Sometimes in certain situations, success does not come about through an individual’s efforts alone, but rather through individuals who have recognized potential, offered opportunities, and stretched boundaries way ahead of when success becomes tangible.
In the case of Ann Peggy Ashira, success would involve looking for people who had recognized her potential during the tough times she had to face, and were willing to invest in her growth, even though she was constrained by who she was at the time. It is such belief that propelled her into the heights of her exceptional career in hospitality management. But the effects of this investment transcend her achievements in terms of award, titles, or office.
The power of mentoring cannot be underestimated, and in this instance, her success is a testament to the fact that the influence of an individual who believes in your capabilities and helps develop you as an individual is a lesson in leadership passed down generations after generation through those who she mentored.
Meet the mentors who saw Ashira’s future before she did and discover how their belief continues to echo through the lives and careers, she now helps shape.
The Road She Walked
Ashira grew up in rural Machakos, days without food, and dysfunction at home. After Form Four, four years passed with nowhere to go. She sold handmade crafts. She pumped petrol and made and sold handmade crafts. Then a lecturer pulled into that station, looked at her, saw potential, and delivered an admission letter. Her education was funded by funeral contributions collected after the tragic loss of her child. All things working together for good became her biography, not merely her scripture.
Industrial attachment at Nyali Beach Hotel planted the first seed: she saw female managers lead with authority and grace, and something whispered that one day, that would be her. In 2004, at age 32, she walked into Sarova Whitesands as a waitress and into the orbit of Mohammed Hersi. Six promotions later, she moved to Leisure Lodge as F&B Manager, then to Leopard Beach Resort as Operations Manager.
She attended Cornell University’s General Managers Program in Ithaca, New York, and earned her MBA from the Management College of South Africa. A defining milestone in her career came when Mary Mukindia placed her trust in her by selecting her for her first General Manager role from a highly competitive pool of five other experienced General Managers. While many of the candidates had longer tenures in leadership, Mary’s decision was influenced not only by her professional capabilities but also by the remarkable journey she shared during the interview. Having risen through the ranks by embracing every role with commitment and curiosity, she demonstrated a profound understanding of the hospitality business from the ground up.
What impressed Mary most was her unwavering belief that true leadership is earned through service, continuous learning, and leading by example. She recognized in her a leader who embodied her RIT leadership principles, who accepted responsibility, took initiative without hesitation, and inspired trust through action rather than title.
That conviction was reinforced soon after she joined the organization. Faced with the challenge of preparing a hotel for an important function before the furniture had arrived, she personally sourced chairs to ensure the event proceeded seamlessly. It was a defining example of her RITphilosophy in practice: taking ownership, finding solutions under pressure, and placing the guest experience above all else. The incident became a powerful reflection of the leadership qualities Mary had recognized from the very beginning.
At PrideInn Paradise, she became Kenya’s first female General Manager of a five-star resort, introduced WIFEI (Women Impact for Exploits International), and led a team of more than 350 staff through the challenges of COVID19. With the unwavering support of the owners, particularly Managing Director Hasnain Noorani, the resort implemented staff food package initiatives and strategic employee welfare measures that helped protect livelihoods during the crisis. Under this collaborative leadership, the team successfully pivoted to the domestic market, achieving over 70% occupancy within a month of reopening and emerging from the pandemic stronger than ever.
At Enashipai today, weekly heritage celebrations, introduced under the banner of Furaahidei, together with several other employee engagement and staff motivation initiatives, have helped the organization achieve a world-class Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) of 68, a strong reflection of its people-first culture and commitment to employee experience.
THE MENTORS: The Ones Who Saw First
Mohammed Hersi: Group Director of Operations, Pollman Tours & Baobab Beach Resort
The year was 1999. Mohammed Hersi was a young Assistant F&B Manager at Nyali Beach Hotel when a quietly determined intern caught his eye, not in a boardroom, but on a beach. During the hotel’s annual sports events. “The Ashira I saw at that point dominated the athletics track, outpacing her peers with ease,” he recalls. Hersi recognized the discipline and determination underneath the speed, attributes that would translate seamlessly from sand to a five-star kitchen. He filed the observation away.
Years later, when Hersi moved to Sarova Whitesands as General Manager, he extended an invitation. Ashira accepted. Within months she earned her first promotion to supervisor, then to restaurant manager. In 2005 the Sarova group named her Best Restaurant Manager company-wide and flew her to Nairobi for an Oscar-style ceremony.
