Kelvin Kiiru, Investment Analyst

”Joining a development finance institution felt like natural progression in my career. I wanted to work across diverse business sectors, explore a range of financial instruments and learn about other geographies beyond Africa, a region I already knew quite well. At Finnfund I’ve managed to achieve this – I’ve had the opportunity to work on several projects in various parts of the world including Indonesia, Nepal, and Latin America. Through these experiences, I’ve learnt that while the challenges our investees are solving are similar across countries, the strategies to tackle them vary significantly.

After this learning experience, I’m still drawn to focusing on investments in Africa – it is my home continent after all. It is so motivating to support the development of sectors that I see having a high impact in Africa, particularly: digitalisation, agriculture, energy, and of course financial institutions.

As an investment analyst, you have a lot of responsibility. For instance, in a project team, I look at the financial performance of the proposed investment. I also work closely with other team members, including the E&S and development impact advisors, who cover aspects of the project that may have a potential financial impact on the success of the investment. I really appreciate the fact that I get to voice my opinion and that it matters, both in discussions with our Chief Investment Officer as well as in the Investment Committee.

The job is about so much more than just numbers and Excel sheets. The best part for me is connecting with people from different places and learning about their unique approaches to challenges. It’s truly the human interaction that makes this job feel alive! You wouldn’t believe how many people one interacts with before an investment is made.

What makes Finnfund special in my opinion, is the value placed on one’s authenticity. The supportive environment here allows you to discover yourself and grow. You can focus on doing your best work as everyone is committed to achieving the shared goal. Moreover, the office culture is open and the power distance is minimal – so you easily meet members of the management team at the coffee machine and have a chat, as simple as that. There is also a strong emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I’ve seen it firsthand that people are valued as individuals, not just as professional, and that well-being truly comes before business here.”