Corporate News Equity CEO addresses Cornell University forum

Equity Bank chief executive officer James Mwangi. PHOTO | FILE 

By BD REPORTER

In Summary

• James Mwangi was given the slot in recognition of his leadership in fostering financial inclusion in Africa.

Equity Group chief executive officer James Mwangi, has become the inaugural guest speaker to address a new high-level speakers’ series at US Ivy League college, the Cornell University.

Mr Mwangi was given the slot in recognition of his leadership in fostering financial inclusion in Africa.

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (Dyson School) is a reputed global business school of the Cornell University.

Its internationally renowned areas of expertise include food and agricultural economics, management, environmental and resource economics, international and development economics.

These areas of study expertise are aimed at fulfilling the school’s mission to inform and foster the public stewardship and private management of businesses, organisations, livelihoods, and natural resources. 

The business school has launched a speaker series under the theme “Our Business is a Better World”, to boost the delivery of its academic programmes. The series will be periodically delivered by global heads of industry.

Mr Mwangi pleaded the case for the democratisation of financial services in his presentation titled “Democratising Access to Finance and Social Impact in sub-Sahara Africa 1984- 2014; The Case for Equity Group.”

“The Equity Group mission is centered on a commitment to transform the lives and livelihoods of our people socially and economically by availing to them modern, inclusive financial services that maximise their opportunities,” said Mr Mwangi.

READ: Equity Bank's Mwangi set to serve for 10 more years

The Group, he added, has as part of its expansion strategies set out to replicate its East Africa success across the continent. The banking group has announced plans to extend Equity’s footprint across 10 African countries in the next ten years.

Equity Group is also stepping up its efforts to deploy its mobile virtual network Equitel, which is designed as a mobile banking channel. Equitel has a subscriber base of more than 1.2 million.

Across the East Africa region, Equity’s agency banking services have now hit the Sh29.1 billion transactions value mark.

Equitel recently announced the launch of a new range of value added services including a customer loan generation product dubbed; Eazzy Loan, utility bills payment solution (GoTV, DSTV, Kenya Power and Nairobi Water) and a variety of merchant payment options.

In conjunction with Equity Investment Bank, Equitel subscribers will also enjoy access to an innovative mobile based securities including shares buying and selling trading solution with same-day settlement in their accounts.