Across Africa from one end to the other, seismic changes are turning finance and industry on its head. Digital revolutions are rewriting the playbooks, facilitating billions of mobile payments and linking remote communities to world systems in real time.
But under the headlines of Pulitzer-quality innovation, there is an unseen race- a non-stop rhythm of staying one step ahead of increasing regulatory burdens, border-hopping compliance, and the constant looming threat of cyber risk. Assurance in such an environment is no longer a static role; it is a living, breathing thing that adapts and anticipates, creating the future as much as it safeguards the present.
Here, to survive is not to thrive; to succeed is to master change. The successful organizations are those that leverage technology, develop resilience, and establish trust not just with systems, but with people.
It is into this vital arena that a new kind of leader emerges- one who transforms challenge into opportunity, and redefines what excellence looks like in the age of RegTech and digital assurance. That leader is Mikaeli Jesang– a visionary whose journey mirrors the ambitions and disruptions of the continent itself.
The Visionary Behind iTAR
Mikaeli represents the new generation of assurance leaders. As Founder of iTAR (I Talent and Recruitment) and Assurance Africa, she has become a transformative force in regulatory technology and compliance. Her journey from actuarial science student to Group General Manager at Equity Group Holdings demonstrates intentional career development and individual impact across sectors.
Mikaeli’s journey began with childhood aviation dreams, but life directed her toward numbers and problem-solving, leading to Actuarial Science at Maseno University. The choice reflected her analytical mindset and attraction to fields requiring precision and strategic thinking. Actuarial science provided the perfect foundation for her future career in audit and compliance.
During university, Mikaeli recognized the importance of practical experience alongside academic learning. She sought internships and opportunities that would expose her to corporate environments. This proactive approach distinguished her from peers who focused solely on academic achievement without considering real-world application.
Facing uncertainty about career prospects, her proactive approach became defining characteristics of her professional philosophy. During her final year, she actively sought corporate pathways, demonstrating the intentionality characterizing her career. She understood that success required more than excellent grades; it demanded strategic positioning and continuous skill development.
Her first break came as a Senior Associate in Internal Audit, Risk, and Compliance at KPMG East Africa, establishing her foundation in governance frameworks. KPMG’s rigorous training programs and exposure to multinational clients provided invaluable learning opportunities that shaped her professional perspective. The experience introduced her to regulatory compliance complexities across sectors, from banking to telecommunications.
Building Excellence Through Corporate Leadership
Mikaeli’s strategic progression saw her move from KPMG to Audit Manager at Absa Bank Kenya, then to Principal Internal Auditor at Safaricom PLC, working with mobile money platforms and digital governance challenges. Each transition represented a calculated decision to expand her expertise while positioning herself at emerging trends in financial services and technology.
At Absa Bank Kenya, Mikaeli encountered traditional banking’s transformation as digital channels began reshaping customer interactions. The role provided insights into credit risk management and regulatory reporting requirements. She witnessed how legacy banks adapted to competitive pressures from fintech startups and mobile money providers.
Her transition to Safaricom PLC marked a pivotal career moment, positioning her at the intersection of telecommunications and financial services. Safaricom’s M-Pesa platform had revolutionized financial inclusion across Kenya and East Africa, creating new risk categories that traditional frameworks struggled to address. As Principal Internal Auditor, she helped develop audit methodologies specifically designed for mobile money operations.
The Safaricom experience exposed her to scaling challenges of innovative financial services while maintaining regulatory compliance. She worked on audits covering customer onboarding processes, transaction monitoring systems, and cybersecurity protocols. Working with diverse stakeholder ecosystems broadened her perspective on risk management in complex, interconnected systems.
Currently, she serves as Group General Manager for Business and Process Audits at Equity Group Holdings. There, she leads teams while strengthening governance across the group, implementing cutting-edge methodologies and technology-enabled assurance frameworks spanning multiple jurisdictions. Equity Group’s East African presence presents unique challenges related to cross-border compliance and harmonizing audit practices across different regulatory environments.
In this role, Mikaeli oversees audit activities across banking, insurance, and fintech subsidiaries, each operating under distinct regulatory frameworks. She has implemented risk-based audit approaches that prioritize high-impact areas while ensuring comprehensive regulatory coverage. Her leadership emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and technology adoption to enhance audit effectiveness.
Leadership Philosophy and Professional Development
Mikaeli’s “Learning leadership philosophy” emphasizes continuous learning, teaching, and knowledge sharing as growth drivers. This approach recognizes that the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape requires leaders who remain curious, adaptable, and committed to ongoing development. Her philosophy draws from personal experiences with mentors who invested in her growth and challenged her to expand capabilities.
Her leadership approach combines technical competence with emotional intelligence. Throughout her career, she has observed that successful audit professionals must combine analytical skills with relationship building, effective communication, and the ability to influence positive organizational change. This recognition has shaped her approach to team development and stakeholder engagement.
Her mentorship focus reflects the understanding that professional development requires collective responsibility, investing in others to elevate industry standards and ensure knowledge continuity. She regularly conducts training sessions, participates in professional development programs, and shares insights through industry forums. This commitment stems from her belief that individual success should contribute to broader professional advancement.
Mikaeli’s leadership style emphasizes empowerment and accountability, encouraging team members to take ownership of professional development while providing necessary support and resources. She has implemented structured mentorship programs, pairing experienced professionals with emerging talent to facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development. Her performance management focuses on continuous feedback and career planning rather than traditional annual reviews.
