Kellen Eileen Kariuki
Chairperson, Standard Chartered Bank, Kenya
Appointment
Kellen was appointed to the Board in February 2020 and elected as the Chairperson of the Board in May 2021.
Experience
Kellen has strong and diverse skills in banking, strategy, corporate governance, finance, and leadership. She held several senior positions at Citibank N.A. before joining the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority as the first Chief Executive Officer and Managing Trustee. She previously held non-executive director appointments at Resolution Insurance Limited, Citibank Uganda, the Kenya Roads Board, was a nominee director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), non-executive director of AMREF Health Africa, AMREF Flying Doctors, and chair of Citibank Tanzania Limited. Kellen is a founding member of the Board of Advisors of the Strathmore Business School, is a director at the Strathmore University Foundation and has served as an elected council member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. She is currently the Managing Director of Feruzi Holdings Limited and Chairperson of Standard Chartered Investment Services Limited. She also serves as a director on the board of Startel Limited.
Kellen holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting both from United States International University-Africa and a Master’s of Science (MSc.) in International Human Resource Management from Cranfield University in the UK. Kellen is a Fellow Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (FCPA) and is currently pursuing a PhD at Strathmore University Business School.
Kariuki Ngari
Chief Executive Officer
Appointment
Kariuki was appointed to the Board in March 2019.
Experience
Kariuki has 30 years of banking experience. He was instrumental in transforming the Consumer Banking divisions of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya and the Africa Region. Prior to his current role, he was the Global Head, Retail Distribution for Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. He was influential in formulating global strategies in building the future of Retail Branch and Voice and Virtual landscapes through digitisation of the physical channels.
Kariuki was the Regional Head of Retail Clients, Africa between 2013 and 2015, and an Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya from 2009 to 2013. He has also held senior positions at Absa Bank Kenya PLC. Kariuki serves as a non-executive director on the board of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda and as a director on the boards of Tawi Fresh Kenya Limited and Solvezy Technology Kenya Limited. He sits on the Board of the UN Global Compact and is a Director on various other Standard Chartered Bank Kenya subsidiary Boards.
Chemutai Murgor
Chief Financial Officer
Appointment
Chemutai was appointed to the Board in March 2007.
Experience
Chemutai has been with the Bank for over 21 years and joined the Board in March 2007. She has wide experience in finance having worked previously as the Head of Finance as well as Head of Business Finance. Chemutai has also held various senior positions at Deloitte & Touché both in Kenya and the United Kingdom. Chemutai is a director on various other Standard Chartered Bank Kenya subsidiary Boards.
Peter Gitau
Chief Technology and Operations Officer
Appointment
Peter was appointed to the Board in April 2020.
Experience
Peter has over 29 years’ experience in operations, technology, risk management and internal/external audit. He has held senior roles in Standard Chartered including Chief Information Officer (East Africa), Group Head of Controls for Wholesale Banking Technology and Operations ( Singapore) and Head of Audit (Africa). In his early career, Peter was part of the Assurance Services Practice in Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Birju Sanghrajka
Head, Commercial, Corporate and Institutional Banking (CCIB)
Appointment
Birju was appointed to the Board in July 2021.
Experience
Birju has 23 years of corporate banking experience, having started as a Graduate Trainee in Standard Chartered Bank, Kenya. His career has seen him work in corporate banking, corporate finance and transaction banking, across Kenya, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Birju currently leads the CCIB Client Coverage business across Kenya and the wider East Africa region. The business supports the banking and investment requirements of multi-national corporates, public sector entities, development organisations and institutional clients by leveraging the bank’s innovative product offering, industry expertise and cross border network.
Judy Nyaga
Company Secretary
Appointment
Judy was appointed as Company Secretary in December 2020.
Experience
Judy has over 23 years legal and corporate governance experience in the banking industry having worked at both Standard Chartered Bank and other banks in Kenya. She has gained extensive knowledge and experience leading teams of company secretaries across various markets in Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and South Asia.
Richard Etemesi
Non-Executive Director
Appointment
Richard was appointed to the Board in June 2017.
Experience
Richard is a past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited a position he held until March 2014. Richard then moved on to become Chief Executive Officer for South Africa and Southern Africa and later on became the Vice Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, Africa. After a career spanning more than 28 years Richard retired from Standard Chartered Group in April 2021. Richard has experience in Banking, Finance and Compliance and has vast knowledge from different African markets. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania and as a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank in Nigeria, Angola and Mauritius.
