Leading CFOs from across East Africa came together at the Movenpick Hotel in Nairobi for the much-anticipated 2024 CFO East Africa Man vs Machine Summit, to discuss all things tech, including the rise of GenAI. 75 CFOs from across East Africa came together at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi for the much-anticipated launch of the CFO East Africa community, where they discussed a new era of finance. It took one newspaper ad to set Stephen Karumbi, the CFO of Family Bank, on his
remarkable journey from dedicated accounting student in high school to respected financial executive. Coming from a poor rural background to becoming a regional finance director of a listed entity is no easy feat. However, this is exactly what British American Tobacco's Philemon Kipkemoi has done - and now he wants to pay it forward. A passion for running led Rachael Gitonga, CFO at ZEP Re, to establish Miles4shillings, which raised over $10,000 for the Faraja Cancer Support Fund. In this CFO East Africa exclusive insight, Rachael explains the power of passion. Purity Mumbe Sammy, CFO at East Africa Reinsurance, initially planned to retire from corporate life at the age of 35 and teach kindergarten. Now, at the designate age, she admits she is not quite ready to realise that dream. What benefits the planet ultimately benefits customers and, in turn, businesses. These were the sobering thoughts delivered by Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal at the recent 78th United Nations General Assembly. Josephine Njoroge, the CFO of DHL Express in Kenya and Tanzania, was presented with the incredible opportunity to work in Tanzania. She describes her more memorable experiences in this CFO East Africa exclusive insight. From dropping out of university to take on an internship to inspiring the formation of a debt collection unit to chief accountant, George Odenyo, CFO of American Tower (ATC Kenya), has definitely not followed a stereotypical career path. David Muriithi, director of finance at Serengeti Breweries, sees accounting as a life skill - and one that has provided a solid foundation for him to make his mark in finance in over 10 countries and across two continents. 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. Considering the perspective of others is a personal principle by which Lawrence Kimathi, financial director of KCB Group, lives - and this code of ethics has served him well. As CFO of a law firm comprising more than 75 lawyers, "security dad" Andrew Murimi's philosophy is to treat others as he himself would love to be treated. In his view, empathy is what distinguishes managers from leaders. Kinya Kimotho, Diageo's finance and strategy director for partner emerging markets in Africa, subscribes to the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which describes having a sense of purpose in life, seeking that motivating force that gets you out of bed every morning. Despite not initially setting down the finance career path, Andrew Makumbi, CFO of Jubilee Allianz Insurance Uganda, reveals that he was mesmerised and challenged by his first insurance audit. Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal recently commented on the latest Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report, noting how mobile money has become a mainstream financial service. Sophia Mukoba-Kioko, FD at Unilever East Africa, recently left Kenya to take on a new role in London, UK, as the Unilever global audit finance lead. Although she has travelled extensively, this will be her first assignment outside the country. Kennedy Muriungi, the CFO of Camusat's Uganda operations, shares one of his weird and interesting reads that challenges conventional thinking, how people interpret situations, and helps with both personal and business success. CFO East Africa recently caught up with Wasoko global CFO Sundararaman Pattabiraman to understand his views on Kenya and the finance fraternity. At the age of only 39, Hermann Malan boasts an impressive career as a CFO, having traversed various regions of Africa. His journey began in West Africa, extended to South Africa, and eventually led him to East Africa.Top CFOs explore the tech revolution at CFO East Africa’s Man vs Machine Summit
Launch of CFO East Africa community a rip-roaring success
Be the best and train successors, advises CFO Stephen Karumbi
Why FD Philemon Kipkemoi sends the elevator back down
The many reasons that CFO Rachael Gitonga runs
Know your limits and avoid the curse of the competent, says CFO Purity Sammy
Sustainability is a licence to operate on the planet, says CFO Dilip Pal
Tanzania's social and business scene captivates CFO Josephine Njoroge
CFO George Odenyo chats about dropping out and disruption
FD David Muriithi: bridging the continental divide
Strong support from CFOs in South Africa
FD Lawrence Kimathi points out the link between time and gaining traction
CFO Andrew Murimi speaks music, management and mentorship
FD Kinya Kimotho's six soft skills for life
CFO Andrew Makumbi is building the ladder one rung at a time
Mobile money is a mainstream financial service, says Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal
Sophia Mukoba-Kioko: From hawker to global audit finance lead
CFO Kennedy Muriungi says you need to innovate or die!
The CFO catch-up: Sundar Pattabiraman
CFO Hermann Malan: Makes his indelible mark on all cardinal points of Africa
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Contact: KC Rottok Chesaina
CFO East Africa community manager
kcrottok@cfo-ea.com




