On Wednesday, 17th January 2018, Cytonn Foundation, the corporate social investment arm of Cytonn Investments Management Plc that focuses on giving back to society through skill development, held a private Wealth Management Training (WMT) at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DEKUT) located in Nyeri county, as part of the Foundation’s financial literacy pillar. During the training, the University staff were taken through a financial planning session with a focus on 4 key pillars; Budgeting, Debt Management, Savings, and Investments in the various asset classes.
Speaking at the event, Maurice Oduor, Investment Manager at Cytonn, noted that personal financial planning aims at ensuring that individuals acquire financial freedom and get out of the rat race. “In life, we are seeking for wealth and the easier we attain it, the better,” said Maurice. “We should, therefore, arm ourselves with financial knowledge and understanding that will enable us best manage our finances so as to take care of our futures and ensure peace of mind.” He further talked about the importance of awareness on one’s financial net worth by emphasizing that, “to prevent a financial crisis, an individual should ensure that what they own is greater than what they owe; the net-worth of an individual should always be positive.”
In the afternoon session, the participants were taken through an introduction to Cytonn products. Daisy Muthee, Client Service Assistant, noted that “Our products are mainly in the category of structured products, offering both liquidity and high returns, which are not available in the distinct asset classes. All our products are structured and tailor-made to ensure that they meet the needs of our retail, middle-income and high net-worth clients,” added Daisy.
To close the session, Stephen Gitonga, Cytonn Distribution Manager, Mount Kenya region, thanked the participants for attending the session. He further added that Cytonn Investments is keen on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DEKUT so as to enhance mutual benefit between the two institutions especially through Cytonn Young Leaders Program (CYLP), which seeks for entrepreneurial-minded individuals with a proven leadership capability who can be competitive and deliver to our clients’ expectations. He concluded by saying, “As Cytonn, we ensure that our clients are the central focus of our business,” urging the participants to share their financial needs to enable Cytonn tailor-make its products to fit them.
Cytonn Foundation is built on three key pillars, which are Financial Literacy, Training and Mentorship, and Entrepreneurship. It focuses on causes that resonate with Cytonn’s values and those that the company collectively cares about. Other initiatives of Cytonn Foundation include; Cytonn eHub, under the Entrepreneurship pillar, which is a 12-week training & mentorship program for young & upcoming entrepreneurs that seeks to enhance knowledge & capabilities on how to run & grow successful enterprises, and Cytonn Summer Associate Program, under the Training and Mentorship pillar, whose main objective is to provide developing markets hands-on opportunity for professionals interested in making an impact.
