The African Development Centre (ADC), Microsoft’s premier engineering hub, has announced the appointment of Catherine Muraga as its Managing Director effective beginning of June 2022.
The ADC is a Microsoft initiative that aims to empower beneficiaries who are not only young, enthusiastic and full of energy, but who also understand the unique challenges facing the continent and are therefore better placed to develop solutions. A generation of tech enthusiasts who have the zeal to take the country’s technology landscape to the next level by developing impactful solutions in different sectors.
Catherine who is succeeding outgoing MD Jack Ngare brings with her 15 years of experience as an IT professional. She has worked in a variety of industries such as manufacturing, aviation, and banking. Jack has led the ADC since its inception in 2019.
“I am excited to be joining the ADC at this particular time and look forward to continuing the tremendous work that has already begun.”
Catherine Muraga
Prior to joining Microsoft, she led the Engineering team at Stanbic Bank Kenya and South Sudan and was a member of the bank’s Executive Leadership team. She was previously the Director of IT and Operations at Sidian Bank.
Catherine is an alumnus of Columbia Business School Digital Strategies for Business, Oxford University Fintech Programme and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Africa Nazarene University.
Since its inception in Nairobi in 2019, the ADC has grown to over 450 full-time employees working in areas such as software engineering, machine learning, data science, market research, infrastructure, and much more.
The ADC relocated to its new ultra-modern state-of-the-art facility at Dunhill Towers along Waiyaki Way in March, from Microsoft’s office, where it had been hosted for the previous three years. The new facility will house the engineering, design, research, and innovation teams, as well as the Microsoft Garage, an incubation hub established as part of the continent’s ongoing efforts to scale tech innovation. It also serves as the home of the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI).