John Gachora
John Gachora | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Gatamaiyu, Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BSc. in Electrical Engineering) (MSc. in Electrical Engineering) Wharton Business School (Master of Business Administration) |
| Occupation | Engineer & Bank Executive |
| Years active | 1994 - present |
| Title | Group Managing Director & Group CEO NCBA Group Plc |
John Gachora is a Kenyan electrical engineer and senior banking executive operating within East Africa’s largest economy. He holds the position of Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at NCBA Group, a financial services conglomerate with operations spanning Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Background and education
Gachora was born in 1968 in Gatamaiyu Village, located in Kenya's Central Province, into a family of subsistence farmers as the eighth child among thirteen siblings. His secondary education began at Alliance High School, after which he participated in a U.S. exchange program at Brooks School in Andover, Massachusetts. Subsequently, he gained admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering. In 2002, he earned an Executive MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Career
Following the completion of his graduate studies at MIT, Gachora launched his professional journey on Wall Street with Credit Suisse. He then transitioned to Bank of America’s corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he progressed to the role of managing director and group head of investment banking. In January 2009, he relocated to Johannesburg to join Absa Capital and by November 2010 had been promoted to CEO of Absa Africa under Absa Group Limited. In September 2013, he was named group managing director and CEO of NIC Bank Group. After the merger between NIC Group PLC and Commercial Bank of Africa Limited in 2019, he assumed leadership as group managing director and CEO of the newly formed NCBA Group, a position he maintained as of August 2024.
Other considerations
Gachora is married and a father to three children.