Robert Masinde is a Kenyan businessman and co-founder of Zenka Finance, which runs the Zenka mobile loan app.
He is also the founder of Micro Mobile Ltd and co-founder of Mtaji Technologies
Zenka is a fintech company that provides a range of non-banking mobile loan services.
The company was founded in 2018 and offers various financial services to its users via its online platform.
He got the names by combining the words Zen, which means achieving a balance, and Kash, an African derivation of cash.
Education Background
Masinde attended Starehe Boys Centre for his secondary education.
He pursued Management of Information Systems at Strathmore.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree specialising in Finance from the University of Nairobi (UoN).
He later proceeded to the prestigious Oxford University in the United Kingdom for a master’s in business administration
Robert Masinde Career
Masinde started his career as a Management Associate at Citi in 1997 before being promoted to Trade Operations Head.
In 2000, he was moved to Branch Operations Head before climbing to Head of Trade Finance.
He held different positions at Stanbic Bank between 2004 and 2011.
Masinde worked as Director and Global Head, Payment Product Management at Standard Bank South Africa from 2011 to 2013.
He is also the founder of Micro Mobile Ltd, where he served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from May 2013 to September 2018.
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Masinde served as CEO of Zenka Digital between January and December 2019.
He was the Chairperson of the Digital Lenders Association of Kenya (DLAK) between March 2019 and November 2020.
Masinde was among the founders of DLAK on June 6, 2019.
He was also a member of the Steering Committee, Digital Finance Flaship Project during this period.
Masinde served as the Chairperson of the Digital Finance Committee under the Ministry of ICT from June 2019 to March 2022.
Besides, he was a Senior Consultant at the International Finance Corporation, World Bank.
He is a co-founder and Director of Mtaji Technologies.
Masinde is currently a Senior Consultant at Equity Bank Limited and a member of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
Also Read: Meet the Six Owners of Kenya Women Microfinance Bank – KWFT
Sun Finance Acquires Zenka
In July 2023, Zenka was acquired by Sun Finance, although the transaction was not disclosed.
Sun Finance Bank Plc is a full-service commercial Bank operating through a network of about 139 branches and service outlets.
The branches are located in major centers across Europe, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
It has over 830,000 shareholders, including several British and International Institutional Investors.
Sun Finance has enjoyed Europe’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last ten years, ranking amongst the top banks by total assets and capital in 2011.
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