The CIO of the Future Summit brought nearly 100 IT leaders together at the Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel on 11 September for a deep look at the forces changing the role of the CIO, with the conversation quickly moving past technology.

CITO East Africa's CIO of the Future Summit brought together Uganda's technology leaders to explore what it takes to lead through changing business expectations and a faster technology cycle.

Peter Ojekunle took a risk, leaving PwC Nigeria for PwC Uganda at a time when the market was still young. After close to a decade in East Africa, Peter believes that companies must build risk-aware capabilities to survive ever increasing pervasive IT and security risks in the region.

Noelah Lugongo spent a decade finding fault with bank systems. Today, she is responsible for keeping them running.

Vinod Sharma has spent years working at the intersection of technology and financial services. At the Future Ready CITO Summit organised by CITO East Africa, he made a case for keeping AI in its proper place, reminding the room that the people using the tools matter more than the tools themselves.

During the CITO East Africa launch, participants broke into four interactive groups to reflect on the region’s technology challenges and opportunities. Their discussions revealed the issues that CIOs and technology leaders believe the new community must address in the year ahead.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies chief technology officer David Bagandanswa is intent on building empowered teams that “run themselves”. As the company transitions into a fully-fledged tech solutions provider, his focus is set on building a global presence and pivoting fully to strategy.

Paul believes a single shift in technology can change the course of thousands of lives. In his view, technology has the power to reshape the future of Africa.

HighChem Group head of ICT Dan Wachira’s thrill for finding solutions has shaped his journey at the group. What began as a three-month internship has seen him take charge of the conglomerate’s IT transformation and lead the effort to streamline systems.

Kibe Kamau’s unconventional journey from finance to IT is a masterclass in blending disciplines to maximise value. He reveals how he leverages his experience in both fields to align the company’s in-house solutions with strategic business needs.