CFO East Africa's vision to become the leading platform for finance executives from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda follows in the same bold footsteps taken by CFO South Africa more than a decade ago.
CFO East Africa's vision to become the leading platform for finance executives from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda follows in the same bold footsteps taken by CFO South Africa more than a decade ago. Managing editor of CFO South Africa Caylynne Fourie reached out to finance executives in South Africa to hear their views on the launch of CFO East Africa.
Raisibe Morathi, Vodacom CFO, says, “Networking is one of the hardest things to do for a professional because you are extra busy with your daily work activities, so you do not have time to meet new people. The CFO forum has access to experts across practitioners, innovators, universities, researchers, and just about anyone relevant. That is a great plus!
"When you participate in the CFO forum go with a mindset of discovery, i.e. you will find a lot of things that you seem to know enough of to assist others and similarly much more that you learn from others. A simple example is where you are able to understand challenges faced by certain industries or companies which may give you insights beneficial to your own industry," she adds.
Hatch Africa CFO Craig Sumption notes, “CFO South Africa has done a great job in bringing like-minded people together around various events, functions and dinners. It’s been a great way to connect and interact as a community and I’m very grateful for what CFO South Africa has done to make this happen."
He explains that it’s really great to see this carry over into East Africa. “A piece of advice for those in East Africa: embrace the launch of CFO East Africa, engage and participate. The more you put in, the more you get out of it.”
He adds that he looks forward to interacting with the East Africa community more in the future, as Hatch Africa operates across the continent.
Similarly, Standard Bank chief finance and value management officer Arno Daehnke says: “CFO South Africa has been a great support for us in terms of access to engaging content on a variety of platforms and networking opportunities within our finance community.”
“As an Africa-focused financial services organisation, we are delighted that our East African colleagues will have access to these resources,” he adds.
He explains that Standard Bank is becoming increasingly geographically diverse and East Africa is a strong contributor in its earnings mix. “I look forward to attending the launch soon!”
Also serving as the CFO for a company operating in Africa, Vedanta Resources’ Pushpender Singla says CFOs face unique financial and operational challenges in this dynamic region. “This community will provide a valuable platform for us to collaborate, share insights, and collectively navigate the intricacies of doing business in East Africa.
“Together, we can drive financial excellence, innovation, and contribute to the economic growth and development of this vibrant continent. I believe that our collective expertise will be a powerful force for positive change in the East African business landscape,” he adds.
“The need for a strong community of finance leaders has been apparent for a while now and I am super excited about the tremendous support from CFOs we have received,” says KC Rottok Chesaina, CFO East Africa co-founder and community manager. “Through everything we do, we aim to positively influence individuals’ lives and careers, inspire organisations and contribute to a better future for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.”
