This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
Published on September 2, 2019, Equity Group has appointed John Wilson as its new Chief Operations Officer, replacing Bhartesh Shah, who will head the company's risk management arm.
Wilson, a Swedish national, joins Equity from the World Bank's private sector wing, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where he oversaw new investments in financial institutions in East and Southern Africa.
His appointment aligns with the bank's recent regional expansion efforts, including its intention to acquire banking subsidiaries in Southern Africa from Atlas Mara in a Ksh.10 billion deal.
As COO, Wilson will oversee the execution of strategy and operational oversight of the entire business, while Mary Wamae, Group Executive Director, focuses on leadership and governance of various business lines, and Bhartesh oversees comprehensive Group enterprise risk management.
Wilson has previously served as IFC's Capital Markets Investment Officer and as Managing Director at Kaupthing Bank in Iceland. He holds master's degrees in economics and international relations from Uppsala University and Princeton University, respectively.
