Cooperative Bank finance and strategy director Caroline Karimi, who has over two decades of financial leadership across the banking, telecoms, FMCG and automotive industries, is among the second cohort of nominees for the annual 'Oscars of Finance'. Bob Okodi's nomination recognises his track record of financial leadership across Uganda's non-profit sector. At the CFO East Africa Leadership Summit in Dar es Salaam, finance leaders opened up about the moments that tested them and what they learned outside of the classroom. Dr Neema Kiure, assurance partner at EY and former Diamond Trust Bank Tanzania finance director , knows a CFO’s true influence is often revealed during moments of stress. As a judge for the 2026 CFO Awards, she is on the lookout for finance leaders who do bring clarity and disciplined recommendations to the board when tradeoffs get hard. Alkarim has been nominated for the 2026 CFO East Africa Awards, recognising over two decades of financial leadership and corporate strategy experience in the banking sector. Speaking at the CFO East Africa Uganda Leadership Summit, former PwC Managing Partner and I&M Bank Uganda chairperson Francis Kamulegeya delivered a blunt account of how finance leaders are perceived in the boardroom and what it will take to survive the transition into one. The four-hour event was packed with conversations on inspirational financial leadership, with executives going the extra mile to reveal their career-defining moments and the lessons they learnt from them. At the second annual CFO East Africa Summit in Kigali, a closing panel brought together three finance leaders to reflect on the moments that have shaped how they lead. Ntiranyibagirwa Ange, group head of finance at BK Group, Dan Mugisha, CFO of Africa Improved Foods, and Collins Otieno, head of finance at Ampersand Energy, revealed the lessons that have stayed with them and the thinking that continues to guide their work. The company's senior finance leadership will connect with East Africa's most influential network of financial minds following its sign-up as a corporate member of CFO East Africa. Harley's senior finance leadership now has a seat at the table of East Africa's most influential network of financial minds, following the company's sign-up as a corporate member of CFO East Africa. Still treating tax as just a compliance box to tick? 2026 CFO Awards judge and RSM Tanzania managing partner Lina Ratansi explains why the best finance leaders step out of their silos and use tax planning to build stakeholder trust.
The second annual CFO East Africa Summit, held in Kigali on 17 April, brought together the region’s finance leaders for an evening defined not by forecasts and models, but by reflection, introspection and renewed intent. Against the backdrop of a fast-evolving economic landscape, the gathering created space for CFOs to pause, recalibrate and engage with the deeper questions shaping their leadership journeys. 2026 CFO Awards judge Shereena Wilson, a software developer turned finance leader, unpacks the critical intersection of AI, blockchain and ESG. Fiona Nuwamanya, co-founder of Africa Centre for Applied Digital Health, brings a uniquely entrepreneurial perspective to the 2026 CFO Awards panel, shaped by her time founding and scaling a healthcare startup. Dunstan Stober has spent years leading finance teams across different markets. He has navigated the pressures of delivering results in complex environments. Speaking at the CFO East Africa leadership summit, he reflected on the courage leadership requires when pressure builds. WPP Scangroup COO Miriam Kaggwa, who comes on board as a CFO Awards judge, warns that technical expertise is merely the baseline for modern finance professionals. She explains why the next generation of successful CFOs must evolve into multi-disciplinary leaders who can confidently translate complex numbers into a compelling commercial narrative The renowned business leader has spent decades working across banking, government and corporate boards. He has observed how the role of finance leaders continues to evolve. Delivering the keynote address on humanising financial leadership at the CFO East Africa leadership summit at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi, he reflected on how the expectations placed on chief financial officers have changed. The CFO East Africa Leadership Summit held at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi on 13 March, brought together the region’s finance leaders for an evening of candid reflection and shared insights. Throughout the year, CFO East Africa provided a platform for conversations that went beyond the balance sheet. CFOs grappled with questions about their evolving role and how to lead in an era of constant disruption.
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.Cooperative Bank of Kenya's Caroline Karimi nominated for the 2026 CFO Awards
Amref Uganda's Bob Okodi nominated for the 2026 CFO Awards
Tanzania’s finance leaders reveal the lessons no book can teach
CFO Awards judge Neema Kiure keeps an eye on impact and integrity
DTB CFO Alkarim Jiwa nominated for the 2026 CFO Awards
Francis Kamulegeya reveals what boards actually need from CFOs
Inspiring leadership stories shared at landmark CFO Summit in Kampala
Rwanda finance leaders at CFO Summit reflect on career-defining moments
Yas Tanzania joins CFO East Africa as corporate member
Harley's joins CFO East Africa as corporate member
Meet 2026 CFO Awards judge Lina Ratansi
CFOs share secrets for success at second annual Rwanda summit
Meet 2026 CFO Awards judge Shereena Wilson
Fiona Nuwamanya challenges CFOs to think like founders
MTN Rwanda's Dunstan Stober offers lessons on leadership under pressure
Meet 2026 CFO Awards judge Miriam Kaggwa
The Leadership Group CEO Martin Oduor-Otieno humanises finance leadership
Finance leaders at CFO Leadership Summit look inward
The conversations that rewrote the CFO playbook in 2025
A year of connection and growth
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Contact
Contact: KC Rottok Chesaina
CFO East Africa community manager
kcrottok@cfo-ea.com




