EP 33: Thomas Njeru: On leaving the prestige of the Big 4, pursuing impact, and scaling Pula across 18 countries

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FATHOM with Anysie

Anysie Ishimwe

34 episodes

1 week ago

At FATHOM, we believe that in order to lead a joy filled and fulfilling life, one must have the courage to pursue that which they find meaningful. In our busy modern world, however, where internal and external obstacles abound, that pursuit becomes even more difficult for young people everywhere. Through conversations with guests who are experimenting with 'adulting' relatively successfully, we will bring raw and honest conversations that will add value to the journeys of our audience members.

Self-Improvement

Education

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Self-Improvement

Education

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EP 33: Thomas Njeru: On leaving the prestige of the Big 4, pursuing impact, and scaling Pula across 18 countries

FATHOM with Anysie

1 hour 20 minutes 22 seconds

1 month ago

EP 33: Thomas Njeru: On leaving the prestige of the Big 4, pursuing impact, and scaling Pula across 18 countries

In this conversation, I sit down with Thomas Njeru, co-founder and CEO of Pula Advisors, to unpack his remarkable journey from growing up on a farm in rural Kenya to becoming an actuary, rising to director at Deloitte, and ultimately walking away from the corporate world to build for impact. We discuss how he co-founded Pula to provide agricultural insurance for smallholder farmers, scaling it to 18 countries and reaching over 20 million farmers. Thomas shares hard-earned lessons on building a resilient team, navigating expansion across continents, and what it really takes to raise a $20 million Series B in a tough fundraising climate.

Thomas pursued actuarial science at the University of Nairobi and later earned an MBA from Strathmore Business School. Before founding Pula, he held senior roles at UAP-Old Mutual and Deloitte South Africa, where he honed his expertise in risk and insurance. In 2023, he was first runner-up in the Africa's Business Heroes competition, and in 2024, he was featured on the TIME100 Next list. That same year, Pula raised a $20 million Series B round led by BlueOrchard’s InsuResilience strategy.