Hersi’s own career spans Kenya Utalii College, Cornell University, and an MBA from Regent Business School. He served as CEO of Heritage Hotels East Africa across seven premium properties, as CEO of Sun Africa Group, and currently as Group Director of Operations at Pollman Tours and Baobab Beach Resort. He served two terms as Chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation. A John Maxwell Certified Coach, he chose optimism as a philosophy and built it into every institution he touched.
“Her ability to rise above the ordinary and exceed expectations was evident from day one,” he expresses about her.”
He describes that for Ashira the defining test was the Oriflame international convention, over 2,000 delegates requiring synchronized banquet service where each waiter attended precisely two guests. Sceptics doubted it. She broke the challenge into components, aligned her team, and delivered a flawless multi-day event. “That demonstrated her ability to lead under pressure, inspire confidence, and deliver beyond expectations,” Hersi says.
He further adds mentorship, ran both ways between them. She taught him the power of quiet resilience and deepened his understanding of leadership as responsibility. His charge to the next generation mirrors the advice he gave the young woman from the petrol station:
Mary Mukindia — Executive Leadership Advisor & Coach, Nairobi, Kenya
There are decisions in a career that carry the weight of a turning point. For Ashira, that moment arrived when Mary Mukindia, sat across her in an interview for the General Manager role at the Indian Ocean Beach Resort in Mombasa. It was Ashira’s first GM appointment. The shortlist included candidates with far more experience in the seat. Mukindia chose Ashira.
Mary’s résumé commands respect across multiple sectors: founder and first GM of the Petroleum Institute of East Africa, turn-around CEO of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya, international public servant with UNEP, and today Executive Leadership Advisor running Mary Mukindia Coaching. Her philosophy has never changed:
Leadership is not a title; it is a responsibility. In that interview room, she evaluated substance over polish. “She had clarity, grounded confidence, and a seriousness about the responsibility of leadership. I remember thinking: this one understands the weight of the role,” says Mary.
What confirmed it was the career journey was that a woman who climbed through the service ranks step by disciplined step, then returned to educate herself to Master’s level. That takes discipline. It tells you something about a person. She selected Ashira for trajectory, not readiness alone. She knew she would grow into the role and not just occupy it. And she proved that right.
The moment that confirmed every instinct came at the Indian Ocean Beach Resort reopening. There was no working capital, no furniture. A high-level dinner for Kenyan ambassadors and high commissioners from around the world loomed.
“Ashira took charge of everything. Trucks had not arrived from Nairobi. When I walked into the lobby that evening, it was transformed, elegantly staged,” she recalls. Ashira had brought it from her own home, styled the space with African cloth and whatever she could source within hours. The ambassadors praised the hotel warmly. According to Mary that is leadership.
Her advice to women rising into executive roles is unambiguous: “Do not wait to feel ready. Do not shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Many women hesitate. That hesitation costs them.”
THE MENTEES: Roads She Has Built for Others
Thedius Munyalo, Senior Strategy Manager, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, USA
When Thedius Munyalo arrived at Sarova Whitesands as a young waiter, he came with determination and little else.
Ashira noticed his work ethic, confirmed by consistent positive guest feedback, and began investing in him. “She shared her own story with me of starting as a waitress, rising step by disciplined step, as evidence, not inspiration: your starting point does not define your ceiling is one line that stayed with me,” he says.
The turning point came when she called him on leave to participate in a U.S. State Department–Fulbright exchange program. He doubted his eligibility. She held the standard.
He applied, was selected, traveled to America, and ultimately earned a B.A. from the University of Washington and an M.S. from Boston University. Today he is Senior Strategy Manager at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington.
“You believed in me, challenged me, opened doors, and helped me see possibilities beyond my fears. The right mentor does not just change your career. They help change your life,” he expresses his gratitude.
One memory that still brings a smile is from his time at Whitesands, when he was unexpectedly selected to model for a magazine feature promoting the resort. What seemed like a simple photoshoot became a powerful lesson in confidence and self-belief. The opportunity reflected the trust his mentors placed in him and their willingness to push him beyond his comfort zone. Looking back, he sees it as more than a magazine appearance—it was a moment that taught him to embrace opportunities and believe in his own potential.
Joyce Karuri, Executive Housekeeper, Enashipai Resort & Spa, Naivasha, Kenya
Karuri joined Enashipai in 2011 as a nanny in the Kids Playroom. In April 2026, she stepped into the role of Executive Housekeeper of the same property.
The fifteen years between those two moments carry a story of resilience and intentional mentorship. Her mentorship with Ashira began in February 2024 after her promotion to Assistant Executive Housekeeper.
Ashira guided her through structured feedback, introduced the Balanced Scorecard, delegated acting-GM responsibilities to stretch her confidence, and took her to the lakeside one afternoon to lay out clearly what leading a large operational department at a five-star resort truly required.
