Title: Product Manager
Company Name: School of Wealth LLC
Industry: Finance
Company State: NC
Education: PhD in Strategic Management, University of Nairobi; MBA in Strategic Management, University of Nairobi; BS in Information Sciences, Moi University
Certifications: Certified SAFe® Scrum Master
Career History: Product Manager, School of Wealth LLC (2024-Present); Head, Digital Transaction Banking, Head of Special Projects, KCB Bank Group, Nairobi, Kenya (2022-2024); Head, Cash Management & Payment Solutions, KCB Bank Group (2021-2022); Head of Transactional Banking and Cash Management, KCB Bank Group (2013-2021); Ag. Director, Digital Financial Services, KCB Bank Group (2020); Senior Manager, eBanking and Cash Management, NIC Bank Limited, Nairobi, Kenya (2008-2013); CitiDirect Support, Nairobi, Kenya (2003-2008)
Honors/Achievements: Middle East & Africa’s Best Payment Platform, Awarded to KCB Bank (2024); Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (M.B.S.) (2023); Transaction Banking Innovation Award, Awarded to KCB Bank (2021)
Samwel Nyaoke, PhD, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for his outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of digital financial transformation.
Wielding expertise in strategic management and digital innovation, Dr. Nyaoke currently serves as the Product Lead at School of Wealth LLC, a North Carolina-based financial education company. His primary focus has been on his distinguished career at KCB Bank Group, where he served as Head of Digital Transaction Banking from 2013 to 2024. KCB is East Africa’s largest commercial bank with operations in seven countries and over 25 million customers.
Dr. Nyaoke was honored with the prestigious Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS) award in December 2023, one of Kenya’s highest civilian recognitions, bestowed by the President of the Republic of Kenya. This distinguished honor acknowledges his exceptional work in automating government services and revolutionizing digital banking infrastructure. The presidential recognition underscores Dr. Nyaoke’s significant impact on advancing financial systems and government service delivery in East Africa.
During his tenure at KCB Bank Group, Dr. Nyaoke spearheaded numerous groundbreaking initiatives, including the development and delivery of KCB Online Banking (iBank) and the implementation of the eCitizen government payment portal. His work with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to implement a biometric-driven stipend payment system demonstrated his commitment to enhancing financial inclusivity and addressing risks. Additionally, his leadership, which resulted into strategic partnership with Safaricom enabled innovative mobile payment solutions that dramatically expanded the bank’s customer base.
Dr. Nyaoke, whose success is founded on strategic vision and technical expertise, attended the University of Nairobi—where he earned a PhD and MBA in Strategic Management after completing his Bachelor of Information Sciences at Moi University, Kenya. His career also includes valuable experience at NIC Bank (now NCBA Bank), where he pioneered the bank’s first Agency Banking model, and at Citigroup, where he provided specialized support for the CitiDirect Electronic Banking platform.
Looking toward the future, Dr. Nyaoke aims to continue revolutionizing the financial landscape through innovative digital solutions. With his SAFe 6.0 Scrum Master certification and extensive experience in product management, digital banking, and strategic leadership, he strives to create more accessible pathways to financial disruptions.