 2016, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) made Gina Din-Kariuki an Honorary Ambassador. She supports their work to help women and teenage girls, focusing on their health and rights.

Personal Life

Gina Din-Kariuki is married to Chris Kariuki. They have two children: a daughter named Natalya and a son named Naythan. Her daughter, Dr. Natalya Din-Kariuki, is a professor at the University of Warwick in the UK. Her son, Naythan Din-Kariuki, works as a recruitment analyst for Aston Villa Football Club in the UK.

Awards and Recognition

Gina Din-Kariuki has received several awards for her work:

• In 2011, her group was praised for leading the 'Kenyans for Kenya' campaign. This campaign helped people affected by famine in Turkana. It raised over 700 million Kenya Shillings.
• In 2013, New Africa Magazine named Gina Din-Kariuki one of the 100 most influential Africans.
• In 2015, she was named East Africa Business Woman of the Year. She received this award at the CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA).