Geoffrey Njuguna, the fourth of six children in his family, hails from Nyandarua county. His childhood was marked by the challenges of being frequently compared to his older siblings, particularly in school, where he initially struggled as an average student, with particular difficulty in mathematics.
However, a pivotal moment came during his transition to class four when his teacher, Mr Ndirangu, recognised his potential and had a candid conversation with him on the school lawn. This discussion made Geoffrey realise that despite his lack of privilege, education was the key to overcoming life's barriers. Encouraged by the teacher’s commitment to regularly check on his progress, Geoffrey's academic performance transformed, leading him to excel and top his class through to university. Today, he is dedicated to mentoring and coaching young men, helping them to realise their potential, just as he was once guided and inspired.
Geoffrey was nicknamed "Governor" by his university classmates, who frequently consulted him on micro- and macro-economic models. His proficiency with numbers and econometric models earned him this moniker, reflecting their belief that he would one day become the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.
Today, Geoffrey holds the title of regional CFO of Interswitch, a technology company that facilitates payments across the globe. His career began as a finance consultant in the tech industry, where he helped develop finance-related software and gained tech skills through various certifications. His journey has taken him to several African countries allowing him to broaden his expertise across different industries such as finance, manufacturing, FMCG, NGOs and road authorities.
Geoffrey has always aspired to be a software engineer, but he was admitted to study economics and finance at Kenyatta University. He would later become a certified public accountant and also graduated with a master’s in economics at the University of Nairobi. He embraced this path and excelled in it. His first job after graduating was at a fintech company, perfectly aligning with his passion for technology. He quickly learned on the job and thrived in the field. His special skills in finance, accounting and technology have been invaluable at Interswitch, enabling him to relate to business needs and significantly contributing to his success as a CFO.
“One of my career highlights at Interswitch was being appointed by the Group MD to lead the implementation of the company’s ERP system. This critical project, essential to the company’s growth strategy, involved setting up a back-office system to automate processes company-wide. My experience in process automation and enthusiasm for technology led to my secondment to our head office in Nigeria, for five years. The project's success resulted in my promotion to CFO for the Kenya business and now East Africa,” he says.
Enhancing productivity
“One of the low moments was when the board asked me to work out the right size of the company when business performance wasn’t that good. We needed to press the reset button and part of the strategic initiatives would involve restructuring the organisation. This was a tough season that shaped me. It involved dealing with uncertainties, people and managing expectations for various stakeholders. As Henry Ford said the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing,” he adds.
As a regional CFO, Geoffrey leads a diverse team of 17, including accountants, data analysts, and software developers working on the group ERP. While he occasionally gets hands-on, he prefers guiding and mentoring over micromanagement, allowing him to focus on strategic business aspects. He believes in hiring smart people to leverage their expertise rather than directing their every move. He encourages his team to be open-minded and innovative, with a strong passion for business process automation to enhance productivity.
“John Kotter’s & Holger Rathgeber’s That’s Not How We Do It Here is a story of how organisations rise and fall and rise again. It has had a huge impact on me especially in my quest to provide excellent leadership in a constantly changing world. I must appreciate the need for discipline, proper planning, reliability, and efficiency as well as the role of passion, vision, engagement, speed, agility and culture”’ Geoffrey explains.
“John Wooden said: Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. Personally, success is about striving for a healthy work-life balance, in a smart way creating and nurturing relationships with my family, friends, colleagues, professional acquaintances and continuously growing as an individual. Also, making a positive impact in everything I do and leaving a trail of legacies behind me,” he adds.
If Geoffrey could go back to his younger years, he would emphasise work-life balance, understanding that his wellbeing significantly contributes to his success. He would also take more calculated risks without fearing failure, as he has learned that failure provides invaluable lessons for navigating the future with confidence.
Geoffrey is not all about calculators and spreadsheets, he used to represent his school in long-distance cross-country marathons.
“I don’t run much nowadays but I do go outdoors having discovered golf two years ago. It is now an addictive hobby and a therapeutic outlet. By spending time on the golf course during my free time, I find that a round of golf relieves stress and leaves me feeling lighter. It has also helped me build patience and improve my decision-making process, skills that are invaluable in leadership. Additionally, I read a lot because I firmly believe that a good leader must be well-informed to stay ahead of the pack,” he concludes.
