NCBA Celebrates Graduation of 325 Relationship Managers After Eight-Month Transformational Programme at Strathmore Business School

The Serena Hotel in Nairobi was filled with celebration and reflection on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, as 325 Relationship Managers from NCBA Bank graduated from an intensive eight-month leadership and customer experience programme delivered in partnership with Strathmore Business School.

Held under the theme “Customer Obsession: The Power Within,” the graduation ceremony brought together NCBA leadership, Strathmore faculty, and programme participants to mark a significant milestone in professional growth, personal transformation, and organisational impact.

Opening the ceremony, Monicah Kihia, NCBA Group Director of Human Resources and Culture, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to developing its people as a strategic priority. She explained that the programme was anchored on key pillars including self-awareness, mindset shift, and customer obsession. More than a conventional training course, she described it as a long-term investment in NCBA’s people and a programme intentionally designed for the African context.

NCBA Bank Kenya Managing Director, James Gachui, emphasised the importance of empathy, curiosity, and openness in building meaningful customer relationships. Drawing from practical experiences, he reminded graduates that the true value of the programme lies in its daily application. “The programme works when you apply it,” he noted, underscoring that customer excellence begins with understanding and intentional engagement.

Reflecting on the programme’s impact, Rahab Thuo, Group Head of Customer at NCBA, observed that the graduating Relationship Managers were markedly different from when they began eight months earlier. She highlighted a 97.2 per cent programme approval rating, demonstrating strong engagement and willingness to grow. She also shared tangible business outcomes, including improved customer feedback and an increase in the bank’s internal customer service rating from 77 to 82 per cent. Selected Relationship Managers — including Sarah Kariuki, Florence Mutua, Victor Kikinji Nicholas, and Cheryl — shared brief testimonies, speaking to increased confidence, sharper customer focus, and renewed professional purpose.

From Strathmore Business School, Esther Maina, the Programme Course Leader, outlined how the RM DNA programme was carefully designed, piloted, and refined to respond to the real challenges faced by Relationship Managers. She highlighted the coaching component as one of the most transformative aspects of the learning journey and encouraged graduates to see the programme not as a conclusion, but as a foundation for continuous growth and self-reflection.

Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore Business School, reflected on the enduring partnership between NCBA and the University. He described the collaboration as a shared commitment to leadership development and excellence within the banking sector and challenged the graduates to aspire to become the best Relationship Managers not only within NCBA, but across Africa.

One of the most relatable sessions of the day was delivered by Carol Musyoka, Founder of CMCL Ltd and Senior Corporate Governance Faculty member. Using everyday examples, she reminded graduates of the central role Relationship Managers play in shaping customer experience. She emphasised that while customers may forget figures or products, they always remember how they were treated — reinforcing the programme’s core message that human connection remains at the heart of effective banking.

The RM DNA programme was delivered at Strathmore Business School through a blended approach combining classroom learning, coaching, practical application, and guided self-reflection. For many graduates, walking across the stage at Serena Hotel marked not just the completion of a programme, but the beginning of a new chapter in their professional journey at NCBA.

As the ceremony drew to a close, one message resonated clearly: this graduation was not an end, but a starting point — a renewed commitment to making customer obsession a lived reality across NCBA’s entire network.

Article de Juliet Hinga