On May 24th in 2022, KCB Group PLC Board appointed Paul Russo as the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) effective May 25, 2022.
Mr. Russo replaced Mr Joshua Oigara who had been the GCEO for the last nine and a half years.
Joshua however will be available for a period of time to support a smooth transition. The appointment followed a competitively run selection process that had kicked off in March 2022.
“Paul Russo is the right person for the job & will take us to the next level in its growth ambitions to become the undisputed regional leader and drive much-needed business transformation for greater impact of economies and communities around us” KCB Group Chairman Andrew Kairu
“Joshua has left a solid legacy for KCB across Africa & beyond that is dotted by transformation of millions of lives, enhanced financial inclusion across the region, digital banking innovations & has built a Group that is anchored on sustainable business practices” he added.
10 Interesting Facts About KCB’s New CEO Paul Russo
- Paul Russo was born in 1976 in Laisamis, Marsabit County and at the point of his appointment and KCB’s CEO, he was he was 46 years old
- He schooled in Laisamis in his early education before he moved to Mangu High following a catholic scholarship .
- He would later earn his first degree Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) degree awarded by Moi University and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Strathmore University
- He also earned senior executive certification for Africa from Harvard Business School and Higher Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Kenya Institute of Human Resources.
- Russo began his career at t Kenya Breweries Limited before joining Barclays Bank of Kenya (today Absa Bank Kenya). He would later work shortly with K-Rep Bank (today Sidian Bank) and at PwC Kenya
- In 2008, then Barclay Africa Group hired him as Human Resources Director, in 2019, he was promoted in the same capacity to become Group Regional Businesses Director
- Paul Russo is well known for being a Kenyan human resources management professional, businessman and corporate executive
- Before his appointment to head KCB, he was the managing director and chief executive officer at National Bank of Kenya (NBK), a subsidiary of KCB Bank Kenya.
- Away from work and business, Mr. Russo is a married man and father of three girls and one boy
- Despite coming from the Rendile community, he values gender equality
