Equity Bank appoints new Chief Operating Officer

John Wilson, Equity Group’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO). The appointment is subject to approval by the Central Bank of Kenya.

Equity Group has named the head of financial institutions in East and Southern Africa at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) John Wilson as the Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The appointment is subject to approval by the Central Bank of Kenya.   

He joins the lender at a time when the Group is accelerating its digitisation efforts and Pan African expansion.  

Mr John will oversee operations at the Group level while Bhartesh Shah will head up the Group’s Enterprise Risk Management.

John, a Swedish national, has had a successful career in banking and finance. He spent 14 years at the World Bank, where he worked at the IFC with over Sh9 trillion (90 billion) in assets) for 11 years and three years at the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development - the public sector arm of the World Bank Group, McKinsey among other senior positions.

Equity Group CEO James Mwangi said ‘John brings international experience and joins a team of talented experts driving the Equity strategy.’ 

The COO is expected to enhance the execution of strategy and operational oversight of the entire business including the subsidiaries as the Group Executive Director Mary Wamae focuses on leadership and governance of the various business lines.

John is an alumnus of Princeton University where he graduated with a Master’s degree in Public affairs.  

He obtained another Masters in Economics from Uppsala University in Sweden.