Diane Karusisi is a prominent Rwandan economist, statistician, and banking executive. She is the CEO of one of Rwanda’s leading financial institutions, the Bank of Kigali Group (BK Group), and has played a significant role in shaping the country’s banking sector.
Karusisi was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After the genocide, her family returned to Rwanda, and she moved to Switzerland to further her education. She earned a Master’s in Econometrics and a PhD in Quantitative Economics from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.
Before her role at the Bank of Kigali, Karusisi was the chief economist and head of strategy and policy at the Office of the President of Rwanda. There, she worked closely with the government to develop policies promoting economic growth and financial inclusion. She also worked as an assistant professor of economic statistics at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and a fixed-income portfolio engineer at Credit Suisse Asset Management in Zurich.
In August 2009, her desire to contribute to Rwanda’s development brought her back home. She was then appointed senior adviser to the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). A year later, she became the Director General of NISR.
In February 2016, Karusisi was appointed CEO of the Bank of Kigali. She has since led several transformative initiatives, focusing on digital banking and expanding access to financial services for underserved populations.
Bank of Kigali had long been Rwanda’s largest commercial bank. However, Karusisi’s leadership strengthened the bank’s foundation even more. As a well-trained economist and statistician, she had spent years studying complex data and policy, sharpening her analytical skills in Switzerland before returning to Rwanda. This technical expertise helped her lead the bank well.
One of Karusisi’s first major initiatives was to push for digital banking. She recognised that digital platforms could allow more Rwandans to access banking services regardless of location. So, she spearheaded the launch of mobile banking services, enabling customers to transfer money, pay bills, and manage accounts from their phones.
She equally expanded the BK Group business into General Insurance, Investment Banking, and Technology to diversify the company’s income sources and attend to the vast needs of the economic market. In her hands, the Rwandan bank grew in size, reputation, and revenue.
In a recent interview with Kura, Karusisi shared some lessons learned since becoming CEO of BK Group. She explained that people need more clarity for their lives to make sense, emphasising the need for ambition. Without solid ambition and a willingness to pursue a goal, an individual, no matter how educated, wouldn’t be able to start or grow strong businesses—not to mention impact the lives of others.
Beyond her work in banking, Karusisi is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment. She often encourages young women to pursue careers in economics and finance. She does what she does because she has a passion for her country and believes she has a role to play in supporting the economy.
In 2019, Avance Media named Diane Karusisi on the ‘100 Most Influential African Women’ list.
