Although finance leaders are often judged by profit margins and cost control, many find that their most meaningful contributions happen beyond the numbers. For ICEA Lion Uganda CFO Philip Ahabwe, Kioo financial controller Dipen Patel and Lake Turkana Wind Power CFO Alice Wathika, the real indicators of success are less about financial performance and more about the human impact of their work.
Philip Ahabwe sees helping people grow as the most important part of his work. He takes pride in mentoring his team at ICEA Lion Uganda and creating an environment where they can develop both personally and professionally. The unassuming executive finds it especially rewarding when people feel supported and are able to reach their full potential.
“I believe I’ve had a chance to improve the people that I’ve worked with. I’m very honest with them because for me, they are critical in whether I fail or I succeed. So I’m glad that some of them have gone on to be senior people in their careers. Others have grown within the ranks in the institution and now I almost have a new set,” he says.
Philip draws motivation from seeing people take charge of their professional development. When his team members go back to school to upskill or set ambitious goals for their careers, he considers that a clear sign of success.
“Their own personal development excites me. I had two people in my team who completed their Master’s before I ever thought of writing mine,” he reveals.
Unlike many of his peers, Philip is not keen on moving to the corner office. The most cherished parts of his life lie closer to home.
“I just want to be a good dad and a great husband. Maybe it sounds cliché, or sounds nice and cool, but that would be more important to me than being the most prominent CFO. All these things will change. What won’t change is that I will remain the father of those two girls, at least for now,” he says.
Stretching their abilities
Dipen Patel also puts people at the centre of his leadership. As financial controller at Kioo, he has learned that understanding what your team is going through can shape the culture of a department. He sees the value in being available to listen, especially during moments of pressure or frustration.
“They need to know that their leader is with them and understands their problems. Sometimes, they just need somebody to listen to their frustrations. I think that has made a change in the culture of the department as well,” he explains.
To help his team members grow, Dipen challenges them to take on new tasks. They rotate in different roles every few months, stretching their abilities as they build confidence in new areas of finance.
“What more do you want to do? Let’s say you are doing banking postings. Do you think that you now have the capacity to do purchase-voucher entries? So, every four months, we explore new roles. And the team members have built that confidence in themselves that they can do it as well. It’s all about team building,” he says.
A humbling moment
At Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP), Alice Wathika pays close attention to the ways her organisation contributes to the wellbeing of the community it operates in. She values the kind of impact that cannot be measured in revenue or investor returns, but in access to basic services and opportunities for local people.
“We contribute 12 percent of the power to the Kenyan grid, we are the largest private employer in Marsabit County, and 80 percent of our employees come from the county. Through our Winds of Change NGO, we have implemented over 100 community projects in education, water, and health. I am passionate about community impact and always try to be present for project handovers,” Alice says.
During the launch of a new hospital ward, Alice saw firsthand how financial decisions could result in meaningful improvements to the lives of community members.
“One particularly humbling moment was when we handed over the largest male ward in Laisamis. I felt immense joy seeing locals who previously had to travel long distances for medical care,” she says.
