Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer - Britam Life Assurance Company (Kenya) at Britam

Job Purpose:


The Chief Executive Officer is the accountable leader of Britam Life Assurance Company (Kenya) Limited. The CEO is responsible for the full execution of BLA's strategic plan; for the financial performance, regulatory compliance, and operational integrity of the business; for building and sustaining a high-performing leadership team and organization; and for representing BLA credibly to its Board, regulators, customers, investors, and the wider public.
The CEO serves simultaneously as the company's Principal Officer as required under the Insurance Act (Cap 487) and the IRA regulations, bearing personal accountability for ensuring BLA operates in full compliance with all applicable insurance laws, regulations, and guidelines.


Key responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership and Business Performance


Lead the development, communication, and full execution of BLA's ASCEND 2026 - 2030 strategy, ensuring alignment with Britam Group strategic priorities.
Translate the Group's bold aspirations into annual business plans, budgets, and operating targets with clear accountability across the executive team.
Drive the achievement of all financial targets: revenue, profitability, market share, shareholder returns, and solvency ratios.
Identify and pursue growth opportunities organic and inorganic including new market segments, distribution partnerships, Takaful, and regional expansion.
Provide the Board with regular, high-quality strategic and financial reporting that enables informed governance and decision-making.
Make bold, evidence-informed executive decisions with speed and conviction, managing risk appropriately without creating decision paralysis.


Commercial Growth and Distribution


Drive the retail life business to achieve premium income targets through the FA network, bancassurance, broker, and digital channels.
Lead the corporate and SME segment building a 20,000-strong client base in partnership with the corporate business team.
Scale the FA network to 4,000 financially educated, productive advisers with 60% monthly productivity making the FA channel BLA's most powerful competitive moat.
Build direct and digital distribution channels to capture 20% of new business from the GenZ, Diaspora, and digitally enabled customer segments.
Champion product innovation driving the transformation to unit-linked and risk-only products while maintaining competitive investment returns on client funds.
Develop and execute the NSSF Tier 2 and Trust Business strategy to capture the growing retirement savings market.


Investment Management and Financial Stewardship


Oversee BLA's investment strategy ensuring competitive returns on client funds (targeting >12% p.a.) and shareholder funds (targeting 18 - 24% p.a. through alternative assets).
Champion the alternative investment framework deploying capital into infrastructure and energy, private equity, private credit, real estate, and venture capital via Betalab.
Ensure robust IFRS 17 financial management, accurate actuarial reserving, and full compliance with IRA financial reporting requirements.
Maintain BLA's capital adequacy and solvency at the levels required by IRA regulations and the Group's internal risk appetite framework.
Manage the P&L with rigour driving OPEX ratio reduction from 33% to 26% through operational efficiency without compromising service quality.


Regulatory, Governance and Principal Officer Responsibilities


Serve as the IRA-approved Principal Officer, bearing personal and corporate accountability for BLA's full compliance with the Insurance Act (Cap 487), all IRA regulations, circulars, and guidelines.
Build and maintain a proactive, transparent, and constructive relationship with the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Kenya.
Prepare and present board papers that provide strategic direction, financial performance assessment, and material risk disclosures to the BLA Board of Directors.
Ensure that all statutory returns, actuarial reports, and regulatory filings are submitted accurately and on time.
Ensure the establishment and maintenance of a robust risk management framework, including enterprise risk management, operational risk, and compliance oversight.
Operate within Britam Holdings PLC's Group governance framework — including group policies, delegation of authority matrices, and reporting obligations to the Holdings Board.


People Leadership and Organizational Development


Build, lead, and develop a world-class executive team capable of delivering the ASCEND strategy; recruiting, retaining, and developing talent at every level.
Create a high-performance, values-driven culture aligned to Britam's values: Accountability, Trust, Agility, and Customer-first.
Implement the People and Talent pillar of ASCEND ensuring BLA is an employer of choice in the Kenyan insurance market.
Develop clear succession plans for all key executive and senior management roles, including the CEO role.
Lead organizational design and structure to ensure BLA has the capabilities, capacity, and agility required by its growth ambitions.
Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization including gender parity in leadership representation.


Stakeholder and Brand Leadership


Represent BLA credibly and compellingly to all material external stakeholders: Board, regulators, institutional investors, corporate clients, intermediaries, and media.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with government ministries, regulators, industry bodies (AKI), and peer institutions relevant to BLA's business interests.
Champion BLA's brand ensuring the company is recognized as Kenya's leading, most trusted, and most customer-obsessed life insurer.
Maintain constructive relationships with Group peers and the Group Managing Director, operating as a collaborative member of the Britam Group leadership community.
Proactively manage BLA's public and reputational profile positioning the company as an industry thought leader.


Knowledge, experience and qualifications required

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required:
Mandatory Requirements:


A recognized university degree at minimum first degree level; A Master's degree and postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
A professional insurance qualification recognized by the IRA — ACII (Chartered Insurer), FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute), or equivalent approved professional certification.
IRA fit-and-proper compliance, a clean professional regulatory record with no adverse determinations, disciplinary findings, or sanctions.
Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in the life insurance and financial services industry, with at least 5 years in a Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, or equivalent senior leadership role with full P&L accountability.
Demonstrated experience operating as or directly supporting a Principal Officer under Kenyan or comparable insurance regulatory framework.


Strongly Preferred Requirements:


Experience leading a life insurance entity with revenues of KES 20 billion or more.
Direct experience in the Kenyan insurance market deep understanding of the competitive landscape, customer segments, and regulatory environment.
Track record of delivering on a high-growth strategy not just managing a book, but transforming a business's market position.
Experience in alternative investments, IFRS 17 implementation, or advanced actuarial management.
Experience building or scaling a digital distribution or direct-to-customer channel.
Regional/pan-African experience across East or Southern Africa.