Absa Bank Kenya has appointed Yusuf Omari as the new interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), taking over from former CEO Jeremy Awori who left the company in September.
The Bank’s Board has appointed Omari after securing a regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
Omari will spearhead the company’s transition before appointing a substantive CEO.
“I am confident that this appointment will help us to continue executing our strategy whilst ensuring a smooth leadership transition,” Absa Bank Kenya PLC Board Chairman Charles Muchene said.
Omari currently serves as the firm’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO), a role he has been occupying since 2009.
At the bank, he has held numerous senior positions such as Regional Head of Internal Audit as well as Compliance. He has also served in the lender’s Executive Committee as well as the Board.
He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Strathmore Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi.
Other qualifications he possesses being an Advanced Management Programme (AMP) Certification from the International Institute of Management Development (IMD, Switzerland), among others.
Yusuf is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountant (FCPA) and a member of the Institute of Certified Internal Auditors.
He takes over from Awori who was appointed by Lome-based Pan-African lender, Eco-Bank as the new Chief Executive.
In its half year financial result, Absa’s net profit increased 12.9 per cent to Sh6.3 billion from higher yields on advances and loans.