That conversation shifted how Joyce saw herself: not a supervisor stepping up, but a departmental leader with strategic responsibility. Ashira also pushed her back to school; Joyce enrolled in a Degree in Hospitality Management in 2025.
“Much of my aspiration to become a transformational hospitality leader has been shaped directly by her mentorship example,” she expresses.
Mercy Imbinda, Managing Director, Meallions Kenya; Award-Winning Corporate Moderator
In 2019, Mercy sat in the Bintyz Forum audience as a nervous first-year student and thought while looking at Ashira: “This is the kind of woman I want to become.”
She approached Ashira after the session. Ashira was warm and welcoming.
The mentorship deepened in 2021 when Mercy chaired the Kenyatta University Career Fair and invited Ashira to speak — she came from Mombasa while her daughter recovered from surgery. The most defining lesson arrived through a genuine test of integrity: a high-profile media offer attached to a condition that violated Mercy’s values.
“She shared her own experiences, affirmed my stance, and helped me believe that I do not need shortcuts. If someone is offering one, it is because they already see your potential,” she expresses.
Mercy declined the offer and walked away grounded. Today she is MD of Meallions Kenya and hosted the CEO Conclave 2025.
“By being close to a trailblazer, I have become one myself,” she notes.
Anthony Mutunga; Assistant ICT Manager, Enashipai Resort & Spa, Naivasha, Kenya
Ashira noticed Anthony struggling with the relational dimensions of leadership and called him to her office. She offered guidance on listening and understanding people, then gave him an assignment:
Start a book club with ten colleagues, including people with whom he had strained relationships. He took it seriously. They began with John Maxwell’s Becoming a Person of Influence, one chapter per week, ten weeks to graduation. Important to note that Ashira was a part of a book club. The most reshaping moment came after a project he thought had gone well.
Ashira did not comment on deliverables.
She asked: “What changed for the people because of what you delivered?”
His answer was metrics. She redirected gently, not the work, but his definition of success.
She guided him by saying that you are measuring completion, not transformation. That statement rewired how Anthony evaluates his contribution at work and how he listens at home. Antony is now the president of the book club with over 40 people doing different books.
“The best mentors do not create dependence. They create depth.”
The Legacy
She carries a framework she presses into everything she touches, be it her teams, her interns, her mentees, and her church. It is a simple philosophy that moves beyond achievement and asks people to measure the true legacy of their presence and contribution.
What did you produce?
What difference did it make?
What is permanently different because you showed up?
These are not corporate metrics. They are the questions of someone who knows, at the cellular level, what it means to live through seasons where nothing visible changes and you must trust that something permanent is forming underground.
Besides Enashipai , she has a deep call in ministry and leads prayers in church as well as training church workers.
She completed PPTLA Cohort 4 in 2024 and Cohort 5 in 2026, leadership programs guided by Dr. Diana Kenoly and Dr. Adeyinka under the leadership of Dr. Rev. Sam Oye. More than a leadership development experience, the programs became a deeply personal journey of intentional inner healing that reshaped her leadership philosophy and strengthened her ability to lead with empathy, purpose, and authenticity. The transformation has translated into tangible improvements in team management and employee engagement at Enashipai Resort & Spa. Inspired by these experiences and the lessons they have imparted, she is now writing her first book to share her journey and leadership insights with a wider audience.
From the Village to the World.
The mentors who built her and the mentees she now raises tell the same story: leadership is never a solo achievement. “Every stage of my journey carries the fingerprints of someone who believed in me, challenged me, or opened a door I could not yet see for myself. The greatest privilege now is doing the same for others.”
Find your Mohammed Hersi, someone who tells you the truth about yourself because they believe in who you are becoming. Find your Mary Mukindia, someone who offers you the seat before you feel ready. And when it is your turn, be that person for someone else. Start before you feel ready. The preparation comes through the doing.
Thedius Munyalo leads strategy at Microsoft in Washington. Joyce Karuri runs the housekeeping department of the same resort where she began as a nanny. Her mentorship has played a meaningful role in shaping the journeys of many emerging leaders.
Anthony has cultivated a vibrant culture of learning and collaboration as the President of the Enashipai Book Club, which now brings together more than 50 active participants. Mercy has gone on to become the Managing Director of Meallions Kenya at the remarkable age of just 25, exemplifying the confidence and leadership she inspires in those she mentors.
Alongside them, many other mentees have continued to advance into influential leadership and professional roles, reflecting her enduring commitment to empowering individuals to recognize their strengths, embrace new opportunities, and realize their full potential.
