Zain Verjee, best remembered as the Kenyan face on CNN where she worked as a news anchor and reporter, is now proprietor of Zain Verjee Group, a production company that produces video content for African audiences.

Verjee started out as a radio host for Capital FM and later went on to anchor KTN prime news, from where she made the leap into the international scene as a CNN anchor and reporter. The programmes she hosted include CNN International’s World One, Inside Africa, Your World Today, World Report and The Situation Room. She has also been at BBC as host of Third Opinion as well as a freelancer for BBC programmes including African Perspectives after the US Embassy bombings in East Africa.

After joining CNN in 2000, Verjee was deployed to cover major news events, including the India-Pakistan AGRA Summit, the Arab Spring uprising, the British Royal Wedding, the 2012 London Olympics, the trial of disgraced Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, the 9/11 US terror attacks, the 2007/8 Kenyan post-election violence and the war in Iraq.

The veteran journalist has also had the opportunity to interview highly influential people such as former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, Pakistan’s late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former US President Bill Clinton.

Verjee is the author of Live & On The Air, a children’s book about a young rural girl who moves to Nairobi to be a broadcaster. She is involved in charity work revolving around HIV/Aids awareness, Hepatitis B and Polio.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from McGill University in Canada and is a graduate of York University, also in Canada. Verjee’s interest in furthering her ability to express herself through the written words led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Oxford University, UK.