Mercy Githanji has been appointed the of Head, Stanbic Kenya Foundation at Stanbic Bank Kenya, bringing a wealth of strategic leadership, partnership expertise, and a proven commitment to sustainable development. In this position, she stewards the Foundation with a clear mandate: to make impact practical and intentional.
Githanji ensures that opportunity reaches communities where hope alone is not enough, forging partnerships that serve as powerful bridges between untapped potential and lasting prosperity. Her strategic focus centers on four high-priority pillars-women’s financial inclusion, youth digital skills development, expanded access to quality education, and climate resilience — all aligned with Stanbic Bank’s broader purpose of driving inclusive economic growth across Kenya.
Before joining Stanbic, Githanji founded and led Silverlining Consulting Limited for over fourteen years as Managing Consultant. In this capacity, she established herself as a trusted authority in leadership transitions and organizational performance. She delivered executive coaching, team coaching, change management interventions, retirement and career transition planning, high-impact corporate training, and strategic event facilitation for more than 200 executives and professionals across diverse industries.
Her work consistently strengthened leadership capability, improved team alignment, and enabled organizations to navigate complex restructuring and growth phases with clarity and resilience.
Earlier, Githanji served as Partnership and Collaboration Manager for a USAID-supported project advancing Kenya and East Africa’s Journey to Self-Reliance. She successfully coordinated high-level Memoranda of Understanding between eight County Governments and USAID leadership, led complex consultancy engagements with the Council of Governors, facilitated critical virtual stakeholder engagements during the COVID-19 period, and co-developed and delivered organization development training based on Peter Senge’s learning organization principles.
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Her career also includes senior regional leadership roles with IREX, where she served as Eastern Africa Regional Manager and Country Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, providing strategic direction, staff coaching, and multi-sector partnership development.
At Winrock International, Githanji held progressive responsibilities as Technical Programs Manager, Logistics and Procurement Manager, and Training Logistics Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa, designing multi-country programs, securing donor funding, managing high-stakes regional training initiatives under USAID frameworks, and ensuring seamless operational execution across complex stakeholder environments.
With deep experience in leadership development, multi-sector collaboration, institutional strengthening, and large-scale program management, Mercy Mairu Githanji is exceptionally positioned to elevate the Stanbic Kenya Foundation into a powerful engine of inclusive, sustainable change.
