Kenya

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.

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.

Over the next two decades, digital money will transform the way we think about currency and how it operates, according to KCB Group FD Lawrence Kimathi.

CFO East Africa recently caught up with Wasoko global CFO Sundararaman Pattabiraman to understand his views on Kenya and the finance fraternity.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has recorded a 120 percent improvement in operating profit, from a loss of Kshs 5 billion in 2022 to Kshs 998 million in 2023, with CFO Hellen Mathuka noting the two major headwinds that impacted business in the first half of the year.

Dennis Musau, chief financial and value officer of Stanbic Bank Kenya and South Sudan, recently engaged in a conversation with CFO East Africa, discussing his career journey, lessons learnt, and what keeps him awake at night.

It is quite a tough job being the CFO of an African airline. The industry faces many challenges from inadequate infrastructure to inconsistent demand. Despite this, CFO of Kenya Airways Hellen Mathuka, loves her job.

Sophia Mukoba-Kioko has taken on the role of Global Audit Finance lead for Unilever, after spending six years as the Finance director for Unilever East Africa.

Risper Genga Ohaga, the CFO of East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL), considers success a multifaceted concept, spanning courage, sacrifice and self-awareness.

CFO East Africa caught up with Michael Nzule, financial and strategy director for Mitchell Cotts Freight Kenya Limited, to better understand the finance leader's approach to strategy and crises - and also convinced him to impart critical insight on that elusive X Factor and his leadership life lessons.

Standard Bank Group’s Africa-focused strategy and differentiated franchise approach has made a significant contribution to it recorded headline earnings of R21.2 billion in the six months to 30 June 2023, up 35 percent relative to the prior period and delivered a return on equity of 18.9 percent.

Despite starting his career as a graduate accountant trainee, Richard Tobiko, the chief financial officer for Nation Media Group, actually began working in operations on site.

ICEA LION General Insurance CFO Zipporah Chege’s journey to leading a finance function was undoubtedly shaped by her upbringing.

Dilip Pal, the CFO of Safaricom, is a highly educated and extremely experienced professional who has led finance functions on two of the largest continents in the world.

Saket Mohta has taken on the role of Regional Finance director: Africa & Middle East, for Bata Group. As a senior finance executive, Saket moves into his new role after a two-year tenure as Bata South Africa's Finance director.

Taking a sabbatical and working with an executive coach after spending a number of years working in audit, finance, strategy and general management ranks among the best decisions that Allan Wainaina, the CFO of Telkom Kenya, has made.

Moses G. Kuria has been promoted to Group CFO at CarePay International. Prior to his promotion, Moses was the MD of M-TIBA, CarePay International’s subsidiary in Kenya, which was launched in 2015 in partnership with Safaricom, M-PESA and PharmAccess.

Wangeci Kanjama has left the role of M-PESA Africa FD to take on the position of director of Partnerships and Special Projects at the mobile money transfer provider, effective May 2023.

Yusuf Omari, who has been serving as interim MD and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya, has returned to his role as CFO.