Equity Group’s MD and CEO, Dr. James Mwangi is among 100 global leaders selected by Ernst and Young’s Meaningful Business 100 2021.
This year’s edition of the list recognized various leaders for their role in tackling the world’s most pressing issues and for fostering the achievement of the UN Global Goals.
Dr. Mwangi was selected under the financial services category for championing initiatives that address the 17 SDGs and specifically focusing on alleviating poverty and inequality. This has been realized through his vision and through his efforts to drive Equity’s business model which focuses on financial inclusion and for running a high volume and low margin corporate.
According to MB 100, its membership takes a people centered approach, placing the wellbeing of employees and those impacted by the business, at the forefront of the strategy. Each leader must have either created positive, direct and intended impact aligned to one or more SDGs in the last 12 months or must have been the driving force behind the product, service or project that combines purpose and profit.
The final list was curated by an expert panel of 21 judges and the winners were scored across five key areas including impact, leadership, innovation, durability and scope. The panel of judges included Nikhil Seth, an assistant Secretary General at the UN, Stasia Mitchell, the Global Entrepreneurship Lead at audit firm EY and Paul Lindley the founder of Ella’s Kitchen among others.
The 2021 nominees included corporate CEOs, entrepreneurs, sustainability leaders and impact investors, representing the best of what business, entrepreneurship and social innovation can be from 33 countries worldwide.
Over the past few years, Kenyan corporates have increasingly become conscious of how their operations, consumption and production are impacting the environment and community. Three other Kenyans were selected from a pool of 500 nominations from 75 countries globally. These are Group Chief Executive of Apollo Investments, Ashok Shah and Olivelink Healthcare CEO, Josephine Suleiman.
In 2020, Dr. Mwangi joined a league of 14 global CEOs with a proposed a roadmap to “build the economic system better” after the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also an honoree of the 2020 Oslo Business for Peace Award.