Standard Chartered has appointed Dalu Ajene as Chief Executive Officer for its operations in Africa. He will also serve as Head of Coverage for Africa.
Dalu previously served as CEO of Standard Chartered Nigeria, a role he assumed in April 2024. During his tenure, the bank met the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation requirement of ₦200 billion for national commercial banks ahead of the March 2026 deadline. Before joining Standard Chartered, he was CEO of Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria.
Dalu has more than 25 years of experience in global financial services. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
On his appointment, Dalu said:
“Having led Standard Chartered Nigeria over the past two years, I now take on broader responsibilities across Africa. Across the region, Standard Chartered remains a key partner in trade finance, structured solutions, and development finance. I look forward to working with our teams to accelerate growth in Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth & Retail businesses, mobilise capital, and create value for clients, stakeholders, and communities.”
Leadership Transition
Dalu succeeds Kariuki Ngari, who served as CEO, Africa, and Sarmad Lone, who led Africa Coverage.
Kariuki Ngari is an accomplished career banker with over 30 years of experience across Retail, Corporate, Treasury, and Risk Management. He has held senior leadership roles at country (Kenya), cluster (East Africa), regional (Africa, Middle East, Jersey), and global levels (Singapore).
Kariuki was instrumental in transforming the Consumer Banking divisions of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya and the Africa Region. Prior to his role as CEO, Africa, he served as Global Head of Retail Distribution for Standard Chartered in Singapore, where he helped shape global strategies for retail branch, voice, and virtual channels through digitisation.
Between 2013 and 2015, Kariuki was Regional Head of Retail Clients, Africa, and from 2009 to 2013, he served as Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited. He has also held senior positions at Absa Bank Kenya PLC.
Beyond his executive roles, Kariuki serves as a non‑executive director on the board of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, sits on the Board of the UN Global Compact, and is a director on various Standard Chartered Bank Kenya subsidiary boards.
Outside banking, Kariuki is active as a farmer, philanthropist, hiker, mountain climber, and runner. He is known for his belief that leaders must be courageous to drive change for future generations.
