Dianah Mukundwa Appointed SONARWA Life Assurance Chief Executive

SONARWA Life Assurance Company Ltd has appointed Dianah Mukundwa, a seasoned expert in banking and finance, as its new chief executive officer, the company said in a statement.

Mukundwa's appointment took effect on Wednesday, July 5.

"The strategic move aims to strengthen SONARWA Life Assurance's position as the leading provider of life insurance and wealth management in Rwanda," the statement reads in part.

Until her appointment at SONARWA, Mukundwa served as the Head of Strategy, Investment, and Social Impact at Equity Bank Rwanda, a position she held for the past four years.

"I am honoured and excited to join SONARWA Life Assurance Company as the new CEO," she said.

"I am deeply committed to upholding the company's legacy of excellence, and drive its continued growth in the life insurance and wealth management sector. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at SONARWA Life Assurance Company Ltd to deliver exceptional value and innovative solutions to our esteemed customers."

A certified public accountant, Mukundwa holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor's degree in business administration (accounting) from the University of Rwanda.

Mukundwa is an accomplished business leader with 12 years of experience in managing financial and private sector institutions, with extensive expertise in banking and finance, insurance and investments, data analysis, strategic planning, and leadership.

"She possesses a remarkable track record of driving business growth and facilitating successful transformations," SONARWA said in the statement.

Over the course of her career, Mukundwa has held various leadership positions in other reputable organisations, such as Crystal Ventures Ltd, Real Contractors Ltd, CVL Developers Ltd, and New Century Development Ltd.

While at Equity Bank, the statement said, Mukundwa "played a pivotal role in advancing the bank's business strategy development and execution. She excelled in resource development, including fund mobilisation for project execution, establishing and managing partnerships, overseeing programms, and contributed to the bank's portfolio growth."

She also led the bank's social impact investments, focusing on sectors such as food and agriculture, enterprise development and financial inclusion, social protection, education and leadership development, health, energy, environment, climate change, and women banking.

Established in 1975, SONARWA prides itself in being the first insurance company in Rwanda. The Life Insurance division began operating in 2000 as a subsidiary of SONARWA S.A. and later became a fully registered entity in January 2011.

Currently, SONARWA Life Insurance is 100 per cent owned by the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). The company offers a wide range of products, including education endowment, personal pension plan, loan protection assurance, group life assurance, family protection insurance.