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For dfcu Bank CFO and executive director Kate Kabaingi Kiiza, success isn’t just about the numbers — it’s about the people. She offers a glimpse into the qualities and experiences that have made her one of the region's celebrated finance leaders.

As the curtains start to fall on 2024, more than 100 finance leaders from across East Africa gathered at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi for the exclusive 2024 CFO East Africa Year-End Summit. The highly-anticipated event, which took place on 28 November, was CFO East Africa’s seventh summit, all of which have been well-received by CFOs across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda since its launch in 2023.

Shereena Wilson has been appointed as the chief financial officer of East African Power (EAP). She joins the Kigali-based energy firm after 11 months as fractional CFO at Chiefly & Co, a collective of fractional C-level experts accelerating sustainability for companies.

Ever wondered which books top finance leaders draw life lessons from? Beiersdorf FD Funlola Pearce, M-Pesa Africa CFO Amr Atef, AAR group CFO Hosea Kiprop, and HEVA Fund FD Dr Karimi Ngeera talk about the books that have shifted their perspective on life.

In an ever-changing business landscape, CFOs play a key role in shaping a company’s future. EY Uganda managing partner Geoffrey Byamugisha therefore sees the firm’s decision to support the CFO community in East Africa as a commitment to shaping resilient economies.

Julian, who is the director of strategy and institutional sustainability at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR), urges CFOs to stay ahead of the curve by continuously seeking new knowledge and expanding their skill sets.

Tanzania’s NMB Bank recently partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Mastercard to launch the 'Banking on Women Advisory Project', which aims to enhance its Jasiri Proposition to attract, retain, and grow women-led businesses in Tanzania. Under the Jasiri Proposition, NMB issued the first social bond, whose proceeds have financed more than 3,000 women. CFO East Africa caught up with NMB Bank CFO Juma Kimori, who spoke in detail about how the bank is expanding its initiatives to empower women-led businesses in Tanzania.

If Dr Rachael Gitonga were not the CFO of ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company), she would run a cafe with a bookshop inside it. She would spend her days running and working out at the gym in the morning, swimming in the afternoon, and taking walks in the evening. That is how much she loves working out.

Oracle finance director for Sub Saharan and South Africa Dorothy Sagwe, MTN Rwanda CFO Dunstan Stober, Zep Re CFO Dr Rachael Gitonga, and Dolphin Professional Services CFO Noel Ngonyani offer insights into the challenges and opportunities they have encountered in aligning financial strategy with sustainability goals, highlighting how CFOs can adopt environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles for long-term profitability.

Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal delves into the company’s strategies for managing foreign exchange risks, diversifying revenue, balancing major investments, and delivering customer value.

The first-time CFO considers himself a uniquely skilled finance professional who plays by the book but isn’t confined by it. He terms his recent appointment a “dream come true” and sees it as an opportunity to offer mentorship to rising finance professionals.

The UAP Tanzania CEO, who recently transitioned from CFO, urges upcoming finance leaders to expand the scope of their responsibility and discharge their role with the future of the business in mind. He shuns the notion of the CFO as purely a finance professional, urging CFOs to play a key role in shaping and driving business strategy.

In his partner address at the auspicious launch of the CFO East Africa Uganda chapter, EY Uganda managing partner Geoffrey Byamugisha hailed the community as a forum for advancing thought leadership within the finance sector, noting that it was vital for career growth.

For months after Dr Karimi Ngeera witnessed the scale up of Hewa Tele, a social enterprise under the Centre for Public Health and Development (CPHD) in Kenya, she felt stuck. The expansion would have seen her return to commercial finance, which she had left behind two years earlier.

MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) CFO Sarah Bateta Okwi recently highlighted the strides being made in the financial inclusion of women through the digitisation of banking services.

Get ready to shine a spotlight on the region's most exceptional finance leaders - with nominations now open for the inaugural CFO Awards for East Africa.

Amr Atef has been appointed as the chief financial officer of M-PESA Africa, bringing with him over two decades of experience in the finance sector. He assumed his new role in September 2024 and is now based in Nairobi, Kenya, where he will oversee the company’s financial operations.

When Dennis Musau, chief finance and value officer at Stanbic Bank, took up the position in 2022, the organisation had already expanded the role, elevating the CFO from chief accounting officer to the CEO’s thinking partner. At the recent CFO East Africa Summit in Nairobi, Dennis offered his insights on transitioning the role of the CFO to include a value management perspective.

At the recent CFO East Africa Uganda launch, EABL group CFO Risper Genga Ohaga participated in a panel discussion where she offered her insights on the balance between technical skill and adaptability, encouraging CFOs to take more risks to catalyse the growth of their organisations.