I&M Group PLC has announced the appointment of Mr. Kihara Maina to the position of I&M Regional CEO which will come into effect in the new year. His appointment to the Group role is however, subject to regulatory approval, and will follow the end of his tenure as CEO of I&M Bank Kenya.
In his new role, Mr. Maina will ensure that the business model for the regional markets delivers towards enhancing performance as a key parameter in contributing to the overall Group performance. He will be responsible for driving the regional business ambition for the Group as underpinned in the iMara 2.0 strategy.
At the same time, the Board has announced the appointment of Mr Gul Khan as the new I&M Bank Kenya CEO subject to regulatory approval. Mr Gul Khan has over 23 years of international financial services experience, mostly with HSBC Bank, having worked in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He is recognized as a leader in both the banking and fintech industries with a proven track record of delivering growth and transformation.
Since 2019, Mr. Khan is the Head of Products at Airtel Money Africa, where he has played a key role in driving financial inclusion across 14 African markets.
The Group also announced the impending departure of Mr. Chris Low, the current Regional Director whose contract expires at the end of this year after a successful two-year engagement to establish key Group functions and alignment across the Group’s subsidiaries in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as well as its Joint Venture in Mauritius, Bank One.
The transition offers continuity in the business as Mr Maina takes over responsibilities previously handled by Mr Low that were instrumental in setting up the foundation for the Group’s regional infrastructure that has been crucial in driving the Bank’s regional ambition, a role for which the Board has expressed its full gratitude.
Commenting on the new appointments, Mr Daniel Ndonye, Board Chairman, I&M Group Plc said: “We believe that Mr Kihara Maina and Mr Gul Khan are the right leaders to drive the organisation’s growth strategy. Together, they have significant business experience and the drive to help us take I&M Group to the next level of growth and development in line with our iMara 2.0 strategy”.