Paul Russo, EBS, is the Chief Executive Officer of KCB Group PLC, appointed in May 2022. He is a member of the Boards of KCB Group PLC, KCB Bank Kenya, National Bank of Kenya (NBK), KCB Investment Bank, KCB Foundation, BPR Bank Rwanda Plc and Trust Merchant Bank (TMB). He is also a member of the Kenya Bankers Association Governing Council, the banking industry lobby.
Paul also sits in the Boards of the National Investment Council, Presidential Taskforce on the establishment of a National Lottery and the National Steering Committee on Drought Response, appointed by Kenya’s President William Ruto. He is also a member of Steering Committee for the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally Project.
He was feted with a state commendation- Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) by the President for his immense contribution in Kenya’s financial services sector. He also serves in the United Nations Environment Programme Finance (UNEP-FI) Leadership Council, joining other global leaders in mainstreaming and deepening sustainability integration across the financial industry.
He is responsible for overseeing the transformation of KCB Group into the undisputed leader in the financial services sector and a customer-focused financial powerhouse. He has extensive experience in banking, strategy, operational and people management. Paul is passionate about transforming the lives of communities, entrenching sustainable business practices and empowering people. “We must drive and deliver meaningful change and contribution in the society. At the end of the day, to claim success, we must challenge the status quo, take deliberate steps that may be outside our comfort zone to create a lasting and sustainable impact to the lives of the communities which we serve.”
Previously, Paul served as the Regional Business Director, KCB Group Plc, and the MD NBK. A HR practioner, he has close to 25 years of work experience spanning executive and key roles including Group HR Director, KCB. He has served in other big corporates such as Barclays, PwC, K-Rep Bank, EABL, and Unga Holdings. He holds an MBA from Strathmore University Business School and a Bachelor of Business Management from Moi University. He also has a senior executive program for Africa Certificate from Harvard Business School.