Who Is Samir Yassine, Bank of Africa Tanzania’s New CEO?
Bank of Africa Tanzania has appointed Samir Yassine as Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Africa Tanzania Limited, bringing more than 26 years of banking experience across North and East Africa to the leadership of the Tanzanian lender.
Yassine has held senior roles within the Bank of Africa (BOA) Group and its parent organisation, BMCE Bank, with experience spanning retail and corporate banking, business development, digital transformation, risk management and executive leadership.
Before his latest appointment, Yassine served as Executive Director for Business Development at Bank of Africa Uganda, where he was responsible for business development functions, regional market growth, asset portfolio development and trade finance.
Who Is Samir Yassine?
Yassine is a multi-lingual banking executive with more than 26 years of experience in the financial services sector.
His career within the BOA Group and BMCE Bank has included corporate banking, regional sales, business development and executive management positions across Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) specialising in Finance and Information Technology from Laval University in Canada and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Trade from Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco.
Samir Yassine’s Early Career at BMCE Bank
Yassine began his banking career at BMCE Bank in Morocco, where he spent more than 13 years as a Corporate Relationship Manager in Casablanca.
Between 1998 and 2012, he worked with large corporate clients and managed corporate banking relationships and risk portfolios. His early career provided a foundation in corporate banking before he moved into regional roles within the BOA Group.
Yassine moved to Nairobi, Kenya, in 2012 as he took on regional responsibilities within the Bank of Africa Group. He spent more than six years working in regional sales and business development roles.
As Regional Head of Global Sales, he worked across four East African bank affiliates, focusing on the development of retail and corporate banking business pipelines. His responsibilities covered the implementation of business models across the group’s regional operations.
Executive Role at Bank of Africa Tanzania
Yassine later moved into executive leadership at Bank of Africa Tanzania, where he served as Deputy Managing Director. During his tenure, he was involved in the bank’s structural, digital and SME offering changes.
He also served as Acting Managing Director during transitional leadership periods at the Tanzanian bank. His experience at BOA Tanzania preceded his move to Bank of Africa Uganda.
Bank of Africa Uganda Business Development Role
In 2024, Yassine joined the leadership of Bank of Africa Uganda as Executive Director for Business Development.
The role placed him in charge of business development functions, with responsibilities covering regional market share growth, asset portfolio development and trade finance.
His appointment as CEO of Bank of Africa Tanzania now returns him to the Tanzanian operation in a top executive role.
Yassine Replaces Esther Cecil Maruma
Yassine succeeds Esther Cecil Maruma, who was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Africa Tanzania on May 6, 2024.
Maruma’s tenure included initiatives covering digital banking, balance sheet transformation, customer service, risk and compliance, trade finance and corporate partnerships.
During her tenure, Bank of Africa Tanzania signed a $7.5 million trade finance transaction guarantee facility with the African Development Bank (AfDB) in April 2025.
The facility provided guarantees to confirming banks and was intended to increase the bank’s capacity to issue letters of credit and support trade finance activities, including financing for SMEs and local corporate businesses.
Bank of Africa Tanzania’s Recent Business Developments
The leadership transition comes after a period of institutional and operational developments at Bank of Africa Tanzania.
Under Maruma, the bank worked on changes to its customer service model, risk and compliance framework, digital banking platforms and balance sheet operations.
The bank also engaged with corporate and institutional partners on trade finance and business development.
In June 2026, Bank of Africa Tanzania endorsed the Tanzanian government’s TZS 62.3 trillion state budget, with the bank linking its corporate financing activities to private-sector growth and infrastructure projects.
The bank has also maintained engagement with businesses involved in logistics and supply chains as part of its corporate banking activities.
