WayaWaya, the Kenyan company developing AI-powered financial services for banks and merchants, has appointed former Chase Bank Kenya executive Raj Singh as a non-executive director and board adviser.

The company said in a Thursday statement that Singh will advise WayaWaya’s board and executive team on strategy, governance, and commercial growth. The appointment comes as the startup seeks to strengthen its relationships with financial institutions and merchants while expanding into additional African and international markets.

WayaWaya is among a growing number of African fintech companies bringing in senior banking executives as they expand into regulated financial services. For fintech companies that sell to or work with banks, board-level experience in governance, operations, and partner development can be important as products move from pilots to larger commercial deployments. In July, Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint appointed former Branch Kenya chief executive Rose Muturi to lead its Kenyan business after acquiring Sumac Microfinance Bank. In April, payments company Cellulant hired former Xapo Bank executive Anthony Hernandez as chief operating officer to refine its expansion strategy.

“Raj joins us at an important point in WayaWaya’s growth journey. His banking, fintech and international experience will be invaluable as we move from innovation to scale,” said Teddy Ogallo, founder and chief executive officer of WayaWaya. “We look forward to working with him in shaping and executing our growth strategy, particularly in expanding our network of banking partners and merchants, strengthening strategic partnerships, and taking WayaWaya into new markets across Africa and beyond.”

According to the statement, Singh’s role as board adviser will include helping to define WayaWaya’s long-term strategy, reinforce corporate governance, expand banking and merchant partnerships, and support the company’s international expansion plans.

Singh has more than two decades of experience in banking and financial technology across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He previously served as Group Chief Operating Officer and Director of Retail Banking at Chase Bank Kenya, where he led digital banking initiatives. Earlier in his career, he worked at First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Nigeria, where he oversaw banking operations transformation, and spent more than five years at India’s ICICI Bank managing retail banking operations.

He has also held advisory roles with financial institutions and fintech companies on digital banking and artificial intelligence. Singh is currently managing director of Rova, a consulting firm, and serves on the boards of Finova360 and Finnafrica, both fintech advisory firms. He also mentors startups through venture builder FasterCapital.

“I am delighted to join the Board at this important stage of the company’s journey and look forward to working with Teddy and the leadership team to strengthen strategic partnerships, accelerate commercial growth and support WayaWaya’s expansion across Africa and international markets,” Singh said.

The appointment comes after a long-running dispute over claims that WayaWaya was acquired by Kenyan customer experience company Ajua in 2021. WayaWaya has maintained that it remained independent, telling TechCabal that the relationship was a consultancy arrangement rather than an acquisition.