GCR Ratings appoints new Head of East Africa
GCR Ratings is pleased to announce the appointment of Sylvia Chahonyo to drive its growth and expansion strategy across East Africa.
Sylvia is a recognized senior executive with proven expertise in investment banking, credit and risk management, and is passionate about deepening the local currency capital markets in Africa and facilitating access to funding for African entities.
Sylvia is a lawyer by training with an LLB (Hons) from the University of East Anglia, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and an Alumni of the Oxford Leadership Development Programme. Sylvia joins GCR from Moody’s, where she was the Sub Regional Head for Africa Relationship Management, Country Manager and Executive Director for the Moody’s South African franchise, and was responsible for driving the agency’s growth into Africa.
Prior to that, she was with the Standard Bank Group in various capacities including legal, compliance, credit, global markets and investment banking in both South Africa and Kenya.
In announcing the appointment, Olivier Beroud, Chairman of GCR said,
“Sylvia has significant business experience and expertise with an emphasis on growth and expansion of capital markets and ratings businesses in Africa. I am very pleased that we have been able to attract someone with her caliber, track record and potential, to continue to augment GCR’s already well established East African credit rating business. I look forward to engaging with Sylvia and the GCR Executive Team over the next few years to continue the exceptional pan African growth of the business.”
Commenting on the appointment, Marc Joffe, Chief Executive of GCR, said;
“After a thorough and rigorous search process we are delighted that Sylvia has agreed to join GCR as General Manager East Africa. With a 23 year track record, encompassing over 500 credit ratings across 22 countries in Africa, GCR has developed a very substantial, market leading pan African credit ratings business. I have no doubt that Sylvia’s appointment, in a permanent capacity based in Nairobi, will facilitate a deeper entrenchment of GCR’s presence and portfolio of issuer ratings across East Africa.”