I&M Group has appointed Dorine Nalo to head the I&M Foundation, effective immediately. She takes charge of an organization that channels the banking group’s community investment, partnerships and sustainability work across East Africa.
Nalo joins with close to two decades of experience spanning social impact programs, technology driven change management and donor funded development work.
Her career has taken her across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Zambia, South Africa, Egypt and South Sudan, where she designed digital transformation strategies and managed programs for organizations including the Gates Foundation, German Development Cooperation, Microsoft and USADF.
What the role involves
Nalo will set strategic direction for the Foundation’s programs, partnerships and impact goals. Beyond planning, she carries responsibility for pushing priority initiatives forward, building relationships with stakeholders and making sure the Foundation’s investments translate into results that communities can actually measure and feel.
The appointment fits into a larger push by I&M Group to deepen its inclusive growth agenda. Kihara Maina, Interim CEO of I&M Bank, welcomed Nalo to the organization and pointed to her track record as central to what comes next. “Dorine’s leadership will be key to enhancing our impact, forging meaningful partnerships and delivering sustainable results for the communities we serve as we continue to deepen our commitment to creating shared prosperity across our markets,” he said.
Six years of community programs
I&M Foundation launched in 2020 and has since built a track record across three areas: education and skills development, environmental conservation and economic empowerment. Its partnerships with community organizations have funded conservation projects, widened access to quality education and supported vulnerable groups working toward financial independence.
Nalo’s background suggests she plans to bring a sharper analytical edge to that work. Her experience includes managing donor funded programs focused on financial and digital inclusion, and she has spoken at forums hosted by professional bodies such as ICPAK, the Institute of Internal Auditors and ISACA on how technology can solve development problems. She also mentors young women through Strathmore University and the ISACA Kenya Chapter, part of a long running commitment to girls in STEM.
That combination, seasoned program leadership paired with digital fluency, positions the Foundation to track its outcomes with more precision than a traditional community investment arm might manage. As I&M Group expands its footprint across the region, the Foundation’s ability to show measurable impact will likely matter as much to regulators and investors as it does to the communities it serves.
