I&M Bank Rwanda CFO Dederi Wimana changed her leadership by learning to listen first. She credits this lesson to raising five strong Gen Z children.
Dederi Wimana has always seen herself as a tough person. So when her five children began to question her rules, her instinct was to insist on control.
“When the first born finished university, we started to fight. When I made plans, she would say she was busy and I hadn’t informed her on time. Even my son, who was close to me, started resisting, and I said to myself, I must be the problem,” she says.
The more her children pushed back, the more she saw that what had once worked no longer did. She describes that period as a personal audit, which forced her to change how she related with them. It was an awakening that made her slow down and ask more questions, not only as a parent but as a leader. She began inviting her children to plan with her, seeking their opinions before deciding anything.
“I looked at myself and said, I have to change. That helped me even with the team I have currently. They have to feel like participants. You have to involve them in everything, not just come and say, I want this and this,” she explains.
The peace that followed gave her a model for managing her team at work. Now, Dederi begins every major project with a question: what do you think? The result has been better execution and a culture of trust.
“They bring ideas and we discuss how to do things better. I just analyse and guide. It is working well for us,” she reveals.
Taking new risks
Dederi has 27 years of experience in Rwanda’s financial services sector. She joined I&M Bank Rwanda (then Banque Commerciale du Rwanda/BCR) as a management accountant in 2005. But in 2013, after thirteen years in finance, Dederi made an unexpected move to internal audit, where she learned to see risk from a different angle.
“I wanted something different. Because I had a background in operations, I could make recommendations that worked. When I came back to finance, I had that risk management part, so it was complete for me,” she says.
It was there that she gained a deeper understanding of controls, governance and business processes. By the time she returned to finance as CFO in 2021, the function had transformed. The days of producing reports were over, and finance had become integral to strategy. The shift made the job more dynamic and more demanding.
“Now, I am a strategic partner to the CEO and the board. We plan together, forecast, and consider what is happening in the market. With data, we can predict the future and contribute to the organisation,” she explains.
Her commitment to that transformation led her to support the establishment of a data analytics unit within finance in 2024. The department includes a head of department, two data scientists and one business analyst working with Power BI and supported by a partnership with FMO to create a full data management framework. The goal is to make decisions that are evidence-based and timely.
Digital transformation
But her drive to modernise is not new. Nearly twenty years earlier, she had already introduced automated reporting at BCR, replacing manual systems. She led the initiative herself, guiding the bank through two years of transition. Some of those systems are still in use.
“When I joined BCR in 2005, all the reports were done manually. In 2006, I initiated the move to automate reporting. By 2007, we had finished, and some of those reports are still used today. That is something I am proud of,” she says.
Dederi has mentored and coached several professionals who now serve as CFOs and heads of internal audit across Rwanda’s banking sector. She runs a structured two-year mentorship programme for five senior managers, whom she meets monthly to review progress and discuss challenges. It is her way of sharing what she has learned from her own path. Dederi prefers to hire people who are curious and committed rather than those who appear polished, as she is confident that the rest can be taught.
“Good talent is becoming rare and costly. I prefer people with the right attitude who are ready to learn. I can train them for three to six months, and once they perform well, I fight for them to be recognised and well paid,” she says.
Attention to detail
Her empathy for young professionals comes from experience. She remembers hesitating to study for the ACCA qualification because her first language was French. Her manager at the time insisted, telling her she would never become a CFO without it. Dederi accepted the challenge, juggling work and being a new mother while learning in a new language.
“I remember I did my degree in French. When they asked us to do ACCA, my first reaction was to say no because I could not imagine how I would start learning English. But my boss pushed me, he encouraged me, and now I can say I am proud of it,” she reveals.
Despite her vast experience, Dederi admits that the weight of the CFO role can be daunting. She is especially alert when preparing forecasts and reports for the board. To manage that pressure, she builds reliability into every process.
“Sometimes, I am afraid of what shareholders and the board expect from finance. I always hope the projections I give are accurate. I make sure I have a well-trained team, accurate numbers, and that we check and re-check everything,” she says.
To keep all the different parts of her life in balance, Dederi guards her time carefully. Unless there is an urgent matter or a board meeting, she avoids working on Saturdays and Sundays.
“During the weekend, I do not work. Even for my team, I do not recommend weekend work. We all need time with our families,” she says.
