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Shime Baligira has joined the list of finance leaders who will be competing in the 2025 ‘Oscars of Finance’.

NSSF Uganda CFO Stevens Mwanje has been nominated for the inaugural CFO Awards for East Africa. He will be competing to take home one of the 10 awards up for grabs at the annual ceremony, including the illustrious ‘CFO of the Year’ award.

EABL Group CFO Risper Genga Ohaga has been nominated for the inaugural CFO Awards for East Africa.

MAT Abacus Business School principal and country team leader Samuel Sejjaaka believes CFOs must create value for the business beyond the finance function. He dives into the transition from CFO to CEO and why finance executives should embrace the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

Traditionally, CFOs have relied on historical data and forecasting methods in creating strategy. But as panelists at the CFO Kick-off summit noted, changes in consumer habits and the global economy have placed heavier demands on finance executives.

Over 70 CFOs from across East Africa came together at Kigali Marriott in Rwanda for the much-anticipated launch of the CFO East Africa Rwanda Chapter.

Strategy took centre stage at the 2025 CFO East Africa Kick-off Summit, where leading finance executives traded insights on ways to embed agility into corporate planning and leverage their skills to shape the progress of the country.

CMCL founder and CEO Carol Musyoka, who has more than a decade of experience in corporate governance consulting, has joined the experienced panel of judges for the inaugural CFO Awards for East Africa. The seasoned lawyer and entrepreneur speaks to CFO East Africa about the importance of big-picture thinking for C-level finance executives.

In the current economic landscape, where geopolitical and macroeconomic environments are constantly changing, the role of the CFO has become increasingly dynamic. ICPAR director of strategy Julian Ingabire, ICPAR vice president John Bugunya, and Exim Bank Tanzania founder Hanif Jaffer, who form part of the 2025 CFO Awards judges’ panel, offer their perspectives on the most pressing issues facing CFOs today.

2025 CFO Awards judge Hanif Jaffer’s experience as the founder of Exim Bank Tanzania and a CPA gives him a rare vantage point on the CFO Role. He speaks to CFO East Africa about the lessons he has learned along the way, emphasising the value of staying ahead of the curve.

In an insightful interview, ALN managing partner Daniel Ngumy, who will be a judge at the 2025 CFO Awards for East Africa, emphasises the importance of dynamism in today’s finance leaders. He highlights the need for integrity in the profession, recognising the awards as an important platform for enhancing the profile of CFOs in the region.

ICPAR vice president John Bugunya elaborates on how CFOs are redefining leadership today. The former CIMERWA Plc executive director reflects on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of finance, encouraging executives to step out of the box.

Andrew Ssekamwa, who is the chief commercial officer at Movit Products - and a judge for the 2025 CFO Awards for East Africa - believes that CFOs need to lead with innovation in today’s dynamic business environment.

Global Institute of Governance & Sustainability (GIGS) CEO Mkombozi Karake considers himself more African than Rwandan, with a career that spans several sectors and includes a stint at the World Bank.

As nominations for the 2025 CFO Awards for East Africa stream in, ICPAR director of strategy and sustainability Julian Ingabire, ALN managing partner Daniel Ngumy,and Movit Products CCO Andrew Ssekamwa weigh on a trend that is poised to shape the future of finance, urging CFOs to leverage AI tools to remain competitive.

Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal, Spiro group CFO Wangeci Kanjama, and ZEP-RE CFO Rachael Gitonga spoke candidly about their triumphs and losses in 2024 and shared their hopes for the new year, during a panel discussion at the 2024 CFO East Africa Year End Summit.

During a roundtable discussion at the 2024 CFO East Africa Year End Summit, finance leaders reflected on the ups and downs that defined the year that was and charted the road ahead. The changing economic landscape and resulting regional dynamics took centre stage as attendees looked back on the events of the past year during a session hosted by media personality Julians Amboko.

At the 2024 CFO East Africa Year-End Summit, Bayport Tanzania CFO Rehema Sanare, acting MTN Rwanda CFO Dunstan Stober, Rocket Health Uganda CFO Fiona Nuwamanya, and Mitchell Cotts Kenya finance and strategy director Michael Nzule shared their highs and lows for the year and discussed the opportunities and risks of digital disruption

As the curtains start to fall on 2024, more than 100 finance leaders from across East Africa gathered at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi for the exclusive 2024 CFO East Africa Year-End Summit. The highly-anticipated event, which took place on 28 November, was CFO East Africa’s seventh summit, all of which have been well-received by CFOs across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda since its launch in 2023.

Julian, who is the director of strategy and institutional sustainability at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR), urges CFOs to stay ahead of the curve by continuously seeking new knowledge and expanding their skill sets.