Francis Okelo
Non-Executive Director
Nation Media Group (NMG)

Francis is a Lawyer by profession and holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam.

He is an Albert Parvin Fellow of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and a Fellow of The Kenya Institute of Bankers (FKIB), Chairman of Tourism Promotion Services (TPS) Eastern Africa Limited (Serena Group of Hotels and Lodges); and immediate former Chairman of Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited.

Francis was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Barclays Africa Group Limited (BAGL) with effect from 1st October 2014.

As part of his responsibilities on the BAGL Board, Francis serves on the Board’s Social & Ethics Committee. BAGL is the parent company to 10 Barclays subsidiaries in Africa including Barclays Bank Kenya and South Africa (ABSA).

After serving his full tenure of professional engagements at the Barclays Bank Kenya Board for close to 10 years and in line with the established corporate governance practices at the Bank, Francis stepped down from the position of the Bank Chair w.e.f October 7, 2016 but continues to serve on the Barclays Africa Group Board as part of the team driving the Group’s Pan African growth Agenda.

He is also a Non-Executive Director of the Nation Media Group (NMG); at which he chairs the Group’s Editorial Board Committee.

Francis also serves as a member of the Advisory Board and an Executive Fellow of the Strathmore Business School; Strathmore University-Nairobi and is also a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences – East Africa.

Qualifications

LLB Honours Degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam.

Albert Parvin Fellow of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.

In addition to the Board responsibilities as outlined above, Francis also serves as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the President’s Award – Kenya (PA-K); PA-K is affiliated to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association and is a youth empowerment program that is geared towards equipping young people with positive survival skills that make a positive difference to themselves and their communities.

Additionally as part of his engagement with the Youth, Francis also runs an informal Mentoring Program in Nairobi where he mentors and coaches young, upcoming and promising professionals and entrepreneurs.