James Mwangi, Equity Bank Managing Director and CEO, is one of the 5 nominees of Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2012. Dr Mwangi has played a central role to make the bank the largest in East and Central Africa in terms of customer base with more than seven million accounts in Kenya alone.
Mwangi has also played a crucial role to ensure banking services, including loans, are available to low income people who previously did not have access to banking services. He is the winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2012 as well as 2012 Africa's Innovation Leader of the Year.
The award is presented to the person who has most influenced events on the African continent in the past year.
Other nominees of the award are:
Aliko Dangote (Nigeria) - Africa's richest person with a new worth around $11.2 billion, Dangote is the Chairman and CEO of the Dangote Group. His company trades in cement, sugar, flour, and more recently, fibre optic cables.
Joyce Banda (Malawi) - She is the current president of Malawai, the first woman to hold that office in her country. She took office last year, and immediately drew international praise for reducing government spending by cutting unnecessary benefits she enjoyed as president and slewing some of her own assets. She also revived diplomatic relations with the international community.
Tony Elumelu (Nigeria) - He is the chairman of investment company Heirs Holdings and founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation. He has previously been voted African Business Leader of the Year and African Banker of the Year.
Stephen Saad (South Africa) - Co-founder of Aspen Pharmacare. Saad employs more than 6,000 people, and his company made around $2 billion in revenue last year.
Source: Mwakilishi