Julie Browne
Non-Executive Director
Appointment
Julie was appointed to the Board in December 2020.
Experience
Julie is an accomplished corporate banker with more than 40 years’ experience garnered from working in a range of different roles within corporate and institutional banking for major international banks in London, South East Asia and Africa. Julie is the Chief Credit Officer responsible for Africa in Standard Chartered Bank and is based in Johannesburg. She joined Standard Chartered Bank in January 2005. She has served in various capacities including as a Senior Credit Officer, Commodities Risk ASEAN region based in Singapore and as the Head of Policy and Process, Corporate, Commercial & Institutional Banking and Private Banking. She sits on the Board of Standard Chartered Bank Mauritius as a Non-Executive Director. Julie holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Financial Services from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Dr Catherine Adeya
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment
Catherine was appointed to the Board in January 2016.
Experience
Dr. Catherine Adeya is a Senior Digital Transformation & Governance Specialist, with over 20 years working in technology and development. She has a rich experience across academia, civil society, government, and the private sector. She is an expert in bilateral and multilateral agency operations with consolidated expertise and excellent skills in research, project planning and execution, finance management and policy development. A strategic thinker with proven management and leadership skills, she has vast global exposure. Dr. Adeya most recently served as the Director of Research at the World Wide Web Foundation. She has worked at the United Nations University/ Institute of New Technologies in the Netherlands; as a Director at the Ministry of ICT in Kenya; and was the founder CEO of Konza Technology City. Dr. Adeya is a Non- Executive Director at UAP Old Mutual Holdings Limited, Standard Chartered Investment Services Limited and Adrian Kenya Limited.
Dr. Adeya has a PhD in Information and Development from Edinburgh, Scotland. She has pursued further education such as the Yale University ‘Executive Education – Women’s Leadership Program’ and Stanford University ‘Executive Education – Cybersecurity and Executive Strategy’.
David Ong'olo
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment
David was appointed to the Board in January 2020.
Experience
David is an experienced private sector and development specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the economic development industry. He is skilled in Program Management, Policy Analysis, Sectoral Analysis, and Strategic Planning. He was until February 2019, the Chairman of Competition Authority of Kenya. His early career included working as Deputy Chief Economist in charge of the Trade and Industry Division of the then Ministry of Planning and National Development, and Credit Specialist with the SDSR regional program of the International Labour Organisation. He was previously the Senior Policy Adviser (Economics) at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Nairobi, Kenya and is currently a Consultant with Matrix Development Consultants Limited. David is a Director on the Boards of Netherlands Business Hub Kenya Limited, CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment, Jitegemee Trust Limited and Jabali Microserve Limited. He is also the Chairperson of Standard Chartered Kenya Pension Fund and Standard Chartered Kenya Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme, 2006.
Nivedita (“Nivi”) Sharma
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment
Nivedita Sharma was appointed to the Board in July 2021.
Experience
Nivi is an expert in innovation, impact, and scale-up strategies in ascending markets. She is currently the CEO of Bridges to Prosperity, the global leader in rural infrastructure development, which uses technology for needs assessment, impact assessment, and engineering to aid rural infrastructure investments. Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer of BRCK, a connectivity company that provides free public Wi-Fi. Nivi has dedicated her career to access for children, youth, and adults. She co-founded eLimu, the first company to digitize the Kenyan Primary School curriculum content for revision and literacy. Nivi is driven by learning, development, access, and impact. She serves on the boards of Software Technologies Ltd and The Open Institute Trust. Nivi holds a B.A. (Hons) degree in Economics from Ithaca College, New York, USA. She is a 2014 East Africa Acumen fellow and a member of the Fast Forward Leaders’ Circle.
Robert Mbugua
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment
Robert was appointed to the Board in June 2024
Experience
Robert has a wealth of leadership and banking experience with diverse skills in audit, finance, risk and corporate governance. He was previously a Partner in the Johannesburg office of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and subsequently held various senior executive roles within Standard Bank Group. He co-founded and is the immediate former Chief Executive Officer of Co-op Bank Fleet Africa Limited. Robert was until August 2024 the Chairman of BOC Kenya PLC. He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Old Mutual Holdings PLC. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration from Bond University.
