Leadership

Patrick Ramos, who clearly has a propensity for lifelong learning, is at the financial helm of Cosmos Limited, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in nine sub-Saharan African countries.

The EY East Africa cluster comprises offices in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. The cluster also has clients in Ethiopia and South Sudan who are serviced from the Nairobi office.

Mary Maina, the sub-Saharan Africa regional CFO of Ipsos, has had a remarkable career in finance and accounting, but it has not come without its share of challenging moments.

Adrian Safari, the CFO of micro-financier Juhudi Kilimo, was nicknamed Dre in his youth, because of his first name and his love for hip hop artist Dr Dre. Co-incidentally, he also wanted to be study medicine but commerce and finance turned out to be his true calling.

As CFO of Tanzania’s number one bank by profit, Juma Kimori employs an open door policy. The idea that any member of staff can knock on his door and seek an audience with him has been something he has found motivates charges in every company he has worked for. Having patience has also propelled his career; remaining calm in the knowledge that everything happens for a reason. Looking at his journey, he has found there are times he has had to wait for things to happen rather than rushing.

Among the memorable highlights of group CFO of Bobmil Group Kenya Juzer Adamjee's long career was his promotion, in 2014, from divisional CFO to group CFO. The role involved managing the finance function of an organisation in Qatar, with over 20 diverse business units operating in the Middle East and Europe. At the time, the company’s annual revenue was in excess of US$2.4 billion.

One book that shaped Joseph Kahenya’s work perspective is Winning by Jack Welch. In particular, he loves the quote “any strategy, no matter how smart, is dead on arrival unless the company brings it to life with people – the right people”.

After braving the cold weather in the UK, Moses Kang’ethe, CFO of Britam Life Assurance Company, returned to Kenya to play his part in building a better country and have a better quality of life.

Alkarim Jiwa is the group finance and strategy director at Diamond Trust Bank (DTB). He took time off his busy schedule to chat with CFO East Africa about himself, his role at the bank and his advice for fellow finance professionals.

Anita Umuhire was appointed CFO of Rwanda's largest bank before the age of 40. She credits having the right values and demonstrating unwavering integrity as key assets on the road to success.

Emmanuel Mushi is the CFO of DHL Express Tanzania. His expertise is bolstered by previous roles as the head of finance at the Tanzanian subsidiaries of Green Resources AS and important contributions at Deloitte & Touche.

When Misheck Sithole initially arrived in Dar es Salaam in October 2021 to assume the position of CFO at Grand Reinsurance Tanzania, adjusting to the new environment proved to be, well, quite interesting.

Many people have the impression that the public sector is slow, inefficient and bureaucratic. This is not necessarily the case in Kenya today, according to Stephen Vikiru Kinadira, general manager: Finance at Kenya Power and Lighting Company.

Standard Chartered Uganda CFO Kelvin Musana’s fascination with finance was sparked at a young age, when he delved into Frank Woods’ Business Accounting Volume 1 while waiting on his Grade 7 results.

Isaac Lupokela, the CFO who joined Sotta Mining Corporation (Sotta Mining) in June 2023, reflects positively on his decision, considering it both opportune and well-timed.

When Christine Sesay came back to Africa from Europe, she admits that she had a “saviour mentality”. However, she quickly learnt that she did not know more than the people she met. It was a humbling experience, which she today uses to ground herself in her current role as the CFO of Kepler in Rwanda.

With a surname like Kerich, it surprises no one in his rural Bomet that Baraka is working for a hospital group today (kerich means medicine in the Kipsigis language). But the CFO of Gertrude’s Hospital Group did not see this coming.

Shereena Wilson is a Rwanda-based fractional CFO. She initiated her freelancing journey in 2020, and is part of a growing trend of professionals finding fulfilment in remote freelancing.

Very few people will serve as CFO of a major bank and CFO of a national airline before the age of thirty-five. It is indeed a rarity and Andrew Ssekamwa, CFO of Uganda Airlines, is definitely an achiever for having accomplished this feat.

During his childhood, Unga CFO James Nyutu spent most of his weekends and school holidays working in his mother's general store, and this sparked a keen interest in money matters that led him to develop a liking for mathematics.