Anne Kinuthia-Otieno Joins Visa After Steering Airtel Money Through a Defining Growth Chapter

Anne Kinuthia-Otieno has been appointed Vice President and Head of East Africa at Visa, ending weeks of speculation following her departure as Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya and extending a broader shift that is seeing executives who built Africa’s leading digital finance platforms move into influential regional leadership roles.

She will assume the role on August 4, based in Nairobi, overseeing Visa’s business across seven East African markets. She succeeds Chad S. Pollock, who is completing his tenure leading the regional business.

The appointment places Kinuthia-Otieno at one of the world’s largest digital payments companies, whose network connects consumers, merchants, financial institutions and governments across more than 200 countries and territories.

Her move follows nearly five years leading Airtel Money Kenya through one of the company’s most consequential periods, helping transform the mobile wallet from a relatively small player into a stronger competitor in Kenya’s highly concentrated mobile money market.

Kinuthia-Otieno became the first Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya after the mobile money business was separated from Airtel Kenya into an independent operating company.

Her tenure coincided with a period of sustained expansion.

Airtel Money steadily increased its share of Kenya’s mobile money market while expanding its customer base into the millions. The company also significantly widened its nationwide agent network, strengthening physical access to digital financial services alongside investments in technology and partnerships.

In a farewell message shared on LinkedIn after announcing her departure, Kinuthia-Otieno reflected on the milestones achieved during her leadership.

“Together with an incredible team, we strengthened Airtel Money’s position in the market, delivered one of the business’s most significant core platform transformations, significantly expanded our merchant and agent ecosystem, forged strategic partnerships and continued to widen access to affordable and inclusive digital financial services.”

Those achievements extended beyond operational growth.

During her leadership, Airtel Money completed one of its largest core platform modernisations, expanded interoperability and deepened collaboration with Kenya’s banking sector.

One of the most significant milestones came earlier this year when Airtel Money partnered with KCB Bank, allowing customers to deposit and withdraw cash through more than 22,000 KCB agents nationwide. The company also strengthened collaboration with Diamond Trust Bank as it expanded integration between mobile money and traditional banking.

Consumer-focused initiatives, including the Rudishiwa cashback campaign, further reinforced Airtel Money’s efforts to broaden adoption and reduce barriers to digital payments.

Kinuthia-Otieno arrives at Visa after establishing herself as one of Kenya’s most experienced digital finance executives.

She previously held senior leadership positions at Barclays Bank Kenya and Absa Bank Kenya before moving into telecommunications, bringing together experience across retail banking, SME banking, risk management and digital financial services.

Her appointment also follows recognition by the Government of Kenya with the Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS) for her contribution to advancing financial inclusion.

Visa said her experience across banking, telecommunications and digital payments made her well positioned to lead its East African business.

Michael Berner, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director for Southern and Eastern Africa at Visa, said her regional expertise would help strengthen partnerships while expanding access to digital payments and economic opportunity.

For Kinuthia-Otieno, the opportunity represents a chance to influence digital payments beyond a single market.

“East Africa is one of the most dynamic and innovative payments markets in the world, with tremendous opportunities to advance financial inclusion and digital commerce,” she said.

Her appointment continues a pattern that has become increasingly visible across Africa’s financial services industry.

Earlier this year, former M-Pesa Africa Managing Director Sitoyo Lopokoiyit joined Absa Group to lead its Personal and Private Banking business.

Safaricom’s former Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer Michael Mutiga also left the telecommunications giant to become Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Kenya.

These appointments reflect changes taking place across the financial services sector.

Kenya’s mobile money market has entered a more mature phase, with competition increasingly centred on expanding savings, investments, insurance, merchant services and digital commerce rather than simply adding new users.

Platforms that once competed primarily on payments have evolved into broader financial ecosystems.

Executives who have built those ecosystems now bring experience managing customer engagement, partnerships, digital platforms and financial products at significant scale.

Kinuthia-Otieno’s departure came as Airtel Money entered one of the strongest periods in its history.

For the financial year ended June 2026, Airtel Africa reported 31 percent revenue growth to $1.853 billion. Mobile money revenue increased 25.8 percent, while Airtel Money’s customer base expanded to 56.5 million. Annualised transaction values exceeded $245 billion.

The business is also preparing a planned London listing that could value Airtel Money at approximately $10 billion, allowing investors to value the fintech business independently from Airtel Africa’s telecommunications operations.

Those milestones underscore the scale of the business Kinuthia-Otieno leaves behind.

Her move to Visa also illustrates how experience gained inside Africa’s fast-growing mobile money sector is increasingly shaping leadership across banks, payment networks and financial institutions.

As digital payments continue expanding across East Africa, Visa’s newest regional leader arrives with first-hand experience building one of the continent’s fastest-growing mobile money businesses.

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