Jane's leadership journey started in primary school and over the years, she has amassed over 20 years of experience in the financial sector, working in senior leadership positions at major financial institutions such as Barclays Bank of Kenya and Standard Chartered Bank. Her focus as a turn-around leader has been on identifying new opportunities, as well as turning around existing ones to achieve greater impact and profitability. One of the keys to Jane's success as a leader has been her courage, clarity of purpose, and consistent communication. She also candidly discusses the challenges she faces in her current CEO role, including rallying a multi-generational team to understand and represent their brand promise effectively.
Jane emphasizes the importance of leaders being courageous enough to seize uncertain opportunities and being purpose-led in all that they do. She draws inspiration from the Chairman of her firm's board, Kariuki Ngari, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya, and her late mother, who have been instrumental in shaping her leadership style. Jane's experiences in the financial sector have prepared her for her current role, and she sees her legacy as one of impacting and shaping lives, both now and into future generations. She advises parents to leave a non-financial inheritance for their children, and her inspiration to stay sharp as a leader is to keep fulfilling her life's purpose in impacting, shaping, and serving as many people as she interacts with. Jane advises people to identify what not to get involved in, boldly seize opportunities, stay true to themselves, and manage themselves better, not just their time.
Jane is the CEO of Optiva Capital Partners, a wealth management company specializing in investment immigration, investment advisory, and insurance services based in Lagos, Nigeria. She is a Pan-African business leader with 23 years of experience in financial services and development finance, specializing in General Management. Jane is skilled in building sustainable business propositions and high-performing teams, fundraising for commercial high-impact projects, and managing partnerships. She is passionate about development and mentorship and founded a not-for-profit organization called the Everlasting Foundation, which supports and mentors young people from Kibera, one of the largest informal settlement areas in Sub-Saharan Africa.
