Abdi Mohammed: From teller to bank CEO

By Peter Ochieng

The story of one Abdi Mohammed is that of the biblical phrase, 'do not despise humble or small beginnings.'

Mohammed started off as a bank teller, and now he is ABSA Bank Kenya's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

He officially assumed the role on 1st May, 2023.

Before his rise to the top leadership position, Abdi Mohammed served in various positions, among them a branch manager.

Speaking to Citizen TV's Yvonne Okwara on Tuesday night, he said he had to wait for 28 years to land the top position at the bank.

"I have been in ABSA for a number of years; 28 years. I’ve worked in 4 different countries including my country Kenya," he said.

"For me, what really fires me up and the thing that I think about everyday is the future, the next step, the vision for the organization, the vision for myself and the vision for our customers."

Mohammed said they are in the business of ensuring they support their clients, to make them have a better and strong financial standing.

"We are in the business of ensuring that we support our customers. We have specific support units within the organisation that help customers whether they are large corporates, SMEs, individuals who are salaried and may be going through difficulty through that period."

The ABSA Bank Kenya boss noted that their focus on SMEs is important, since it is a very key part of the economy.

Initially, the financial institution was known as Barclay's Bank before rebranding to ABSA three years ago.