By Prudence Minayo
Moezz Mir was appointed the CEO of SBM bank in October 2018. He took over the bank at a very tumultuous time when three local lenders had closed shop.
There was also the fact that SBM bank had
just acquired curved out assets and liabilities of Chase Bank Kenya. Despite the hard times, he has been able to steer the bank in experiencing tremendous growth and acquiring trust in the region.
Education
Apart from undertaking leadership courses in accredited institutions, he studied Economics at Kingston University in London. He also attended the Global Executive Development Programme at Gordon Institute of Business Sciences.
Career
An experienced and dedicated banker, Moezz has vast knowledge about corporate and investment banking in East Africa.
From 2011 to 2016, he served as the Managing Director at KCB bank, Tanzania. While serving in Tanzania, he drove Kenya Commercial Bank’s turn-around strategy helping the bank to stop making losses and enter a period of profit making.
He also pioneered the development Islamic banking in Tanzania, the first Sharia compliant offering in the country. From 2016 to 2018, he served as the director of corporate banking at KCB, Kenya.
Before KCB, Mr. Mir worked at First American Bank of Kenya, which was acquired by NCBA Bank Group, formerly Commercial Bank of Africa. He also has a wealth of experience working with several banks.
He has spearheaded a number of Greenfield projects, such as: the first sales and lease-based transaction in Kenya.
During his first year as SBM CEO, he focused on one key element, the people. Not only did he retain employees from the previous hanks but he also delved deeper into customer engagement.
Between 2019 and 2020, they paid out the first and second tranches of moratorium deposits to customers affected by the receivership of Chase Bank Kenya. The customers had not been able to access their finances since 2016.
The last tranche was paid in 2021 and the bank was also able to retain numerous clients. He engineered the financial institution’s ESG agenda on three pillars geared towards supporting sustainable business, create a responsible organization and enhance inclusive communities.
In January 2022, the bank announced a Sh1.6 billion mid-term financing facility to a renewable energy sector company. This was to enable more than 470,000 Kenyans gain access to inexpensive solar home systems.
In October the same year, they sealed a $10million risk sharing agreement with African Guarantee Fund. This was to enable them increase financing of SMEs and to enable enterprises led by women access favorable loans.
During his term, various organizations have recognized SBM bank, Kenya. For instance:
- World Economic Magazine feted them best bank in women banking in Kenya for four consecutive years, 2019 to 2022.
- The interbank games organized by Central Bank of Kenya gave them the Team Spirit Award.
- Citi treasury and trade solutions awarded them Citibank Performance Excellence Award in 2020 and 2021.
Memberships
He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Governing Council of the Kenya Bankers Association. Previously, he was a member of the Governing Council of Tanzania Bankers Association.
Women Empowerment
In his tenure, the banker has ensured that women empowerment remains a core aspect of their agenda. They have been providing connections in order to educate, empower and protect women through their SBM Women Market Program.
They have organized capacity building initiatives for women and in 2019 signed the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPS). Established by the United Nations Global Compact and United Nations Women, this is a global set of standards that advise corporates and businesses about women workplace empowerment, marketplace, community and gender equality.
