2025 marked a milestone year for CFO East Africa as the community brought finance leaders across the region together for a series of events that redefined what it means to lead in uncertain times. It was a year of many firsts, with the inaugural CFO Awards, the launch of the Rwanda Chapter and the first virtual summit all underscoring the platform's growing impact.
The year opened on 6 March with a focus on strategy and agility at the Nairobi Serena Hotel, where finance executives gathered for the CFO Kick-off Summit. They explored how CFOs can integrate resilience into corporate planning. Panel discussions featuring Central Bank of Kenya FD Caroline Mackola, Unga Group CEO James Nyutu, Beiersdorf FD Funlola Pearce and Exim Bank founder Hanif Jaffer examined the role of data and AI in strategic planning.
Stanbic Bank regional CEO Joshua Oigara delivered a keynote address that challenged attendees to think beyond their organisations and consider how they could leverage their influence to drive national progress.
"Shifting the destiny of our nation falls into the hands of individuals in the private sector. Ultimately, what you do is to continue shifting that landscape and being a voice for progress," he said.
A historic launch
Just over a week later, a historic moment for the community came with the launch of the CFO East Africa Rwanda Chapter at Kigali Marriott. Over 70 CFOs from across the region attended, with the event featuring discussions on the value of community in uncertain times. Panelists including Bank of Kigali CFO Anita Umuhire, Blue Nile Holdings CFO Shime Baligira and ICPAR vice president John Bugunya shared perspectives on networking and peer learning.
The summit concluded with a signing ceremony as CFOs endorsed a declaration of support for the community, marking Rwanda as the fourth country to officially join the regional network.
Reflections and aspirations
As the calendar turned to May, the community shifted its focus to Tanzania with the CFO Reflections and Aspirations Summit. The panel discussions saw Vodacom FD Hilda Bujiku, NMB Bank CFO Juma Kimori, IHS Towers FD Lilian Budandi and Perseus Mining CFO Isaac Lupokela reflect on wins, losses and lessons from the past year, with discussions centring on innovation and navigating regulatory pressures.
Vodacom CFO Hilda Bujiku highlighted the importance of backing new ideas even when the numbers are uncertain.
"Sometimes, the business case might not work, but actually, when we look at it holistically, it's going to work. It's about believing in innovation and addressing plans. And at the centre of all this good performance that we're talking about is the team," she said.
Future-ready CFOs
The following week, the journey continued to Kampala. Uganda's finance leaders convened at the Four Points by Sheraton on 15 May to explore the future of the CFO role with panel discussions on technology, ESG and team building. They emphasised the need for diverse skill sets within finance teams and the importance of moving beyond the traditional to create enabling environments for success.
NSSF Uganda CFO Stevens Mwanje painted a picture of the modern finance department.
"I have accountants who can code, accountants who are data scientists, accountants who are project managers. Never be afraid that someone knows more than you. You have the helicopter view. Just learn how to utilise that person," he explained.
The sustainability imperative
The second annual CFO ESG Summit held at Emara Ole Sereni on 10 July brought sustainability to the forefront as finance leaders explored how to embed ESG into financial strategy.
Panel discussions featuring British American Tobacco FD Philemon Kipkemoi, EABL group CFO Risper Genga Ohaga, LTWP CFO Alice Wathika and Oracle FD Dolly Sagwe Onyoni examined how companies can integrate sustainability across operations and supply chains, with speakers emphasising that CFOs are uniquely positioned to translate ESG results into business insights.
"What CFOs can do is come in and translate ESG results into business insights. They should not take a back seat and wait to be asked for the report, but actually come in and say, 'We can structure things in this way'," Dolly said.
Ideas worth sharing
When September arrived, the community tried something new. CFO East Africa's first virtual summit on 18 September drew nearly 200 finance leaders for a three-hour session featuring speakers from across the region. Standard Chartered's Chemutai Murgor urged CFOs to lead the ESG agenda, while Kepler's Christine Sesay challenged finance leaders to engage with their teams on personal financial management.
Safaricom's Dilip Pal offered a candid account of the company's expansion into Ethiopia, describing it as a test of adaptability under extreme pressure.
"Ethiopia has tested us, taught us and transformed us. Greenfield is not for the faint-hearted, but we're learning how to build a digital economy in real time," he said.
Other speakers included Kioo's Dipen Patel on sustainability as a business imperative, BasiGo's Jonathan Green on clean transport solutions, Baylor Foundation Uganda's Marie Nassiwa Martin on adapting to funding cuts, NSSF Uganda's Stevens Mwanje on rebuilding finance departments, and Rwanda Space Agency's Toussaint Maniriho on technology in government finance.
Celebrating excellence
The year's final event brought the community together in celebration. On 27 November, the year culminated in a glamorous black-tie affair at Emara Ole Sereni, where the inaugural CFO East Africa Awards celebrated the region's most outstanding finance leaders. Dubbed the 'Oscars of Finance', the evening featured live performances by Shamsi Music and stand-up comedy from Emmanuel Kisiangani and Amandeep Jagde.
Safaricom group CFO Dilip Pal emerged as the night's biggest winner, taking home the CFO of the Year title for both East Africa and Kenya, as well as the Strategy Execution Award. In his acceptance speech, he reflected on the collective effort behind his success.
"I'm just a recipient of this award on behalf of the team. I want to thank them for their hard work and dedication," he said.
