The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has appointed Geoffrey Monari as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Thursday, March 13.
Monari will serve a five-year term, taking over from interim CEO Mary Wachira Muchie who has been in office following the retirement of Charles Ringera in 2024 after a decade-long tenure.
In announcing the appointment, HELB Board Chair Ekwre Ethuro expressed confidence in Monari’s leadership abilities.
"The Board is confident that Monari’s vast experience, leadership acumen, and deep understanding of the higher education financing landscape will provide the vision and leadership necessary to propel HELB to new heights," he said.
Monari is no stranger to HELB, having previously served as the organization's Chief Operations Officer.
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In this role, he led the operations division, overseeing critical departments such as documentation, lending, institutional relations and debt management since March 2016.
He was also the founding CEO and Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Universities Fund (UF), a position he held since December 1, 2020.
Monari holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
As CEO, Monari will be responsible for overseeing HELB’s core functions, including setting loan granting and recovery criteria.
He is also expected to establish strategic partnerships locally and internationally, securing contracts with financial institutions for loan disbursement and recovery, and ensuring adherence to stipulated lending guidelines.
Additionally, Monari will be tasked with managing surplus funds through authorized investments, seeking financial support from approved sources and expanding HELB’s financial sustainability initiatives with the Minister’s approval.
