Kellen Kariuki Appointed as New Chair of Standard Chartered Bank’s Board

The Board of Standard Chartered Bank on Monday, May 31, 2021, appointed Kellen Kariuki as its new Chair. The appointment follows the retirement of the former Chairperson, Engineer Patrick Obath, who had served for nine years as an independent non-executive director and as the Board Chair from May 2019.

Kellen’s rich experience in the banking and finance industry made her the best suitable candidate to take on the position of chairperson. Her “wealth of experience and expertise will contribute greatly towards accelerating the achievement of the Company’s strategy,” said the board in a statement.

Kellen previously served as an independent non-executive director of the bank’s board since February 2021.She also served in various leadership roles at Citi Bank North America for more than 20 years and was the first Managing Trustee and CEO of the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA).

Other positions she previously served include; Chairperson of Citibank Tanzania Limited, a Non-Executive Director of Citibank Uganda, a Non-Executive Director of Resolution Insurance Limited, Chairperson of the Citibank Kenya Provident Fund, and a Nominee Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Kellen is currently the Managing Director of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Flying Doctors Board and a Non-Executive Board Member of the Strathmore University Foundation. She is also the current Managing Director of Feruzi Holdings Limited, a consulting firm engaged in financial advisory, real estate, and agribusiness.

She holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in International Human Resource Management from Cranfield University in the UK and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Strategic Management. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Strathmore University Business School.