Naike Moshi empowers African women through leadership development, mentorship, executive recruitment, and advocacy for gender-inclusive corporate policies.
Naike Moshi’s work in women’s leadership began with patterns she kept seeing in the corporate world. As the franchise owner and country director of CVPeople Tanzania, a recruitment and executive search firm she founded in 2014, she spent years reviewing applications for mid- to senior-level positions.
She found that men applied widely, even when they met only about 60% of the job requirements, while women – often equally qualified – held back unless they met 100%. This repeated gap became the reality that shaped her mission and drove her to create a long-term solution rather than accepting the imbalance as normal.
Before this turning point, Moshi had already built a solid academic and professional base. Born in 1983, she studied in the United States, earning a dual degree in Human Resources and Business Management from Tennessee Wesleyan University. She later completed a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration from T.I.UA Business School. Her early career included roles at UNESCO and CareMark, where she developed skills in human resources and organisational management.
In 2013, she attempted her first entrepreneurial venture – a management consulting company – which ultimately shut down, but it gave her the resilience and clarity that fueled her later success.
When she launched CVPeople Tanzania, she established one of the country’s leading executive search and talent acquisition firms, particularly for senior roles. However, her daily exposure to the gender disparity in applications and placements made it impossible for her to ignore how the corporate space repeatedly sidelined women.
This frustration led her, in 2019, to establish Women in Management Africa (WIMA), an initiative built to close the leadership gap by increasing visibility, recognition, mentorship, and skills development for African women.
WIMA initially gained momentum through “Career Women Wednesday,” a digital campaign where Naike Moshi profiled 50 senior women across Africa. The campaign resonated widely because it offered young professionals real, relatable role models. From there, WIMA grew into a robust leadership platform aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 5 and 10.
The organisation offers a comprehensive suite of services, including leadership training workshops tailored by women for women, dedicated mentorship programs, and executive search services specialising in senior and board placements. Furthermore, it fosters safe networking environments and drives economic empowerment projects through strategic collaborations with NGOs, corporations, government bodies, and grassroots organisations.
As WIMA’s influence expanded, Moshi introduced WIMA LUXE, a specialised initiative supporting female executives in the luxury sector. Through tailored leadership experiences, mentorship, cultural retreats, exclusive events, and even official executive suits, WIMA LUXE strengthens women’s confidence, visibility, and presence in demanding, high-end industries.
Across these efforts, Moshi has emerged as a leading voice advocating for gender-inclusive policies, corporate accountability, and cultural shifts that open more doors for women and marginalised groups. She remains committed to ensuring that African women are fully represented in decision-making spaces across the continent.
