Viola Kilel
Kenyan capital-markets strategist Viola Chelang’at Kilel turned a university trading challenge into a front-row seat at the policy table. After topping the 2014 inter-varsity capital-markets contest, she joined the Capital Markets Authority as a graduate trainee and now shapes product strategy as Senior Product Development Officer. Her remit ranges from designing retail-friendly bond platforms to driving stakeholder roadshows that demystify IPOs for county-level cooperatives, all with the goal of deepening Kenya’s savings culture and funneling fresh capital to growth-stage firms. Kilel also sits on the CMA’s Sandbox Review Committee, where she vets fintech pilots, from blockchain-based crowdfunding to AI-powered credit analytics, and shepherds successful applicants toward full licensing.
Away from the desk, Kilel represents the authority on IOSCO’s Africa/Middle East Regional Committee and has co-drafted guidance on sustainable-finance disclosures for the bloc. She holds an MSc in Development Finance from Strathmore Business School and Frankfurt School of Finance, grounding her policy work in rigorous cost–benefit analysis. Named to Business Daily’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2021, she mentors campus teams preparing for the same challenge that launched her career. Next, she aims to expand the sandbox into a regional hub and champion green-bond products that move East Africa closer to its climate-finance goals.