SBM Bank Kenya has appointed Dr. Soumendra K. Dash as board chairperson and named three new non-executive directors, the bank announced, in a move aimed at strengthening governance and supporting its strategic growth plans.
The appointments include Ms. Brenda Mbathi and Ms. Deborah W. Bubi as non-executive independent directors of SBM Bank Kenya, and Mr. Jaypaul Deobruthsingh as a non-executive director. Deobruthsingh has also been welcomed as an independent director of parent company SBM Holdings Ltd. The bank said the new directors bring extensive experience in banking, finance, risk management, law, corporate governance and strategic leadership.
Dr. Soumendra K. Dash – Board Chairperson
Dr. Soumendra K. Dash, who will chair the board of SBM Bank (K) Ltd., has more than two decades of international experience in banking, risk management, development finance, strategy and governance across Africa, Asia and global markets.
He currently serves as senior vice president at the Africa Finance Corporation. Previously he held senior roles at the African Development Bank, overseeing project finance, corporate risk management, investment portfolio oversight and strategic risk governance.
Mr. Jaypaul Deobruthsingh – Non-Executive Director
Mr. Jaypaul Deobruthsingh, a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London, has more than 16 years of private legal practice at the Mauritian Bar. His expertise covers contract drafting and negotiation, alternative dispute resolution and criminal litigation. He continues to practise as a barrister and lectures part-time at the Open University of Mauritius.
He previously served as legal adviser to the Medical Council of Mauritius and the Medical and Health Officers Association – General Practitioners’ Association. His academic credentials include an MBA from University College Cork in Ireland, a postgraduate diploma from the Bar Vocational Course at the University of Northumbria in the UK, and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Wolverhampton in the UK.
Ms. Brenda Mbathi – Non-Executive Independent Director
Ms. Brenda Mbathi brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across multinational corporations, public-private partnerships and special economic zones in Africa, spanning infrastructure, healthcare, energy and fast-moving consumer goods.
She is the founding chief executive officer of the Two Rivers International Finance and Innovation Centre (TRIFIC SEZ) in Nairobi, Kenya’s first privately owned, services-led special economic zone. She previously served as president and CEO for East Africa and chairperson of diversity, equity and inclusion for international markets at General Electric, where she led operations across more than five countries and was involved in the Kipeto Wind Project and GERD hydro turbines in Ethiopia.
Earlier roles included GE’s director of government affairs and public policy and director of CSR for Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as positions at EABL/Diageo, Uganda Breweries, Farmer’s Choice, Ogilvy Africa and International Distillers.
Mbathi currently serves as vice chairperson of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), board director and governor of the MPESA Foundation Academy, president of the American Chamber of Commerce Kenya Chapter, a member of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, and a board member of the U.S.-Africa Business Centre. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Geography from Mount Holyoke College in the United States.
Ms. Deborah W. Bubi – Non-Executive Independent Director
Ms. Deborah W. Bubi has more than 16 years of experience as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, specializing in commercial litigation with expertise in banking and finance, corporate governance, employment, insurance, land law, constitutional law and regulatory matters. She is also a certified secretary and was recently admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.
She is co-founder and partner at Kogweno & Bubi Advocates, LLP, where she heads the litigation and dispute resolution department. In January 2025 she co-founded Kogweno & Bubi Consultants Ltd in England and Wales to expand the firm’s presence and serve the Kenyan diaspora while facilitating cross-border business between Kenya and the UK.
Bubi previously served as a non-executive director of the Postal Corporation of Kenya (2022–2023) and chairperson of the Youth Advisory Board (2016–2022).