Girma Kassa’s journey from a young Ethiopian accountant to a regional tech leader spans three continents and two decades of digital transformation. Now at the helm of SAP’s operations across East, West, and Southern Africa, Girma is not just implementing software, he is on a mission to shift mindsets, nurture local talent and champion AI adoption.
When Girma Kassa left Ethiopia at a young age, he never imagined his journey would take him across three continents, through boardrooms in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, and ultimately back to East Africa to transform how businesses embrace technology. Now leading SAP’s efforts across the region as a head of solution advisors at SAP Africa, Girma is not just selling software – he is rewriting the narrative on what Africa can achieve by embracing digital innovation.
“I started out as an accountant,” Girma recalls, “but when I got to Europe to do a master’s in economics and later to the US for my PhD in the same field, I realised that path would lead to either teaching or research. It was the dot-com era, in the 1990s and I knew I had to make a decision.”
That decision took him into IT and eventually SAP, where he has spent the last two decades helping businesses worldwide digitise their operations. His entry into IT began at a German company called Skill-Bosch, a German/American company where he joined as an accountant and then transitioned to work with the SAP implementation project team, a move that would shape the rest of his career.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” he says. “If you understand business and want to automate processes, it’s easier than a technical person trying to grasp the business side.”
For Girma, the turning point came when he decided he wanted to bring that expertise home. “In the US, there were many experts like me. But here in Africa, I knew I would be one of the few and I wanted to give back,” he says.
Despite his vast experience, Girma quickly found that technology alone wasn’t the hard part, shifting mindsets was. “You’d think a struggling company would jump at a solution, but instead, they drag it and even try to kill it,” he says. This resistance, he explains, often stems from entrenched personal interests.
Winning trust
“Technology brings transparency in terms of approvals, compliance, fairness and that threatens those who benefit from the status quo.”
Yet Girma remained undeterred, as he cautions that change is not just about an individual. “It’s not about you. It’s about the organisation and the country. You may only be there five years but that company will outlive you,” he says. His approach is simple: win trust, prove value and turn sceptics into allies.
That challenge is just as pronounced, if not more, in the public sector. In his work with government institutions, Girma notes a recurring pattern: while many recognise the value of digital transformation, execution often falters.
“The managing director may have the vision, but if it’s delegated to someone with different interests, the system sits idle and then they will say it didn’t work,” he explains. Yet he remains optimistic, believing that change is possible when driven by the right champions. “If you find someone who wants to leave a legacy, someone who truly believes in transformation, you can make real progress,” he continues.
Girma, who oversees a regional unit spread across East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa, doesn’t see himself as only a manager, but as a mentor: “It’s about passion, a personal drive to make a difference in the region.” He is a firm believer in nurturing what he calls “customer obsession” which loosely translates to a genuine desire to help clients thrive. “If you believe in the solution and you want your customer to flourish, the rest will follow,” he explains.
Even as he laments seeing top talent leave the continent, he is proud of his former team members who have gone on to global roles. “We are exporting talent. One is in the UK, two are in Canada and they’re still representing the company. That gives me real joy,” he says.
Staying ahead of the curve
Still, the departures come with mixed emotions. “We have tremendous talent in Africa,” he adds. “If we don’t give them the opportunity to grow, we’ll lose them anyway. I don’t like that they’re leaving the continent, but they get experience and they come back. That’s exactly what I did.”
That commitment to future-focused leadership is why Girma is pushing his team and more so African organisations to stay ahead of the curve, especially when it comes to AI. “We’re in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he says. “People worry that AI will replace them. But in my view, it’s not AI that replaces people, it’s people who don’t understand AI that get replaced.”
He urges his team to stay informed, adapt and lead with confidence. “AI can’t replace human beings. It can think like humans, not as humans. It can’t replicate judgement, emotion, or values.” Girma points out that AI is not a threat but a tool that, if embraced wisely, can help Africa leapfrog into the future. “You cannot hide from it. You cannot change it. The beast is already out of the stable. So, we have to hold it by the tail. And once you hold it, you run with it,” he adds.
For Girma, staying ahead isn’t just about technology, it’s also about connection. He believes strongly in the power of community among IT leaders, especially across the African continent. “We have an African proverb that says ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ and the same applies for us professionals. It takes a community for us to grow as a country, as a region.”
His ultimate vision is of a continent where knowledge, experience and innovation are shared freely. “We have everything we need. We don’t need to get out of this continent to find what we need. We just need to share what we already have,” he reiterates.
According to Girma, CITO East Africa is one of the platforms that can make that vision of community real. “This community is about sharing experiences. When you’re trying to embark on something new in tech, it helps to know you’re not alone; that others have walked that path and can guide you,” he says. Whether it’s lessons in AI, digital transformation, or regional collaboration, he sees CITO as a space where IT leaders can find strength in numbers. “It’s how we grow,” he adds.
Leading by example
Looking ahead, Girma is eager to take an active role in the upcoming CITO East Africa Summit to be held in December. He is particularly excited about the potential for meaningful peer-to-peer discussions and roundtables. But he also raised a critical point: the absence of Ethiopia, his home country, from CITO’s initial regional footprint. “Ethiopia has a dire need for this kind of community,” he says, and in his problem-solving nature, offered to help bridge the gap. “When you’re ready to take that next step, I can support with local introductions,” he says.
Outside of the office, Girma finds joy and grounding in family life. He lives in Nairobi with his wife and three children, ages 10 to 18. “This is my second home,” he says warmly. Weekends are spent helping his kids with school, attending community activities at their Ethiopian Orthodox Church and occasionally sneaking in a few tennis matches. “We also love to explore Kenya, the local travel here is beautiful,” he adds.
Like many modern parents, Girma is navigating the complex balance of technology and parenting. One concern that hits close to home is screen time. “All three of my kids wear glasses; I only started wearing them recently, but my children needed them from as early as six or seven. You start to wonder, what’s happening?” He links this directly to prolonged gadget use and digital exposure.
But rather than impose blanket bans, he focuses on guidance and balance. “We don’t prohibit electronics entirely, but during school days, they can only be used for academic work,” he explains. He also actively monitors their online activity. “We get reports on what sites they visit – whether it’s productive or just play and we talk about it openly. It’s about transparency, not punishment.”
For Girma, parenting is an ongoing learning curve. “There’s no manual. You try your best, lead by example, and learn from other parents especially when they hit those teenage years. It’s tough. Sometimes they don’t even recognise themselves,” he concludes.
