Speaker Bio
Esther is the Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom PLC, a purpose-led technology company providing a wide-range of services and solutions including mobile voice, messaging, data, financial and converged services, and digital services that enable commercial and personal platforms as well as ecosystem partnerships. It is also the pioneer of M-PESA, the worlds most developed mobile money ecosystem.
With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Esther has extensive expertise in corporate banking, product innovation, and strategic leadership across diverse markets. Her career spans leading institutions across diverse markets including Commercial Bank of Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic Bank, and KCB Group, where she served as Director of Corporate Banking prior to joining Safaricom.
As Chief Financial Services Officer, Esther has been instrumental in evolving M-PESA from a mobile payments’ platform into a comprehensive digital financial services ecosystem offering savings, insurance, credit as well as investments propositions. Under her leadership, M-PESA has expanded to a lifestyle enabler with the launch of the M-PESA SuperApp hosting over 80 mini-apps, Ziidi Investment Platform featuring Ziidi Shariah and Ziidi MMF with over 1 Mn active investors, M-PESA Ratiba the first of its kind mobile money standing order proposition and the expansion credit solutions for individuals, enterprises and the public sector.
Her visionary leadership continues to position M-PESA as the financial services partner of choice, advancing financial health, fostering economic empowerment and digital inclusion across Kenya.
Esther has received several accolades including being named among The Most Powerful Women in Finance in East Africa in 2024 as well as among The Top 25 C-Suite Executives to Watch: Rising Stars Shaping the Future of Industry In 2025 among other accolades.
C2 - Safaricom Internal Esther holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, and an MBA from the University of Liverpool. She is also an AoEC Accredited Executive Coach, committed to nurturing leadership and transformation within and beyond the organization.