Management Expert Ken Agutu Wants You To Understand The People You Work With Better And Enjoy Your Retirement

From a young age, Ken Agutu had an affinity for people. He was the fifth child in a family of seven. His parents were civil servants, and their family moved from place to place, where Agutu honed his passion for interactions. He attended primary school in multiple areas, from Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kapsabet, Elburgon, and Nairobi.

Agutu completed his A-Levels at Maseno school in 1982 and joined the James Finlays Tea Company in 1983, then known as the African Highlands Produce Company. “Finding work after A-levels was easy back then. There was only one accredited university in Kenya at the time and companies were willing to hire any A-level graduate who was not able to join the university and who had not only performed well but held some leadership responsibilities in high school to their management positions. The company offered ‘on-the-job training’ for recruits.” He originally thought his employment at Finlays would be temporary. He worked there until 2018.

Agutu finally attended university at Kenya Methodist in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 2014, he enrolled for an MBA in Strategic Management at Kenyatta University. He graduated with his master’s after retiring from corporate work in 2019. He would never have guessed that he’d be doing his undergraduate at 47, a comforting thought for those who think it’s too late to upskill. However, he does wonder how different his life would be if he’d gotten a chance to go to college in his 20s. “Maybe I would have become an adventurer or even held a different position with Finlays or elsewhere.” However, 35 years of experience in one company is still highly valuable.

Ken Agutu is a workplace coaching and mentoring expert. He also holds a Quality Professional Diploma from the International Trade Centre at the World Alliance for Quality and is a member of the East African Quality Champions which is a Market Access Upgrade Project funded by the EU. The program supports increased exports of agricultural and horticultural products.

Agutu has a wife and three children that he’s very proud of. His firstborn runs a construction business and will be enrolling for a master’s degree in 2025. His second-born just finished law school and is awaiting admission to the bar. Finally, the last born is an economics and statistics graduate and is working with BURN, a company that produces energy-saving cookstoves as a Carbon Data Quality Control Associate. Agutu’s wife is an entrepreneur and also works as an event planning executive.

Before getting into management, Agutu didn’t know what he wanted. He says, “I wanted to be around people. Ensuring workers get justice and fairness and not losing the vision of the manager became my passion.” With a loving and laughing family, and with an uncanny ability to make friends, he eventually carved out a path suited to his skills.

“I wouldn’t call myself an extrovert though. I’m an extroverted introvert, I can work well indoors.” The versatility of an ambivert enables him to work well, whether at home or in a workplace full of people. Agutu also isn’t a party animal. “I don’t do alcohol and I don’t go to clubs. Toastmasters is my favourite narcotic after tea,” he jokes. He adds that he suffers from tepidophobia, a morbid fear of a badly made cup of tea.

He’s currently the Area Director for Area D14 of District 114 Toastmasters. Toastmasters International is a nonprofit that trains members on public speaking, leadership and mentorship, providing networking opportunities for career advancements. It’s a membership that’s been very rewarding to Agutu. But beyond his current position as a managing consultant at LYNC Consultants which deals with human resource management and agribusiness, Ken Agutu helps companies become sustainable. He is an accredited trainer with the Rainforest Alliance, a global and international non-profit organization that brings together several stakeholders dedicated to conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. He’s also an associate trainer for the Agricultural Employers’ Association.

Finlays

Ken Agutu’s career at Finlays began as someone who worked within the tea estates. His role wasn’t confined to one speciality. “Working in management, you were HR, an accountant, a welfare officer and a manager all in one.” But the job wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. “One of the biggest challenges was leading and managing people, some of them old enough to be your parents. The training equipped you to do it but it was still a challenge.” However, it was still rewarding to work with so many people.

Working at the same company for 35 years is no easy feat. It’s also not common, and less possible, in the present day. However, Agutu believes that your value in a company can make such longevity possible. “It depends on your organization. If you have loyalty and commitment, there are people in the organization who will support you. Understand what you’re working for and do more. There has to be something about you that’s extremely valuable, that only you can bring.”

Agutu’s contribution to Finlays was so valuable that in 2022, they invited him back to conduct research and curate information needed for the book 100 Years History of Finlays. “I didn’t do the final writing but I was invited back to help with the research. This wasn’t an advertised position. They called me back to do it.”

His career in Finlays was also very rewarding because of how much credence the institution carries. “On one of my consultancies, I didn’t have the experience necessary but because I worked for Finlays they stopped and listened.”

Ken Agutu [courtesy of Ken Agutu][Visiting the Lengishu House, Borana Ranch] — Ken Agutu [courtesy of Ken Agutu]

Human Resources Management

In HR consultancy, Agutu’s role includes policy-making, creating performance management systems, advertising, conducting interviews, and onboarding employees.

Human resource management is a particular passion for Agutu, one which he has strong opinions on. “HR is a misunderstood role. A lot of organizations engage professionals not to do the work they’re supposed to. It’s also a thankless role. I don’t think they’re fully appreciated.” Agutu points out that sometimes ethics are compromised in the profession because often human resources managers are used as a tool to inoculate an organization from lawsuits or bad press. Hence the saying, HR are not your friends. Agutu insists, “There’s misuse for that role for managers to achieve their ends. HR can sometimes be bypassed during a scandal to sanitize the situation.”

According to him, the misunderstandings stem from employees regarding HR as a place solely for hire and fire. They also lack comprehension of the full scope of the role. “We enable staff placement, career growth, training, retention, and performance management.” To bridge this knowledge gap, Agutu suggests, “There needs to be a lot more interaction between HR and employees and the general public.”