Entrepreneurial Vision and Platform Development
Through iTAR and Assurance Africa, Mikaeli demonstrates entrepreneurial acumen. iTAR provides mentorship, CV reviews, and career guidance to young professionals. The platform addresses critical gaps in professional development support, particularly for individuals transitioning from academic environments to corporate settings. Many graduates struggle with translating academic achievements into compelling professional narratives that resonate with employers.
iTAR’s comprehensive approach includes interview preparation, personal branding guidance, and ongoing career coaching extending beyond initial job placement. Mikaeli recognizes that successful career development requires sustained support rather than one-time interventions. The recruitment component serves both candidates and employers by facilitating better matches between talent and opportunities, focusing particularly on cultural fit and career alignment.
Assurance Africa features a magazine and podcast on Spotify, YouTube, and LinkedIn, creating visibility for assurance providers across the continent while sharing insights and establishing forums for discussing African assurance challenges. The platform has grown into a recognized voice within the African assurance community, featuring interviews with industry leaders and technical discussions on emerging trends.
The magazine publishes in-depth articles on regulatory developments, best practices, and innovative approaches to audit and compliance challenges. Contributors include practitioners from across Africa, providing diverse perspectives on common challenges and sharing successful strategies for addressing complex regulatory requirements. The podcast series has gained significant traction, featuring conversations with thought leaders and regulatory officials shaping the future of assurance in Africa.
Through these platforms, Mikaeli has created sustainable mechanisms for knowledge sharing that extend beyond her individual influence. The initiatives have facilitated professional connections, career opportunities, and collaborative projects among participants, demonstrating the power of strategic platform development in building professional communities.
RegTech and the Future of Compliance
Mikaeli’s RegTech expertise positions her at assurance transformation’s forefront. RegTech simplifies assurance work through streamlined regulatory mapping, improved data availability, and enhanced reporting capabilities. The technology enables continuous auditing, monitoring transactions in real-time to identify potential violations before escalation, shifting professionals from reactive to proactive risk management.
The evolution of RegTech solutions has fundamentally transformed organizational compliance approaches. Traditional frameworks relied on manual processes and periodic reviews. Modern RegTech platforms provide automated monitoring capabilities that process vast transactional data, identify patterns indicating potential violations, and generate alerts enabling immediate corrective action.
Mikaeli emphasizes that successful RegTech implementation requires organizational culture change and process redesign beyond technology adoption. Organizations must restructure compliance frameworks to leverage real-time data insights, automated reporting, and predictive analytics, enabling proactive risk management. This transformation requires significant investment in training, change management, and system integration.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning integration in RegTech solutions creates new possibilities for sophisticated risk detection and analysis. These technologies identify subtle patterns human analysts might miss, providing early warning systems for emerging risks. However, successful implementation requires careful consideration of algorithm bias, data quality, and regulatory acceptance of automated decision-making.
Organizations face RegTech integration challenges, including cybersecurity risks, high costs, and legacy system difficulties. Cybersecurity concerns are particularly significant given sensitive compliance data and potential security breach impacts on regulatory standing. Cost considerations extend beyond initial technology acquisition to include ongoing maintenance, training, and upgrades.
Mikaeli advocates careful planning, vendor selection, training investment, and integration into digital transformation strategies with robust governance measures. She emphasizes selecting RegTech vendors who understand specific regulatory environments and business requirements of African organizations, as solutions designed for other markets may not adequately address local compliance needs.
Sustainability and Leadership Impact
Mikaeli’s expertise encompasses sustainability, governance, and corporate compliance. RegTech enhances sustainability by tracking ESG data and meeting reporting requirements, while enabling proactive governance and secure corporate compliance through automation and real-time updates.
Her thought leadership through writing expresses critical assurance perspectives. By elevating experts’ voices around the world, Assurance Africa promotes “the controls gospel” and expands the corpus of knowledge in the field.
As a visionary woman shaping RegTech, Mikaeli sees women revolutionizing compliance through collaborative leadership and emotional intelligence. Her advice to young women emphasizes success through passion and continuous learning.
Vision and Legacy
Mikaeli envisions transformation through raising awareness about corporate governance and regulatory technology’s importance. Central to her vision is data analytics as assurance’s future, where organizations generate continuous control insights. She commits to equipping the next generation of assurance providers through mentorship and platform development.
Balancing senior auditor, entrepreneur, and writer roles requires strategic time management and clear boundaries. Mikaeli emphasizes passion as the foundation for sustained excellence, advocating strategic use of time beyond professional commitments.
Her dedication stems from providing stakeholder value, viewing compliance and governance as critical for effective internal control systems. Her collaborative approach emphasizes proactive issue identification, understanding that effective assurance requires partnership rather than adversarial relationships.
Inspirational Leadership
Mikaeli’s journey from actuarial science student to RegTech visionary illustrates intentional career development and professional excellence. Through corporate leadership, entrepreneurial initiatives, and thought leadership, she actively shapes assurance, governance, and compliance across Africa.
Her work through iTAR and Assurance Africa demonstrates how individual success creates broader professional impact. By mentoring professionals and providing knowledge-sharing platforms, she builds a legacy extending beyond personal achievements.
As organizations navigate complex regulatory environments and digital transformation, leaders like Mikaeli provide vision and commitment necessary for governance frameworks to evolve while maintaining professional excellence. Her story inspires current and future assurance professionals, demonstrating that passion, dedication, and continuous learning drive meaningful change while building fulfilling careers.
