Joel Chacha, Director, Portland Communications
Joel is an accomplished Communications Leader with over 15 years of experience in creating, managing, and sustaining communication programs at local, regional, and global levels. As part of Portland Communications' international team, he operates across Nairobi, London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington DC, Doha, and Singapore. Joel leads the African regional hub, providing strategic insights and high-quality delivery, advising multinational investors, corporations, and prominent development and policy-focused groups on the African continent.
With over a decade of experience in the communications industry, Joel has previously worked as a reporter at Standard Group, Account Director at Ogilvy Public Relations, and General Manager and Chief Strategist at Tell-Em Public Relations before joining Portland Communications as a Director.
Joel has consulted across 32 countries, developing a deep understanding of the African market, its diverse cultures, languages, and media landscape. He has successfully implemented campaigns tailored to each country’s unique needs. His work has earned him major industry awards, including the Superior Achievement in Brand Building award, Best Media Relations Campaign, and Best Overall PR Campaign of the Year.
He serves as a corporate board member representative for the Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK), where he also chairs the marketing and gala committee. From 2018 to 2022, Joel chaired the media relations experts panel at the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), and this year he was named to the PRWeek Global Awards jury, joining a board of global industry leaders to judge entries from across the world.
Joel's extensive industry experience includes collaborations with global and regional giants such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Alwaleed Philanthropies, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, King Baudouin Foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The International Finance Corporation (IFC), Visa, Telkom Kenya, Safaricom, Procter and Gamble (P&G), Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, British Airways, The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Prime Bank, Bank of Africa, and I&M Bank, as well as startups like Bolt, LORI, Basi GO, Zanifu, Gebeya, and Glovo.
As a self-proclaimed philomath, Joel spends his free time researching new ideas, concepts, and technologies.