Agutu also believes that companies need to improve their HR departments. “Companies should give HR more prominence. For example, you see a company with a board of governors then an operations director is in charge of HR even if they have no HR training. HR professionals in such organizations are then given a lower seat and have little power to do what’s needed.”

Another blind spot is the lack of value inherently placed in human resource management. “HR is looked down on. You even find that in an organization, a finance manager will have a higher chance of getting time off to go to school compared to an HR manager. People have this idea that HR is something people who didn’t do well in school pursue.”

Ultimately, Agutu’s role is to ensure a better interaction between HR and workers within a company.

Ken Agutu: Toastmasters and his future

Agutu officially retired from corporate work in 2018. At one of his consultancy workshops, a lady sitting next to him talked to him about Toastmasters and even took him to a club meeting at Nairobi Bottlers Toastmasters Club later that evening. Immediately, he knew that he wanted to join the organization and build his public speaking skills. He has used these skills to facilitate training and other public intercourse. He has now carved out his path of public speaking and gradually picked up the idea of using this to train people in various areas, especially about retirement, arguably his most passionate role today

At Toastmasters, Agutu felt at home. He was elected into a leadership role within 6 months of joining the Kisumu Toastmasters Club and even got his daughter to join the club in 2020. Together they have found passion in leadership and participating in speech contests. His daughter Leanne came second runner-up in the speech evaluation contest at the district level in 2021 and Agutu himself was second runner-up in the international speech contest at the same level in 2023.

In 2024, he started serving as an area director for Area D14 (Kenya) of District 114, which is the East African community at large. In his role, he is happiest when he helps people work better. “Helping them achieve their goals in public speaking. Leadership is just amazing.” Toastmasters is also a great place for networking. “You meet people of all levels.” Something Agutu is aware of but doesn’t let it hamper his ability to connect, teach, and train. “Being able to mentor, putting your soul into another is the gist of the mentor-mentee relationship.”

Agutu’s personal philosophy is to put money in people. “When you speak to people’s hearts, you can create real change. You have to communicate from your heart to theirs. That’s how you get to the soul of the matter.” For his future, he wants to get to a place where his consultancy can operate without him needing to be there. “I have given myself seven years to do that.” He also added, “Right now, I want to ask God to show me what else I can do and to give me the strength to see it through.”

Outside of his work, most of Agutu’s present and future will involve his family and further dreams of travel. “I love spending time with my family. We’re very tight-knit. I love get-togethers. I’m a very intentional parent. I never miss an important event with my kids. Every graduation, every birthday, every achievement, I’m there and always will.”

As for travel, “I had always promised myself that I would travel to all continents by 60. I’m 61 and sadly I’ve only been to four.” Agutu has visited Asia, Europe, other parts of Africa, and North America. “The most beautiful place I’ve ever been to is Guernsey in the Channel Islands. I also loved Lamu and Lengishu House in Laikipia. I would love to visit New Zealand next because I think it is a very beautiful destination.”

Retirement

Agutu doesn’t like that people think retirement is the end of working. He says that with retirement comes great benefits. More free time, wisdom, and the opportunity to invest more in yourself and your loved ones. He became a retirement coach because he realized there was a lot more to learn. One of the Bibles he swears by is Halftime by Bob Buford, a book his siblings gifted him before retirement. It’s a game plan on how to do things differently and end up with more significance.

“I think of retirement as a time of change rather than change in time,” he states. Working as a retirement coach, people keep asking mainly about retirement packages, but retirement requires a more holistic approach. “It’s about health, finances, hobbies, housing, connection with family, and giving back to the community. Many people think retirement is when you set off to die, no, it is a time to be reborn, a time to begin afresh.”

One thing Agutu wishes is that organizations would stop training people about retirement five years before it’s due. “We should start talking about retirement as soon as they start working. People should start thinking about retirement when they’re in their 20s.”

How to succeed at choosing a retirement plan

One of Agutu’s core principles is realizing that retirement should be considered as a learning process. It is full of starts and stops. “Do not be afraid to laugh at yourself occasionally when things do not go as planned.”

To increase the chances of retirement success, Agutu says you should start saving as early as you can. “As soon as you get assets, try and have them in a place you have access.” This is because retirement will come with a lot of responsibility and you don’t want to have your assets scattered, making managing them difficult.

Another retirement commandment is that you decide, in good time where you would like to settle in retirement. “Do it early. It’s not just about choosing, it’s about establishing. You should be able to slide into it easily when it’s time for it.” You should also buy a retirement plan even if you’re unemployed.” Retirement should be about enjoyment.

A common misconception about retirement is that the end of corporate work is the end of activity. Retirement still requires action and it’s more rewarding if you choose a plan that doesn’t deplete your resources and cushions your lifestyle even without a job.

“Retirement still includes some work but it’s choosing when to work. Don’t copy others. Find what you can do and do it well.” Whatever you do after retirement requires passion, “Otherwise it just doesn’t work.”

What you need to know to become a successful retirement coach

“Only be a coach on small aspects,” he advises. It’s less risky to be someone who specializes rather than someone who tries to do too much at a go. A retirement coach should also be authentic. It’s better to become one when you’ve already retired.

When dealing with clients, you need to understand exactly what their needs are. One of his most rewarding moments as a retirement coach was when a couple came for his services. One member was ready for retirement and his wife wasn’t. When she was ready, she approached him for a retirement plan too. Together, they seem to be enjoying their retirement.

For Agutu retirement coaching is its reward when he sees people able to enjoy the post-career phase of their lives. For retirement coaching to be successful, you can’t let clients wait until a certain “point”. They should start planning before their position’s official retirement age. Agutu believes age should never prevent people from enjoying their retirement, people should be intentional about enjoying retirement.

Connect with Ken Agutu on Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.