Head of Legal, Governance & Compliance- EIB at Equity Bank Kenya

Key Responsibilities

Legal Affairs

• Provide authoritative legal advice to the MD, board, and senior leadership on regulatory, transactional, and contractual matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate investment agreements, commercial contracts, and cross-border deals in line with applicable laws.
• Lead dispute resolution, litigation, and regulatory investigations, in collaboration with Group Legal and external counsel.
• Ensure regulatory filings, disclosures, and legal risks are proactively managed and documented.

Regulatory Compliance

• Implement and oversee a robust compliance framework covering financial crime, capital markets, and data protection laws across jurisdictions.
• Maintain a real-time regulatory dashboard and ensure alignment with the primary and secondary regulators’ requirements.
• Serve as EIB’s liaison with regulators and coordinate audits, inspections, and enforcement actions.
• Submit quarterly and annual compliance reports to the EIB Board and the Group Compliance Office, as appropriate.
• Monitor the compliance landscape of investment banking and ensure full compliance with applicable laws, avoid penalties.
• Sensitize the Board and staff of new legislation, compliance requirements and ensure full compliance within the stipulated timelines.
• Develop and maintain a robust and up to date Obligations Register.
• Ensure tracking and closure of regulatory and internal audit findings.
• Work with relevant stakeholders in the Group to ensure that the required controls to mitigate compliance risk are embedded into new products and initiatives.

Corporate Governance

• Coordinate board activities including preparation of board calendar, workplans, trainings in line with regulatory and directors needs.
• Drive the development and periodic review of EIB’s board charter, code of conduct, and governance framework, business policies in line with laws and Group policies.
• Advise the board on director appointments and other changes, governance obligations, and conflict of interest management.
• Prepare and review board and committee documentation, take minutes and ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory filings.
• Ensure the legal validity of decisions passed by the Board
• Support country-level adaptations of governance frameworks in compliance with local laws.

Ethics, Risk, and Controls

• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal, compliance, and governance risks (e.g., AML/CFT, reputational, data, market, cyber) as required by local laws where EIB operates.
• Promote a culture of compliance, ethics, and institutional integrity across EIB.
• Lead internal investigations and enforce compliance with the code of conduct, whistleblower protocols, and disclosure controls.
• Collaborate with the Risk Officer, Internal Auditor, and CFO to strengthen internal controls and governance monitoring.

Strategic Expansion

• Provide legal and regulatory guidance for market entry in new jurisdictions.
• Oversee the legal structuring, licensing, and setup of subsidiaries or investment vehicles.
• Conduct legal due diligence, establish jurisdiction-specific compliance models, and support local regulatory engagement.

Leadership and Oversight

• Build, lead, and mentor a pan-African legal, governance, and compliance team, aligned with EIB’s growth ambition.
• Ensure the functional independence of compliance officers, internal auditors, and risk managers in line with local requirements.
• Develop internal policies for legal, regulatory, and governance capacity building.
• Serve on board-level governance and audit committees, as required.
• Monitor global developments (legal and regulatory) trends affecting investment banking operations and provide strategic guidance to ensure there’s proactive alignment and compliance.

Stakeholder Engagements

• Collaborate with the other stakeholders to identify, control and assess compliance risks within EIB.
• Maintain good working relationships with regulators and external stakeholders.
• Broaden internal and external networks and keep up to date with regulatory requirements and industry best practice to continuously improve the effectiveness of compliance risk management.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized university.
• Bar admission in at least one of EIB’s operating jurisdictions (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, South Sudan).
• Postgraduate qualification (LLM, MBA, or Certified Compliance designation) is an added advantage.
• 12+ years of post-qualification experience, with 5+ years in a senior legal or compliance leadership role within financial services, capital markets, or cross-border investment platforms.
• Admission to practice as a Corporate Secretary in Kenya
• Deep knowledge of regulatory regimes in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, and South Sudan.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with financial regulators and navigating multi-jurisdictional legal frameworks.