Mariam heads the Credit Risk Management section at DFCU bank. She is a board member, the Vice President, and a member of the Member services committee of CFA Society East Africa. She is a Director at Sync Consults Limited and the President of Muslim Hands Foundation

Mariam has over 14 years of experience in Credit Risk management with Barclays and DFCU bank. Her experience spans Deal sourcing, Credit origination, assessment, appraisal, approval, Credit due diligence, (including business analysis, interpretation & assessment of financial information as well as preparation & analysis of financial projections). She has hands-on experience in structuring financial solutions for SMEs, large Corporates, and Multi-Nationals based on their business models and needs. She has developed and reviewed policies, products, pricing framework, and Credit Risk assurance frameworks consistent with IFRS & FIA prudential norms. She designed the model risk governance framework for DFCU bank and leads the validation of all risk models, model-based decisions, and guidelines. She provides advisory services to all business units on credit risk matters and is responsible for minimizing shocks arising from changes in the macro-economic environment and sector trends through detailed market assessment.

As a Director at Sync Consults for 10 years now, she has led strategic and business planning missions, provided Transaction advisory services to clients seeking debt, private equity, and public funding, Conducted due diligence and valuations in Merger and Acquisition transactions. She is an IFC (International Finance Corporation) Certified Trainer and has delivered training workshops in finance for several clients within the region. She conducts Industry Research and Benchmarking and provides Business Development services for clients at different stages of the business life cycle. Mariam is a Tutor of the CFA program with MAT Abacus.

Mariam holds a First class degree in BSc. Statistics & Economic from Makerere University, the CFA designation, a PGD, and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Herriot watt University. Mariam has attended Leadership programs with various institutions including Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, Strathmore Business School, and is accredited in Advanced Commercial Lending by IFS School of Finance in the United Kingdom.

He currently serves as the CEO of Kestrel Capital (EA) Limited, a leading Eastern Africa Investment Bank. Francis has 15 years of experience in the financial markets. Francis has been actively involved in advising local and international money managers/investment banks on investment opportunities across East Africa. He has also actively participated in originating and structuring both public and private, equity, and debt transactions.

Prior to joining Kestrel Capital, between 2011 and 2018, Francis worked for Standard Investment Bank as Head of Research where he steered the setting up of the research department. Between 2006 and 2011, he worked for African Alliance Kenya as a Senior Investment Analyst.

Francis has served as a Board Member of CFA Society East Africa since 2014. He also seats on the Nairobi Securities Exchange Trading and Technology Committee.  

Francis was Awarded his CFA Charter (CFA®) in 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Major) honors degree from the University of Nairobi and he is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA).