Wednesday, April 12, 2006

A seat at the high table

Local internet pioneer Ayisi Makatiani will step down as director of Barclays, the largest bank in Kenya, at the company’s AGM on April 28th at KICC, Nairobi. He joined the board in 2002, and in August last year was also elected to the Kenya Airways board and continues to run AMSCO BV.



He leaves one of the most progressive blue chip boards of directors at Barclays which now has 4 ladies among its 11 directors and is relatively youthful with only 3 members above the age of 50. This is refreshing since many boards of major Kenyan companies resemble old boys clubs with grey head retirees who sit on the crowded boards of numerous companies at the same time.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

1st one here :)

Another reason why this board is blue chip...they have Ivy league grads (Adan=Havard, Makatiani=MIT)

What are the names of the 4 ladies on the BBK board?

Dyou have any info on the Venture Capital Firm Makatiani started?

Anonymous said...

Makatiani has been a trailblazer all the way. He is part of the new breed of Kenyans working inspite of the system to make private enterprise work for Kenyans while still turning a good profit for the corporate world.

A socially-conscious entrepreneur if you will.

I do not if I buy into Kagz argument that the boards are blue-chip because they are Ivy-League grads. We have lots of entrepreneurs in Kenya at these levels who are not grads of schools like Havard. Lots of UoN USIU Nairobi grads are making it big time in Nairobi and elsewhere.

Thanks for the very informative update.

Anonymous said...

@ Ntwiga...

I did not say being Ivy League grads is the ONLY reason, i said its ANOTHER reason.

In addition, you dont even have to be a grad of UoN or USIU to make it coz there are MANY non-grad big shots.

Anonymous said...

Point taken Kagz, thanks for clearing that up.

bankelele said...

Kagz: 4 ladies are Jane Karuku (Cadbury MD), R. Ogega, C. Musyoka (execuitve director) and W. Nduati (Company Secretary). I believe AMSCO is the VC firm.

Ntwiga: agreed in toto

Anonymous said...

Thanx for the info of the ladies on the BBK Board.

However, the VC firm is called Gallium Capital Partners (unless they changed names) & from what i hear Makatiani relocated to SA...is this true?

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