We are Honest.
We are True.
Asante Financial Services Group is a Credit-Led Neo Bank that supports Africa’s growth through provision of financial services to growing businesses . Asante commenced operations in early 2018 and has grown to become a leading SME Digital Bank in the region. We have partnered with the largest telcos, mobile-based marketplaces, airlines, retailers, payment processors, insurance companies, smartphone phone OEMs and large FMCGs, as corporate channel partners, to access the MSMEs in their ecosystems. Our presence countries are Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda with active plans to expand to 7 more countries by 2025
Through our services, we aspire to become Africa’s leading digital financial services provider by facilitating financial independence, tapping into the best talent in the market, and harnessing the power of technology to deliver world class lending services to our valued customers. Everything we say, and everything we do, is anchored on the values of Trust, Reliability, Innovation and Simplicity. At Asante Financial Services Group, you will find a Responsive and Passionate team! It’s part of our DNA!
We Help You Realise Your Potential
We are
Asante Financial
Services Group
Meet the team
Asante Financial Services Group is made up of a team of qualified finance and business professionals with an accumulation of over 50 years of combined experience in the Fintech, Business and Customer Service industries.
Chidi Okpala
Chief Executive Officer
Meet Chidi, the Captain of the ship. He is one of the most respected retail financial services experts in Africa with a rare combination of Strategy Consulting, Telco, Banking and FinTech industry experience across 25 countries in Africa, acquired over the last 26 years.
Highlights of his experience include:
- Group MD Digital and FinTech at Atlas Mara where he drove the Innovation, Digital Financial Services and Financial Inclusion agenda across Sub Sahara Africa.
- Founder/CEO for Airtel Money Africa at Bharti Airtel International, with responsibility for Mobile Money businesses across 17 countries in Africa.
- Division CEO for Retail Banking at United Bank for Africa Plc, overseeing Personal and Business Banking in 19 countries.
- Senior Consultant in the Strategy and Business Architecture at Accenture.
- Chidi holds a BSc Finance and an MBA from the University of Nigeria, as well as a Sloan MSc in Management and Leadership from the London Business School as a Chevening Scholar.
Catherine Wangui
Chief People Officer
- Now meet Catherine, who brings with her decades of experience, having worked as Chief Financial Officer for Alternative Circle Limited, an alternative data powered digital lender, where she set up the finance department of the firm and the related financial planning and reporting processes. She also worked as the Financial Accountant for Branch International Limited.
- She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kemu University, and is a respected Member of The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) and of the Association of Women Accountants of Kenya (AWAK).
George Maingi
Chief Operating Officer
- A seasoned telecommunications engineering expert, George brings a wealth of experience having worked as Telecommunication Engineer at Airtel Africa, focusing on fraud management, and on Risk management and Compliance with Safaricom Ltd.
- He is a Member of the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
- He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nairobi.
Serge Jones
Chief Digital Officer
Serge Jones has 27 years’ experience in Finance, Digital Banking, FinTech, Start-ups, Private Equity, Asset Management, Mobile Operator, Broadband Telcos, Software Development, Consulting and Systems Integration
He is an active player in the digital and Fintech space, with extensive expertise in the fintech industry.
Serge Jones holds an MSc in Engineering, Computer Systems and Networks, certifications in ITIL, ITSM, Product Design and Development.
Joy Mutinda
Chief Customer Services Officer
- Joy leads the business-critical docket of Customer Service Management, having acquired extensive experience as Head of Customer Service at Alternative Circle Ltd and Head of Recovery and Securitisation at Samchi Credit Limited.
- She is highly skilled in Risk Management, Process Structuring, Product Development, Customer Relations, Negotiation and Business Administration.
- Joy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Microfinance major and an MBA from Strathmore University.
Michael Munga
Chief Risk Officer
- Michael is a notable cyber security and Risk Management expert.
- He brings extensive experience in this very critical and sensitive area of cyber security and risk management, having worked as Head of Enterprise Risk Management/CISO at Sidian Bank, IT security manager at KCB, and as Risk Consultant and cyber security expert at KPMG East Africa.
- Michael is a Member of Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University and the CISA, CISM, ITIL, and ISO27001 certifications.
Yasmin Kadii
Chief Finance Officer
Yasmin Kadii is the Chief Finance Officer for Asante Financial Services Group a high-impact FinTech focused on supporting the growth of African micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Prior to joining Asante, Yasmin was the Chief Finance Officer at Sanergy overseeing the Finance & Admin, Investor relations, Procurement & Warehousing, Legal and IT functions. Before that Yasmin held several leadership roles in Finance and Operations in various organizations cutting across different industries in Kenya.
Yasmin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting as well as an MBA from Strathmore Business School. Yasmin has also participated in Executive Programs at the IESE Business School, Spain and Michael G Foster School of Business, USA. Yasmin enjoys playing sudoku and swimming.
Andries Haywood
Chief Data Science Officer
Andries has acquired extensive experience in the field of data science and analytics, having managed and grown several highly skilled quantitative and technical data science teams.
He has worked as Data Science and Analytics manager at TransUnion Africa where he led technical model developments across various lending industries and clients, and was instrumental in driving alternative data modelling efforts for the company.He also has comprehensive experience in leading quantitative teams in SME and Commercial banking lending, spanning the entire credit life cycle, from account origination to collections and impairment modelling.
Andries boasts diverse analytical skills, which also includes leading model development and rules based operating models in Financial Crime Risk Management and Anti-Money laundering activities, as well as technical model audits under various accounting regulations.
Andries holds a Masters degree in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Pretoria.
Njambi Mahinda
Chief of Marketing, Communications and Growth
Njambi leads and develops the Marketing ,and Communications and Growth function for Asante Financial Services Group– Through performance driven marketing and strategic brand and communications activities, she is continuously building the Asante FSG footprint and enhancing customer conversion.. As the is the marketing lead she has worked to identify opportunities for accelerated growth which is key for Asante FSGs vision mapping.
In her previous role Njambi has worked at a local bank that was recognised for its innovative products for the SME sector in Kenya. She has also worked in various sectors such as Media, Advertising and Outdoor Living.
Njambi Mahinda holds a Global Executive Master of Business Administration from the United States International University in partnership with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and PR from the same university.