Amiri Sultani Mziray, head of IT at I&M Bank Tanzania, describes his leadership style as shielding his team from distractions so they can focus on innovation. A strategist at heart, he has unified infrastructure, pioneered Tanzania’s first non-telco mobile wallet and is now embedding AI into banking.
“I sometimes think of myself as a fancy secretary,” says Amiri Sultani Mziray, head of IT at I&M Bank Tanzania, with a laugh.
It is his way of describing a leadership style that absorbs the politics, phone calls and administrative clutter so his team can focus on what really matters: solving complex technical problems. This tongue-in-cheek remark captures both his humility and philosophy of empowering others. This quality has defined his career across pioneering projects in infrastructure, digital payments and now AI-driven banking at I&M Bank Tanzania.
His journey into IT began with a strong grounding in science and telecommunications engineering, which he pursued through studies in China, the UK, Japan and Germany.
Early in his career, he worked in Europe in research and development, an experience that exposed him to the rigor of high-tech innovation. “Those years taught me the importance of precision but also that innovation has little impact if it is not adapted to local needs,” he reflects.
Returning to East Africa, he went on to unify IT infrastructure at Wananchi Group, later branching into governance, security and strategy before taking on fintech projects at Azampay.
Among his most notable achievements was helping set up Tanzania’s first non-telco mobile wallet, a breakthrough at a time when mobile payments were dominated by telecom operators. “It showed that banks and independent players could innovate in a space once thought to be closed,” he recalls. The project widened access to digital financial services and set the stage for new entrants to challenge conventional models.
And at I&M Bank, Amiri is applying the same spirit of innovation by embedding AI into banking products and processes.
Nostalgic streak
“For us, AI is not about chasing hype, it is about data engineering, analytics and machine learning models that make lending smarter and strengthen our defences in areas like AML,” he explains.
Despite being at the forefront of AI in banking, Amiri has a nostalgic streak. “I sometimes miss the old days of peer-to-peer file sharing,” he quips, recalling an era when people could swap music, movies and files directly without the lock-in of platforms or endless subscription fees. To him, it was a time when technology felt freer and more open, before convenience was packaged into paywalls. It is a lighthearted remark that hints at both his humour and his ‘old soul’ outlook, offering a glimpse of the personality behind the professional.
That ‘old soul’ comes through in his interests outside of work. Amiri is an avid reader of history, especially the medieval through Victorian eras, and finds inspiration in the stories of how societies and ideas evolved over time. He is equally passionate about art and architecture, often weaving these pursuits into his travels.
Away from the bustle of technology, he describes himself as an introverted INTJ, a personality type often referred to as “The Mastermind” or “The Strategist”. INTJs are known for being introspective, analytical, future-focused and methodical, qualities that echo in Amiri’s own approach. “I have always seen myself as a strategist,” he says. “The most exciting part of my role is anticipating shifts in technology and then positioning my team to turn those changes into real business value.”
For him, balance comes in quieter moments such as walking in nature, exploring historical sites, or immersing himself in books. These passions, he says, help him step back from the rapid pace of technology and see the bigger picture of where humanity and innovation are headed.
Looking ahead, Amiri believes the role of IT leaders will be defined by how well they balance innovation with trust.
“The future of banking will not just be about faster systems or smarter algorithms,” he says. “It will be about building digital experiences that are intelligent, secure, and human at the same time. The real challenge and opportunity is to harness technology in ways that deepen trust while opening new possibilities for customers.”
