Group Head of Internet Banking, Equity Group Holdings, Ltd
Since joining Equity Group in 2012, Gakii Mwongera has directed the bank’s digital channel portfolio which has witnessed tremendous growth in transaction volumes, from USD 9 million in 2012 to over USD 10 billion in 2021. She has championed the training of more than 6,000 bank employees on features and benefits of digital transaction banking platforms, thus improving product uptake and achieving a return on digital channel investment within two and a half years – two years ahead of the projected date. Recently following Equity Group’s acquisition of Banque Commerciale du Congo, she managed the bank’s successful migration and digitization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has seen Equity Bank DRC become the second best-performing subsidiary in internet banking in less than a year.
Additionally, Gakii has been tasked with supporting Equity’s Manufacturing Sector unit, where she has led the growth by 35 percent of the bank’s corporate manufacturing sector portfolio. In this capacity, she worked closely with the Equity Group Foundation in identifying manufacturers, both large and small, who can benefit from financial literacy education – directly or through their value chains – and facilitated training sessions that enabled these entrepreneurs to manage their businesses more sustainably. Moreover, she spearheaded the development of a cashflow based lending product which resulted in simplified access to working capital for manufacturers; and resulted in the disbursement of more than 439,000 business loans worth over USD 200 million, a major win for job creation and growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya.
Gakii has been intentional about building her teams and colleagues into future leaders within the Group. Her efforts have been profoundly beneficial, ensuring business continuity and flexibility in the execution of duties. She also recently signed on as a volunteer with the bank’s Equip Book Club, an initiative founded to promote and entrench a reading culture across Equity Group. This has resulted in her division being recognized internally for their flexibility and expertise in relationship management, customer service and support, operational efficiency and on overall year-on-year growth in non-funded income for the bank.
Gakii Mwongera Group-wide responsibilities
Groupwide responsibilities including international travel has not deterred Gakiii from giving back to society. For more than six years, she has volunteered as a mentor in conjunction with the Equity Leadership Program under Equity Group Foundation. She helps guide scholars in matching skills and interests with career opportunities. She serves as a board member of Kibirichia Girls High School and mentors students on general life skills and the need for academic excellence, specifically in Mathematics. Since July 2018, she also has served as a sighted volunteer at Be My Eyes, an organization that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers for assistance in managing their daily activities using mobile technology. She is passionate about empowering persons living with disabilities and supports the use of technology to empower PWDs across Africa.
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