Lillian Ngala has been recognized in the SeamlessHR Super 100 list of outstanding HR leaders. With over 15 years of experience, she has made remarkable contributions to policy formulation, talent management, workforce planning, coaching, mentoring, and culture management in Kenya.
Lilian currently serves as the Director of Human Resources at Diamond Trust Bank. She also holds positions on several boards, including the Institute of Human Resources, Kenya Institute of Bankers, KENIC, and National Industrial Training Institute.
With an MBA from JKUAT and certification as a professional trainer from the Institute of Human Resource Management, Lillian is highly qualified.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, an MBA in Strategic Management, and a postgraduate diploma in Human Resource Management.
Additionally, she is a Certified Trainer (CPT) and a committee member of the IHRM council.
Lillian’s vision is to build a supportive ecosystem where individuals can thrive, grow, and contribute meaningfully to their personal and professional journeys.
In addition to her corporate roles, Lillian is the founder and CEO of the Lillian Ngala Network. The Lillian Ngala Network is a vibrant and inclusive community dedicated to unleashing the true potential within each of us.
Their mission is clear: to foster transformation and create a lasting impact in Kenya through strategic networking, mentorship, centered leadership. It aims at creating a safe space for leaders, executive coaching, and offering HR clinics.
It is based on three pillars: Nurture, Transform, and Impact, fosters transformation and creates lasting impact in Kenya through strategic networking, mentorship, and executive coaching.
There, they believe in the power of collective empowerment. As the founder of this network, her vision is to build a supportive ecosystem where individuals can thrive, grow, and contribute meaningfully to their personal and professional journeys.
She also established the Lillian Ngala Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to community development.
The Foundation, established in 2020, implements socio-economic programs including Youth Mentorship, Women Economic Empowerment, Education, and GBV Mitigation across Kenya.
Working with communities, partners, and local authorities, the foundation promotes the welfare of vulnerable groups such as widows, orphaned children, persons living with disabilities, and unemployed youths.
These groups are among Kenya’s most vulnerable groups due to stigma, discrimination, corruption, cultural limitations, lack of access to capital and proneness to crime as a way out.
This is despite them holding great potential to overcome adversity and become valuable members of society.
Lillian’s accomplishments have garnered significant recognition. In 2023, she was named among the Top 20 Leaders in Kenya by Disruptive People. In response to this accolade, she expressed her gratitude, stating, “I am humbled to be named one of the Top 20 Disruptive People Leaders in Kenya in 2023.”
She further emphasized the significance of the recognition, noting, “It’s truly a privilege to be honored for the work I do in leading people at Diamond Trust Bank – with the support of an incredible HR department, a people-focused leadership team, and great colleagues.”
Reflecting on the broader implications of the honor, she noted that the recognition held significance not just for her personally but also for all the exceptional HR professionals in Kenya.
She emphasized the importance of collective achievement, extending congratulations to her fellow professionals who had also been recognized.
Lilian was also honored with the Industry Icon of the Year 2023 by Corporate Career Academy, and featured in PeopleHum’s list of the Top 50 Leaders Shaping the Future of HR in Africa in 2022.
In 2021, she was recognized by the Nation Media Group as one of the Top 20 Women Making a Difference in Kenya.
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She has appeared on various media platforms and is a regular contributor to Daily Nation and Business Daily newspapers.
Lillian is also a sought-after speaker at major conferences in Kenya and the region, including ISACA Conference 2023, ICX Conference 2023, AWFP Summit 2023 and 2022.
She has also been a guest speaker at the Industrial and Employee Relations Summit 2022, IHRM Conference 2022 and the KIM Women in Leadership Conference 2022 and 2021.
Lillian greatly values integrity, collaboration, communication, and fairness. She champions compassion, employee wellness, organizational agility, and the future of work, believing that “to win the marketplace, you must first win the workplace.”
Her journey is not just about accolades—it’s about impact and leadership. It inspires girls and young women to follow their dreams and make a meaningful difference in communities across Kenya and beyond. Outside of work, Lillian enjoys hiking, reading, writing, and playing golf.